location place region human-environment interaction movement
TRANSCRIPT
THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPH
Y
What are the Five Themes?
Location Place Region Human-Environment Interaction Movement
Location
Absolute location allows us to pinpoint the exact location of any point on the surface of the earth using latitude and longitude or a grid system
Location
Relative location refers to the way a place is perceived and how that place relates to other places. Can be measured in terms of time--
“twenty minutes away” Important for decision-making.
Alaska is closer to Russia than it is to the “lower 48,” but that is not how we perceive it.
Absolute Location
Relative Location
Our perceptions are based on relative location.
Place
Physical Characteristics of Place:
Place
Physical Characteristics of Place: Topography
Climate
Vegetation
Place
Human Characteristics of Place:
Place
Human Characteristics of Place: Agriculture
Architecture
Religion
Economics
Region
The region is the basic unit of geographic study Criteria for defining regions depends on the geographer’s
purpose. One place can be part of several different regions.
Texas, US, and World culture regions
Region
Formal regions are based on some common feature.
The Corn Belt
Political entities
Where Islam dominates
Region
Functional regions are created by movement.
Austin metropolitan area
Eanes attendance areaAmazon River Basin
Region Perceptual regions exist in people’s
minds.
Human-Environment Interaction
Humans adapt to their physical environment.
clothing stylesBuilding materials
Human-Environment Interaction
Humans modify their environment.
Terracing for rice farming
Open-pit mine
Human-Environment Interaction
Human interaction with the environment can have important consequences.
Movement Physical processes, people, goods, and ideas move
across the earth’s surface. The geographer is concerned with the effects of this
movement.
What is important to understand about the Five Themes?
They give us a “geographic lens” through which to view the world.
Throughout the year, we will be using these themes to view different parts of the world and their cultures.
Homework!
You will be given a current news article by the teacher.
Tonight, you need to read this article and annotate it anywhere you find examples of the five themes.
For example, “The tropical storm began in the Gulf of
Mexico as a hurricane but was downgraded when it hit the coast.” (MOVEMENT)
“The climate on Mars is very similar to deserts on Earth.” (PLACE)