The Five Themes of Geography: Geography as a Key to History Mr. Meester World History

“If suddenly we tear our hearts from the homes around which they are twined, our heartstrings will snap.” Anonymous Seminole Indian Our modern society is more mobile and more distant from the natural world than were early cultures of North America. However we are as closely bound to our environment as they were to theirs.

We are all products of our surroundings

What is geography? Geography is . . . . . The study of Earth and our basic interaction with the environment. The two basic types of Geography are: Human Geography - deals with the various people around the world. Physical Geography - the study of different regions of the world.

Theme #1 - Location Location refers to where a place is. There is Absolute Location - the exact position of a city, mountain, river, etc. on earth determined by lines of latitude and longitude on a map. Relative Location - refers to the location of one place in relation to other places.

Theme #2 - Place A place is a particular city, village, or area with certain physical and human characteristics that make it different from other places. Can you think of a way to describe the place of the Antelope Valley?

Theme #3 - People-Environment Interactions This theme helps us to understand why people are where they are and why their cultures developed the way they did. However, people also alter their environments thus changing their culture.

Theme #4 - Movement Movement is the study of interactions among people located in different places and different environments. The 3 types of Movement are Migration (people) Transport (goods) The Spread of Ideas

Theme #5 - Region Regions are parts of Earth’s surface that share one or more characteristics that make them different from other areas. Examples of Regions include culture regions such as the Middle East or Latin America and agricultural regions such as the wheat belt in the mid-west or wineries in Napa Valley.