The Five Themes of Geography

Theme 1: LocationWhere is it?Why is it

there?Two types of

“Location” Absolute Relative

Location: Absolute Absolute location is a

specific place on the Earth’s surface

Uses a grid system Latitude and longitude The absolute location

of a state or country is determined by the absolute location of its capital city

What is the absolute location of the United States of America?

Look in the index of your atlas to find the latitude and longitude of Washington D.C.

What is the absolute location?

Location: Relative Relative location is

where a place is in relation to another place

Uses directional words North, south, east, west,

northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast

These are known as cardinal and intermediate directions

What is the relative location of the United State of America?

Use your atlas to figure out what is north, south, east, and west of the United States of America

Example: North America is north of South America

Theme 2: PlacePhysical CharacteristicsThese are the physical features that define a place Landforms Bodies of Water Land cover/

vegetation Climate Animals

What are some physical characteristics of the USA?

Try to think of three physical characteristics in the U.S.

Here are some examples:

Niagara Falls

Bald Eagle

Bryce CanyonSnow

Theme 2: PlaceHuman Characteristics

These are the cultural similarities that define a place People Culture▪ Examples: art, clothing,

traditions, celebrations, literature, sports Language Religion Buildings Man-made structures Cities History

What are some human characteristics of the United

States of America? Try to think of three

human characteristics in the U.S.

Here are some examples: American

Football

New York CityMount Rushmore

Theme 3: Human-Environment Interaction

People interact with their environment by:

Adapting to their environment Modifying their environment Depending on their environment

What are some examples of how Americans interact with the

environment? Try to think of three ways

Americans interact with the environment

Here are some examples:

Fishing

Raising Cattle

Winter Clothing

Theme 4: Movement The mobility of people,

goods, and ideas, and the migration of animals This includes the

migration of people, transportation, and technology used to moved ideas

How places are linked to one another and the world

This does not include body movements, like jumping jacks

What are some examples of movement in the United States of America?

What are some examples of movement within the U.S.?

What are some examples of movement into and going out of the U.S.?

Here are some examples:

Goods are often transported by truck

Many ideas are moved through computers

A lot of people use cars to get from place to place

Theme 5: Regions Regions are defined by

what places have in common Directional Regions Political Regions▪ Note: State and country

boundaries are political Physical Regions▪ This includes landforms,

bodies of water, land cover/vegetation, and climate

Agricultural Regions Economic Regions Cultural Regions

What are some regions in the United States of

America? Try to come up with three examples of

regions in the U.S. Here are some examples:

Alaska is a political region

Much of Florida is coastal, a physical region

A lot of land in the Midwestern U.S. is part

of an agricultural region