The document discusses the five themes of geography used by scientists to study the Earth's features: location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region. It defines each theme and provides examples to illustrate key concepts for each one. The five themes framework helps geographers understand how people and the environment interact in different parts of the world.

1. The Five Themes of
Geography
By Nicole Copeland
How Do We View the World Around Us?

2. What is Geography?
Geography is the “study of the
earth''s surface; includes
people''s responses to
topography and climate
and soil and vegetation”.
–"geography." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2013. Web. 4
May 2013.
<http://www.definitions.net/definition/geography>.
 What the Earth looks like.
 How people interact with the
environment
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection.
2007

3. Movement
Region
Human-Environmental
Interaction
Location
Place
What are the Five Themes of
Geography?
The Five Themes of Geography
are categories that scientists use
to study Earth’s features:
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection. 2007

4. Movement
Humans interact with each other as
well as many places and things almost
every day. We travel from place to
place; we communicate with each
other in many different ways; and we
depend on products, information, and
ideas that come from outside our own
environments.
MOVEMENT explores where
different resources are located, the
people that use them, and how they
are transported to locations all over
the earth’s surface.
The theme of MOVEMENT helps
us understand how we connect
with, and depend on, other regions,
cultures, and people in the world.
All ClipArt from
Microsoft ClipArt. 2007

5. Movement cont…
People/Goods
Trucks/Cars
Planes
Trains/Buses
Boats
Information
Telephones
Computers (email, internet)
Mail
Ideas (How trends and fads move from place to
place.)
Magazines/Books
Radio
Television
How are people, goods,
information and ideas moved
from place to place??
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt. 2007

6. Regions
Regions may be created based on:
Same Climate (weather trends)
Location (where it is on a map)
Languages & Cultures of the people
Landforms (mountains or plains, wetlands or desert)
Examples:
North America/South America (based on location on the map)
Latin America (primarily Spanish speaking countries)
Scientists divide the Earth’s land into sections,
called Regions, based on certain traits those
sections share.
ClipArt from
Microsoft ClipArt
Collection. 2007

7. Regions cont.
Regional Map of
the United States
Col, Jeananda. Enchanted Learning.
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com 2010

8. Human-Environmental Interactions
How people interact
with their
surroundings.
People depend on their
environment.
We depend on the land (soil)
to grow food.
We depend on rivers and
streams for drinking water &
or transporting goods.
People modify (change)
the environment.
We pave roads to travel on.
We clear land to build
houses & buildings on.
People adapt to their
environment.
We wear lighter clothing in
the summer (warm/hot) and
wear heavier clothing in the
winter (cold).
All ClipArt from Microsoft ClipArt Collection.
2007.

9. Human-Environmental
Interaction cont…
There are consequences as well as
benefits to the actions we take in
interacting with our environment:
Positive:
• More interaction between people of different cultures
Negative:
• Faster use of the Earth’s natural resources.
• Air pollution
• Global warming
ClipArt from
Microsoft ClipArt
Collection. 2007
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection. 2007

10. Location
The theme of Location answers the question:
“Where is it?”
It describes where a place is on Earth. There
are two kinds of location:
Absolute location:
• The exact location of a place on Earth.
Relative location:
• Location of a place when compared to other places.

11. Location cont.
Absolute location:
• The exact location of a place on Earth.
• Examples:
• Degrees of latitude and longitude on a globe or
map.
• Address of a house or building.
• The Latitude & Longitude of Michigan is:
44.3148443 N , 85.60236429999998 W - this is Michigan’s
absolute location on a map of the Earth.
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection. 2007
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection. 2007
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection. 2007

12. Location cont.
Relative location:
• The location of a place in relation to other
places.
• Usually described by:
• Direction (North, South, East, West)
• Landmarks that are nearby
• Distance to or from another place
• Examples:
• Our school is West of Telegraph Road, and four blocks
from the fire station.
• My house is on Ann Arbor Trail, across the street from
the gas station.

13. Place
The theme Place answers the question:
“What is it like there?”
• A place is often known by its own special
characteristics.
• Characteristics are special traits or qualities that a
place can have.
• Types of characteristics for Place:
• Human
• Physical

14. Place cont.
Human Characteristics:
• The main customs, languages, and beliefs of the people
in a certain place.
• Special traditions or holidays
• Clothing styles
• Political ideals
• Architecture (how buildings are made)
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection. 2007

15. Place cont.
• Physical Characteristics:
• Mountains, plains
• Oceans, rivers, lakes
• Climate (hot, cold, humid, dry)
• Types of animals that live there
• What types of plants grow there.
All ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection. 2007

16. Conclusion
Scientists use the Five Themes of
Geography so that they can understand
how the world works, and what people
can do to make it better for all of us.
ClipArt from Microsoft
ClipArt Collection. 2007

17. References
• World Atlas Online. Retrieved
from Web 5 May 2013.
http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/
findlatlong.htm#.UYaCxcqhA08
• Sutcliffe, Andrea, The New York
Public Library Amazing US
Geography: A Book of Answers
for Kids, John Wiley and Sons
Inc., 2001.
• Education World: Five Times
Five: Five Activities for Teaching
Geography's Five Themes. 2009.
Retrieved from Web on 5 May
2013.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_
lesson/lesson/lesson071.shtml
• All ClipArt and Media Sounds
courtesy of Microsoft ClipArt and
Media Gallery. 2007.