This document outlines the five themes of geography taught in a third grade class: location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and regions. Location describes where places are on Earth through absolute locations like latitude and longitude or relative locations like distance and direction. A place is defined by human characteristics such as population or physical characteristics like climate. Human-environment interaction examines how humans and the environment impact one another. Movement refers to how people, goods, and ideas are transported. Finally, regions are areas defined by common traits, governmental boundaries, or a shared function.

1. GEOGRAPHY
Ms. Sorrell
Third Grade

2. Five Themes of Geography
 Location
 Place
 Human-Environment Interaction
 Movement
 Regions

3. LOCATION
The LOCATION describes
where places on Earth are.
There are 2 types of locations:
1.Absolute
2.Relative

4. ABSOLUTE Location
 Means things that DO NOT change.
 Examples in Geography:
 Latitude/Longitude
 Hemispheres
 Grid System
 Addresses

5. RELATIVE Location
Means things that DO change
(variable).
 Examples in Geography:
 Miles
 Distance
 Direction
(these depend on where you are on the Earth)

6. Place
 A PLACE is defined by:
 HUMAN characteristics and/or
 PHYSICAL characteristics

7. Human Characteristics
 Means what Humans have made the
Place to be.
 Population
 Language
 Unique buildings
 Religious Practices
 Celebrations/traditions/holidays
(The activities that the people who live there partake in.)

8. Physical Characteristics
 Means created by nature. Such as:
 Mountains
 Rivers
 Lakes
 Oceans
 Climate (weather)
 Vegetation (plants)

9. Human-
Environment Interaction
Means how the environment affects
humans
 EX. Tsunamis, Floods, Landslides, Earthquakes
It ALSO, means how humans affect
the environment.
 EX. Mining, Greenhouse effect, manmade
lakes.

10. Does this house look like yours?
Why do you think it is built this way?
Is it considered HUMAN or PHYSICAL in it’s characteristics?

11. Is this island considered HUMAN or
PHYSICAL in it’s characteristics?

12. What about this one?

13. Movement
Means how
people,
goods,
ideas
are moved from place to place.

14. Movement - People
How do people
move from one
place to the
next?
How did you get
to school today?

15. Movement - Goods
How do things like bread and milk
get to your kitchen table?

16. Movement –
Goods
•From the Bread
Factory…
•…to the
grocery store…
…to the table.
Movement of
bread from the
factory to the
table.

17. Movement - Ideas
 How are ideas and fads moved?

18. Regions
 Formal Regions
 Regions defined by governmental or administrative
boundaries (States, Countries, Cities)
 Regions defined by similar characteristics (Corn Belt,
Rocky Mountain region, Chinatown).
 Functional Regions
 Regions defined by a function (newspaper service
area, cell phone coverage area).
 Vernacular Regions (Not in your book)
 Regions defined by peoples perception (middle
east, the south, etc.)

19. SUMMARY
If you can’t remember what the
Five Themes of GEOGRAPHY are,
just ask MR. HELP!!!
M – Movement
R – Regions
HE – Human Environment interaction
L – Location
P – Place