Transcript 5 Themes of Geography - Canton Local Schools

How They Help us Study Geography
What is Geography?

Gk. geographia "description of the earth's surface,"
from geo- "earth" + -graphia "description“
Geography: The study of the earth and its features and
of the distribution of life on the earth, including human
life and the effects of human activity.
What are the 5 Themes?

The 5 Themes offer a structured way of thinking about
the world and can be used to study all kinds of
geographic issues.
 Location
 Place
 Human Interaction
 Movement
 Region
Location
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Location: Where is it?
Two Types:
 Absolute
 Relative
Location
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Absolute Location: its exact position on the globe.
Geographers use Latitude and Longitude
Location

Latitude: Imaginary lines that
circle the Earth parallel to the
equator. They:
 Measure distance north or
south of the equator
 Equator is 0° Latitude
 Sometimes called Parallels
 Lines north of the equator
are labeled N and lines
south of the equator are
labeled S
Location

Longitude: Imaginary lines east
and west of the Prime Meridian
(Long. Line that goes through
Greenwich, UK). They:
 Go from pole to pole
 Measure distance east or west
of the Prime Meridian
 Lines east of the PM are
labeled with an E. Lines west
of the PM are labeled with a
W.
Location

Relative Location: Where a place is located in relation
to other places (yourself).
Place

Place: What is it like there?
 Physical Features: Refers to things in nature that make
a place unique
 Climate
 Mountains
 Bodies of Water
 Human Characteristics: Refers to aspects of the
humans in a specific place
 Religion
 Language
 Customs
Human Interaction

Human Interaction: What is the relationship between
people and their environment?
 How have humans destroyed the environment
 How have humans improved the environment
*Humanity doesn’t always do the right thing! We affect
our environment even when we don’t realize it.
Aral Sea

The Aral Sea Prior to 1960:
 Borders Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
 Formerly one of the world’s 4 largest
lakes
 Once a populated fishing area
 Over 26,000 sq. miles
Aral Sea

The Aral Sea Now:
 10% of it’s original size
 Mostly a salt desert
 Filled with pesticides
 Riddled with abandoned boats
Why Did this Happen?

 The Soviet Union rerouted all the rivers to support
the cotton farms
 Pesticides were put into the soil to promote healthy
cotton growth
 The salt content grew since new water was not being
flushed in
 Fish cannot survive in the remaining waters, plants
cannot be planted where the water used to be
 Industry is now destroyed
Movement

Movement: How are people and places
connected?
 Communication:
 Internet
 Phones
 Mail
 Movement of People and Goods:
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
Cars
Planes
Boats
Walking (or NOT)
Movement

Name some of the most important inventions that
changed communication:
Name some of the most important inventions that
changed transportation:
Region

Region: How is the world divided/Unified?
 Physical Regions
 Andes Mountains
 Mississippi River Basin
 Ring of Fire
 Human Regions
 Countries
 Religions
 Languages
Examples

Look at the maps and try to guess the regions:
Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Look at the maps and try to guess the regions: