1. The Five Themes of Geography
A Framework for Studying the World

2. Location Place Region Movement 1 2 3 4 5
Human – Environment Interactions

3. Theme 1: Location Where is it? Why is it there? Two Types of Location
Absolute
Relative
Where is it?
Why is it there?
A specific place on the
Earth’s surface (A global address)
Uses a grid system
Latitude and longitude
Cary, NC °N °W
Where a place is in relation to another place
Uses directional words to describe

4. Theme 2: Place Physical Characteristics Human Characteristics Climate
Land Features
Bodies of Water
Types of Vegetation and animal life
Mountains, Plains, and Plateaus
Human Characteristics
People
Culture and Traditions
Language
Religion
Buildings and Landmarks
Communities

5. Theme 3: Regions
Region divides the world into manageable units for geographic study. Regions have some sort of characteristic that unifies the area.
What Places Have in Common
Political Regions
Landform Regions
Agricultural Regions
Cultural Regions

6. North Carolina: Regions

7. Theme 4: Movement People interact with each other through movement
Movement of Ideas
Movement of people
Movement of Goods

8. Theme 5: Human Environment Interaction
Describes how humans:
Adapt to their environment
Modify their environment
Depend on their environment

10. Student Presentations
Work in groups of
Use National Geographic Magazines to select photos that represents each of the five themes of geography
(5 pictures total).
Cut out photos and glue them to colored construction paper.
Label each picture with the theme it represents.
Each group will present their photos to the class and explain how each shows the theme chosen.