6th Grade (Western Hemisphere - Physical Characteristics) Resource
The Five Themes of Geography
Place: A place may be described in terms of its physical
characteristics (landforms, climate, and vegetation) or its
human characteristics (population and cultural patterns or
economic and political systems). Example: Michigan is
surrounded by fresh water and its land forms were affected
by glaciers. Michigan has a temperate climate. The natural
vegetation is forests and wetlands. The population is about
9 million. It is a mixture of agrarian and industrial land use.
Human/Environment Interaction: People respond to their
natural environment by either changing it or by adapting
their activities to it. Example: In Michigan, many houses
are built of wood rather than brick or stone because wood is
plentiful. Houses are insulated for both heating and cooling.
Location: A place may be identified by its absolute location
on Earth, using the coordinates of latitude and longitude,
or by its location relative to other places. Example: The
absolute location of Detroit, Michigan is 42º N, 83º W. The
relative location of Detroit, Michigan is on the Detroit River,
west of Lake Erie.
Movement: As people, goods and ideas move from place
to place, they can change the characteristics of a place.
Example: People immigrated to Michigan because of
employment opportunities. The auto industry provided
many jobs. It imported raw materials from around the
world and exported cars worldwide. The assembly line
revolutionized production.
Regions: Places may be part of formal regions (places having
similar characteristics), or functional regions (places connected
by one or more kinds of movement). Example: Southwestern
Michigan has many fruit trees because of the effect of the Great
Lakes on the climate. Southeastern Michigan is an industrial
region because of its proximity to water transportation.
KC 4 Social Studies
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