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What is Geography?

Geography is a representation of the whole known world together with thephenomena which are contained therein.

Ptolemy, Geographia 2nd Century A.D.

Geography is the science of place. Its vision is grand, its view panoramic. Itsweeps the surface of the Earth, charting the physical, organic and culturalterrain, their areal differentiation, and their ecological dynamics withhumankind. Its foremost tool is the map.

Leonard Krishtalka, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 20th CenturyA.D.

Organized knowledge of the earth as the world of people (Balogh).

Okay, but what exactly is it?

Well, it’s a way of thinking about intellectual problems, both natural and societal, which emphasizes the importance of spatial relationships.. Take any social, environmental, or physical question or problem and ask yourself whether there is a spatial aspect to it. Chances are that space and place play a role in the answers to that question.

Mike Reed, Making It Up As I Go

5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

AN INTERACTIVE LEARNING MODULE

BY: KRISTIN STILES

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DEFINITION OF GEOGRAPHY

ge·og·ra·phy1 : a science that deals with the description, distribution, and interaction of the diverse physical, biological, and cultural features of the earth's surfaceSource-Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary

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IN PLAIN ENGLISH

Geography is the study of the earth and everything

on it.

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5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHYVisit each of the following sites. Follow all buttons on each page. Save the BACK ARROW button until you are done with each page. The BACK ARROW button will bring you back to this page. When you have visited all 5 Themes, click on the RIGHT arrow button

below.

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

By clicking on this site, you will visit the National Geographic Society 5 Themes of Geography web page. After reviewing the web page, click the back arrow on your browser to come back here.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/themes.html

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WHERE DID THE 5 THEMES COME FROM?

The 5 Themes of Geography originated by the National Geographic Society to fulfill a need for geographers (people who study the earth and everything on it) categorize everything they learn. These 5 places are easy to remember. Just say the word “PRILM”.

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WHAT IS “PRILM”?PRILM is a mnemonic device that can be

used to help remember what the 5 Themes of Geography are. Simply put, take the first letter of each Theme to create the word PRILM. They are:

Place Region Interaction (Human-Environment) Location Movement

LOCATIONWhere are we?

Absolute Location A latitude and

longitude (global location) or a street address (local location).

Paris France is 48o

North Latitude and 2o East Longitude.

The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Relative Location Described by

landmarks, time, direction or distance. From one place to another.

Go 1 mile west on main street and turn left for 1 block.

You are Here

PLACE

What is it like there, what kind of place is it?

Human Characteristics

What are the main languages, customs, and beliefs.

How many people live, work, and visit a place.

Physical Characteristics

Landforms (mountains, rivers, etc.), climate, vegitation, wildlife, soil, etc.

Sense of Place

Groveland, CA Bourbon Street

REGIONS How are Regions similar to and

different from other places? Formal Regions

Regions defined by governmental or administrative boundaries (States, Countries, Cities)

Regions defined by similar characteristics (Corn Belt, Rocky Mountain region, Chinatown).

Functional Regions Regions defined by a function (newspaper service

area, cell phone coverage area). Vernacular Regions (Not in your book)

Regions defined by peoples perception (middle east, the south, etc.)

Overlapping Formal and Functional Regions

Vernacular Regions

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONHow do humans and the

environment affect each other? We depend on it.

People depend on the Tennessee River for water and transportation.

We modify it. People modify our environment by

heating and cooling buildings for comfort. We adapt to it.

We adapt to the environment by wearing clothing suitable for summer (shorts) and winter (coats), rain and shine.

Human-Environment InteractionSuccessful cultures are those that

adapt well to their environments. (Chaco Canyon, North Africa, Fertile Crescent, Easter Island)

Chaco Canyon, New Mexico Easter Island, Polynesia

Where are we? What values are reflected in each? What relation to physical environment?

Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

Timber House, Switzerland

Yurt on Mongolian Steppe Suburban Home, Chicago

Quiz AboutThe Five Themes of

Geography

Click the bell to the left of the correct answer.Applause will sound if the answer is correct.A gong will sound if the answer is incorrect.

A key to the quiz follows the last slide.You may continue answering each question until the correct answer is found.

Click on the orange arrow key to progress through the quiz.

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Question 1Which of the following is NOT a geography theme?

A. movement

C. region

B. human-environmental interaction

D. people

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Question 2 Which of the following is an example of Human-Environmental Interaction?

A. getting the mail

C. playing Gameboy

B. watching TV

D. Rainforest Clearing

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A. Geographica Institute

C. National Council for Social Studies

B. National Geographic Society

D. Social Studies Teachers of America

Question 3Which of the following helped create the 5 Themes of Geography?

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Question 4 Which of the following is an example of PLACE?

A. Deep South

C. Dodge County Middle School

B. McDonalds

D. Skating rink

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Question 5 Which of the following is NOT an example of Location?

A. Springfield, Missouri

C. Georgia

B. Dodge County Middle School1103 Herman AveEastman, GA 31023

D. the hills

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Question 6Which of the following is an example of region?

A. Georgia

C. United States

B. South America

D. The Midwest

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Question 7 What is the name of a person who studies the

earth and everything on it?

A. Photographer

C. Geographer

B. Cartographer

D. Mapographer

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Key

1) D2) D3) B4) A5) B6) D7) C

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SUMMARY Making Sense of it All Now that you have found out a little about the five themes, how can you use them? Imagine for a minute that you are a newspaper reporter. An important discovery of a lost land

has been made, and you have the chance to be the first person to interview the returning explorers. Make a list of the questions that you might ask. Remember, the five themes and ask the most important questions from each.

Here are some questions to get you started: Where is it? Where exactly is that? What does it look like? How many people live there and where? What settlements (cities, villages) does it have? What sort of climate does it have? Does it have any extremes of weather? Is it prone to any type of natural disaster? What are the natural resources and how are they used? What type of agriculture is there? What are the main types of transportation and communication? What makes the people there different to people in other places? What sort of government does it have? Is it associated with any other place?

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INTERNET REFERENCESClick on the links below to view additional information.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/themes.html

http://sd71.bc.ca/Sd71/Edulinks/ICT6_9/lessons/geo1/5themes2.htm

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REFERENCES

http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/fivethemes.htm

http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson071.shtml

http://www.classbrain.com/artaskcb/publish/article_34.shtml