This document outlines the 5 themes of geography which provide an effective framework for teaching geography. The 5 themes are: 1) Location, which identifies places on Earth using coordinates and relative location. 2) Place, which describes the human and physical characteristics of locations. 3) Human-Environment Interaction, which considers how humans adapt to and modify their environments. 4) Movement, which studies migration and transportation across places. 5) Region, which divides the world into meaningful geographic units based on characteristics like boundaries, connections, or perceptions.

1. 5 THEMES OF
GEOGRAPHY
Created by: Roiden Fredrich M. Fernandez
LESSON
1
GROUP 1

2.  Provides an effective organization of the teaching of geography.
 Provides an organizing framework for the presentation of geographic
materials.
 Adopted in 1984 by the National Council for Geographic
Education and the Association of American Geographers
Five Themes of Geography

3. Five Themes of Geography

4. 1. LOCATION used to identify a point or an area on the Earth’s
surface or elsewhere. Location can be absolute or relative.
THEME
1

5. Latitude
Latitude (shown as a horizontal
line) is the angular distance, in
degrees, minutes, and seconds
of a point north or south of the
Equator. Lines of latitude are
often referred to as parallels.

6. Longitude
Longitude (shown as a vertical
line) is the angular distance, in
degrees, minutes, and seconds,
of a point east or west of the
Prime (Greenwich) Meridian.
Lines of longitude are often
referred to as meridians. .

7. Latitude and Longitude

8. Absolute Location
A location can be absolute
(specific) as in coordinates of
a map using longitude and
latitude
Example:
Coordinates of CMULHS
7° 51′ 2″ N, 125° 2′ 59″ E
(Read as 7 degrees 51 minutes 2 seconds NORTH
And 125 degrees 2 minutes 59 seconds EAST)

9. Relative Location
Relative location is the
location of a place relative to
another place (ie south,
north, downhill, or uphill.)

10. 2. PLACE Describes the human and physical characteristics of a
location.
THEME
2

11. Physical characteristics
Includes a description such things as the mountains, rivers, beaches, topography,
and animal and plant life of a place.

12. Human characteristics
Includes the human-designed
cultural features of a place,
from land use and architecture
to forms of livelihood and
religion to food and folk ways
to transportation and

13. 3. HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION
This theme considers how humans adapt to and modify the environment. Humans shape the
landscape through their interaction with the land; this has both positive and negative effects
on the environment.
THEME
3

14. Examples of Human-Environment Interaction
Winter Summer
Places attracts people for different reasons. Wearing light clothing in hot places and warm
clothing for cool places.

15. 4. MOVEMENT This theme studies movement and migration across
the planet.
THEME
4

16. Examples of Movement
Migration of Homo Sapiens Transportation

17. 5. REGION Region divides the world into manageable units for geographic
study. Regions have some sort of characteristic that unifies the area. Regions can be
formal, functional, or vernacular.
THEME
5

18. Formal Region
Formal regions are those that are
designated by official boundaries, such
as cities, states, counties, and countries.
For the most part, they are clearly
indicated and publicly known.

19. Functional Region
Functional regions are defined by their
connections. For example, the Regions
of the Philippines.

20. Vernacular Region
Vernacular regions are perceived regions,
such as "The South," "The Midwest," or the
"Middle East;" they have no formal
boundaries but are understood in
our mental maps of the world.
Examples; 1. Citizens of the United States
are generally known as Americans from
America.
2. Filipino’s speak Tagalog