“Your town” 5 Themes of Geography Essay
Task: Your assignment is to write a 5 paragraph essay
incorporating “your town” into the five themes of geography
we learned in class.
- Use the graphic organizer we completed together in
class to guide you through your essay.
- Your essay paragraphs should each contain one
theme of geography.
o Paragraph 1: Place
-You should talk about both the human
and physical characteristics
o Paragraph 2: Location
- Where is it? Include longitude, latitude
lines and any other details (the continent
it is on etc)
o Paragraph 3: Region
- What features do we have in common
with New York, Pennsylvania,
Connecticut, etc.
o Paragraph 4: Movement
- How are products, people, and ideas
exchanged?
o Paragraph 5: Human-Environment Interaction
- Relationships between people and their
environment
** Remember that all rules in ELA still apply, even when writing
an essay in Social Studies** 
This assignment will be given out on _________________________
and will be ___________________________.
5 Themes of Geography Essay Rubric
Task
Description
Points
My essay has 5 paragraphs (2 points)
Uses graphic organizer (10 points)
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Describes human and physical characteristics (10
points)
Includes longitude/latitude line (3 points)
Includes continent (3 points)
Includes outside knowledge (4 points)
Paragraph 3
Includes common features with surrounding states (10
points)
Includes outside knowledge (5 points)
Paragraph 4
Includes information on the exchange of ideas (10
points)
Includes outside knowledge (5 points)
Paragraph 5
Describes the relationship between people and their
environment (how this is done) (10 points)
Describes the negative impact on the environment (5
points)
Describes the positive impact on the environment (5
points)
Grammar, punctuation and mechanics (10 points
Easy to read (typed or written in best handwriting)
Total points: