Upload
robert-norris
View
220
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Five Themes of GeographyThe Five Themes of GeographyWhat is Geography
What are the five themesHow are the five themes used
How will I use this in class
What is Geography?What is Geography?
• Comes from the Greek word “geographia”—meaning “to describe the earth”
• Geographers view the world by looking at how space is used on earth and the interactions that take place
• Geography is the study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth
The Five Themes of GeographyThe Five Themes of Geography
• Tools used in Geography—
Maps, Charts, Graphs, tables, observations and the five themes
• The themes organize information to make it easier to study—geography is very broad
Theme: LocationTheme: Location
• Where is it?
• Location can be described either relatively or absolutely
Absolute LocationAbsolute Location• The exact location of
a place on the globe or map
• To find exact location you use the grid system on the globe or map
• The grid system is made up of Longitude and Latitude lines
Relative LocationRelative Location
• Describing location of one place in terms or relation to another place
• McDonalds is one block down from the Kroger
• Cairo, Egypt is located near the mouth of the Nile River in Africa
• For relative location to be useful, you must already have some grasp of where certain things are located.
Theme: PlaceTheme: Place
• What is it like?
• Can be described physically or culturally
• Physically– mountains, rivers, lakes, climate, vegetation
• Culturally– religion, population, language, ethnic background
Theme: RegionTheme: Region
• How are areas similar or different?
• A region is an area of earth’s surface with similar characteristics—physical, cultural, economic, or political
• There are Three types of regions
1. Formal
2. Functional
3. Perceptual
Formal RegionsFormal Regions
• Defined by a limited number of related characteristics
• Example: The Sahel region in Africa is a desert area characterized by specific climate, vegetation, and land use patterns
• Political regions– continents, countries, or states
• Economic regions—The Breadbasket of the U.S.
• Cultural regions– The Middle East
Functional RegionsFunctional Regions
• Two or more places connected by interactions or connections usually through movement.
• Example: a city and its suburbs connected by highways, railroads, subways, and bus lines
Perceptual RegionsPerceptual Regions• A place in which people perceive, or see, the
characteristics of the region in the same way
Example: The South
Theme: Human-Environment Interaction
Theme: Human-Environment Interaction
• How do people relate to the physical world?
• Adapting- Humans changing themselves to meet the surrounding environment
Example: using air conditioning in a hot climate
• Altering– Humans changing the environment to meet their personal needs
Example: Building a dam to control flooding or cutting down trees to create farm land
Theme: MovementTheme: Movement
• How do people, ideas, and products move from one location to another?
• Geographers analyze movement by looking at three types of distance: linear distance, time distance, and psychological distance
Theme: MovementTheme: Movement
• Linear Distance: how far a person, idea, or product moves across the earth
Example: geographers look at how physical geography can prevent linear movement (mountains, oceans)
• Time Distance: amount of time it takes for a person, idea, or product to reach a place
Example: how long did it take for Christianity to spread, trade of products
Theme: MovementTheme: Movement
• Psychological Distance: the way people view distance. The more familiar you are with a place the closer it seems to be to you.