Geography is used to interpret the past,

understand the present, and plan for

the future.

The Big Idea

① Location② Place③ Human-Environment

Interaction④ Movement⑤ Regions

5 Themes of Geography

• Geographers use five themes to describe places and people

①Location:– Position of a place on the

Earth’s surface– Absolute Location – the exact spot where a

city or mountain is found– Relative Location – describes where that

city or mountain is in relation to the features around it

5 Themes of Geography

② Place:–Describes the characteristics of a

location that make it unique, or different• Described by physical features, such as

landforms, plants, animals, and weather patterns• Described by the people who live there,

such as what languages they speak

5 Themes of Geography

③ Human-Environment Interaction:–Describes how people affect their

environment, and how the environment affects them• People affect the environment by

using or changing it to meet their needs• Temperature and natural disasters

influence how people live

5 Themes of Geography

④ Movement:Explains how and why people, ideas, and goods move from place to place

5 Themes of Geography

⑤ Regions:–The areas of Earth’s surface that

have several common characteristics (ex: land, natural resources, or population)

5 Themes of Geography

Geographers use many different tools to help

them study and analyze Earth’s

people and places.

The Big Idea

• Physical Geography – look at Earth’s land areas, bodies of water, plant life, and other physical features– Study natural resources– The way people use

resources–Make decisions about

managing different types of resources

Types of Geography

• Human Geography – look at people’s religions, languages, and ways of life– Study specific locations,

entire countries, or continents

– Compare and contrast different places

– Help plan cities and international business

Types of Geography

• Maps can provide geographers with different types of information about a place

• Satellites:– Provide digital images and pictures to

create maps–Measures changing temperatures and

air/land pollution–Make up Global Positioning System (GPS)

Map Systems

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – gathers, stores, and analyzes information– Displays maps, types of vegetation,

types of soil, and/or water quality

Map Systems

• Geographers help decide how land and resources might be used– Analyze population trends– Help companies decide where

to locate new buildings– Provide information about

places and cultures– Teach in high school and

colleges

Careers in Geography

• My Very Exhausted Mother Just Served Us Nothing

① Mercury② Venus③ Earth④ Mars⑤ Jupiter⑥ Saturn⑦ Uranus⑧ Neptune

The Solar System

Mercury orbits the sun

in 88 days but Neptune

takes 165 YEARS!

• One revolution – 365 ¼ Days (One year)

• Leap Year – Every 4 years to make up for the extra day

• Earth rotates fully on its axis every 24 hours (one day)

• We do not feel Earth moving because the atmosphere moves with it

Earth’s Movement

• Earth is tilted 23 ½ degrees creating seasons as it orbits the sun

• Direct rays = warmth of summer• Indirect rays = cold winter

Sun and Seasons

• June 21 – North Pole tilts toward the sun – Summer Solstice

• December 22 – North Pole tilts away from the sun – Winter Solstice

• Equinoxes – midway between solstices when day and night are identical – March 21– September 23

Solstices and Equinoxes

Solstices and Equinoxes