The document defines and discusses the five themes of geography: location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region. It provides examples and discussion questions for each theme to help students understand how they can be used to organize information about the earth and its people. The lesson plans for the next few days include reviewing the themes, having students create a collage applying the themes, and turning in notes on the themes.

1. Lesson Goal:
List and define the five themes of
geography.
Describe how the five themes of
geography help organize information
about the earth and its people.

2. 5 Themes of Geography
Location
Place
Human-Environment Interaction
Movement
Region

3. Location
Position or site on Earth
where a feature is found
Absolute:
Exact location of a place
on Earth
Latitude & Longitude
Address
Relative:
Location of a feature in
relation to other places

4. Discussion Question #1
(Location)
Why might sailors be
interested in knowing
absolute location?
In the middle of the
ocean, there would be
no way of telling where
you are but by using
longitude and latitude
lines.

5. Place
Describes a location’s features
Physical Features: those that occur naturally
Plant and animal life, landforms, elevation, climate, soil, and
bodies of water
Cultural Features (Human Characteristics):
created by human beings who live there
Number of people who live in a place, how close together
people live, and how they make a living

6. Discussion Question #2
(Place)
What are the physical
and cultural features of
your neighborhood?
Possible answers:
Flat or hilly
Mild climate
Urban or rural

7. Human-Environment Interaction
How people interact with their environment.
Two interactions occur:
Humans adapt to their natural environment
• Hunting and fishing
Humans change environment to make life better
and suit their needs
• Cutting down forests to build homes

8. Discussion Question #3
(Human/Environment Interaction)
What steps would you take to adapt to
your environment if you lived in Alaska?
Florida?
Alaska: wear warm clothes, live in heated
home, buy a vehicle that could
travel in snow.
Florida: wear cool clothes, live in an air-
conditioned home.

9. Movement
The way people, goods,
and ideas travel from
place to place
Two examples:
Transportation
• RR’s, roads, planes,
sea routes
Communication
• Books, newspapers,
telephone, radio, TV,
the Internet

10. Discussion Question #4
(Movement)
How might ideas have moved from one
place to another hundreds of years
ago?
Today?
Past: word of mouth, some form of printing
Today: books, magazines, telephone, the
internet

11. Region
Areas of the world that
have something in
common
Human characteristics
Political Region
Cultural Region
Economic Region
physical characteristics
of a region
Natural Regions
Climatic Regions

12. Discussion Question #5
(Region)
What do you think might be some
characteristics of the United States’
Southwest region?
Hot temperatures, little rainfall, deserts

13. Planner: Wed., Sept. 19
Review the 5 Themes of Geography
Group Activity create 5 Themes of Geo.
Collage

14. Planner: Thurs., Sept. 20
Review the 5 Themes of Geography
Group Activity create 5 Themes of Geo.
Collage

15. Planner: Fri., Sept. 21
Please turn in 5 Themes of
Geography Notes
Video: The Fire Below Us—
Remembering Mt. St. Helens

16. Lesson Goal:
List and define the five themes of
geography.
Describe how the five themes of
geography help organize information
about the earth and its people.

17. 5 Themes of Geo. Group Activity
Create a 5 Themes of Geography collage:
Using a magazine, select a photo or illustration
that represents each of the 5 themes of
geography.
Cut and glue each illustration to colored
construction paper
Label each picture with the theme it represents
Title the collage “5 Themes of Geography”