Geography
The Five Themes
What is Geography?
• Geography is the study of the world, its
people, and the landscapes they create.
MR. LIP
M
R
L
I
P
• Movement
• Region
• Location
• Interaction
• Place
Movement
People
• People interact with each other through
movement.
– We interact with each other through travel,
trade, information flow (E-Mail), and
political events.
Movement
Goods
• The import and export of goods and
mass communication play major roles
in shaping our world.
– We travel from place to place, we
communicate, and trade goods.
– How do we move from place to place?
– How do we actually get goods we want?
Movement
Ideas
• Not only do humans move but also ideas move; fashions move;
fads move.
– What is an example of an idea that moves? Fashion? Fad?
– How do we depend on people in other places?
– How would our lives change if our movement options
changed?
Region
– unit of study in geography that shows a
connection in terms of human or physical
features.
– Formal – defined lines and borders
– Functional – has a function, particular
area/region for a paper route.
– Vernacular (perceptual) – people’s
perception
Formal Regions
• Defined by boundaries
– Example: United States or The City of
Atlanta.
• These regional boundaries are not
open to dispute, therefore physical
regions fall under this category
– Example: The Rockies, the Great Lakes
States, the Atlantic States.
Functional Regions
• Defined by a function
– Example: United Airlines Service area or a
newspaper service area.
• If the function cease to exist, the region
could no longer exist.
Vernacular regions
• Loosely defined by people's perception
– Example: The South, the MidWest, The
Middle East.
• What are characteristics of the
Greater Metro Atlanta Region?
• What region do you define as the
South? The North?
• What characteristics and perceptions
go along with these regions?
Location
– Relative Location – north of, south of, near
the park, around the corner, north of
Florida
– Absolute Location – using longitude and
latitude or an address.
Absolute Location
latitude and longitude (a global location)
or a street address (local location).
Paris, France is 48.51' North latitude and
2.20' East longitude
Relative Location
Landmark, time, direction or distance
from one place to another and may
associate a particular place with another.
Human-Environmental
Interaction
– Humans adapt to the environment
• Example: clothing during different seasons
– Humans modify the environment
• Example: build houses, cut down trees, using
air conditioner or heater, etc.
– Humans depend on the environment
• Example: natural resources, food, climate, etc.
Discussion
• Given the choice, where would you
live? Why?
• What is the environment?
• How do people interact with the
environment?
• How do the physical features affect us?
Discussion
• How have we adapted to or changed
our landscape?
– Example: in the Sudan even though
everything is seemingly barren, the land
still supports farmers and nomadic
herders. People and animals have adapted
to a hot, dry climate.
Place
– Physical Characteristics – natural
landforms, bodies of water, etc.
– Human Characteristics – man made
Physical Characteristics
• Mountains, rivers, soil, beaches,
wildlife, etc.
Human Characteristics
• Buildings, roads, clothing, and food
habits.
Discussion
• How is Atlanta, Georgia connected to
other places?
• What are the human and physical
characteristics of Atlanta, Georgia?
• How do these characteristics shape our
lives?