INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY What is the study of geography?

GEOGRAPHY Geography comes from the Greek word “geographia” meaning “to describe the earth”. Geographers look at the use of space on earth and the interactions that take place between people and the land they live on. Geography is the study of both the physical and human features on the earth.

Physical Features

Human Features

FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY Location Place Human-environment interaction Movement Region

LOCATION Where is it? Absolute Location is the exact place on the earth where a geographic feature is found. Relative Location describes a place in comparison to other places around it.

Absolute or Relative? Florence, AL is 34 North latitude and 87' West longitude My house is located behind the Irving Mall I live at 1026 Sam Hill I shop at the grocery store that is behind my house

PLACE What is it like? Place describes the physical features and cultural characteristics of a location.

JAPAN? What comes to mind when you think of ….

CHINA?

TEXAS?

Human-Environment Interaction What are the relationships among people and places? People learn to use what the environment offers them and to change that environment to meet their needs.

How have people changed their environment?

MOVEMENT How do people, products and ideas move from one place to another? A study of movement includes learning about major modes of transportation used by people, an area's major exports and imports, and ways in which people communicate (move ideas).

What invention has changed the way we communicate and truly made us a global?

REGION How are areas similar or different? Region describes an area of the earth’s surface with similar characteristics, usually more than one. These may include physical, political, economic, or cultural characteristics.

What region do you live in? What are it’s characteristics? What states do you define as Northeast? What perception do you have of that region?

ASSIGNMENT 1.Use the newspaper, magazines, pamphlet, flyers, etc. to cut out an example of each of the five themes of geography. 2. Paste or tape the examples to a piece of paper, leave room for some writing. 3. Next to each example you cut out, write what theme it represents and a sentence stating why it represents that theme.