The 5 Themes of Geography

And Map Skills Too!

GeographyGeography is:Geography is: The study of Earth’s surface and the The study of Earth’s surface and the people, environments and resources that shape it.people, environments and resources that shape it.

GeographyGeography helps us understand why the earth helps us understand why the earth looks the way it does and what causes it to change.looks the way it does and what causes it to change.

Geography Geography includes things like climate (weather), includes things like climate (weather), pollution, naturally made things like mountains and pollution, naturally made things like mountains and rivers, and even human made things like roads and rivers, and even human made things like roads and bridges.bridges.

The 5 Themes of Geography

Theme What it tells us about Geography

Location Where are we?

Place What’s it like there?

Interaction How do HUMANS and the ENVIRONMENT affect each other?

Movement How do HUMANS and other HUMANS interact together?

Region What links where we are to the places around us?

Location – Where are we?

Place – What’s it like there?

DescribesDescribes an area’s physical and human features.an area’s physical and human features.

Physical features:Physical features: Landforms and Climates.Landforms and Climates.

o Ex: Rocky Mountains, The Grand Canyon, Tropical Ex: Rocky Mountains, The Grand Canyon, Tropical ClimateClimate

Human features: Human features: What people do to change a place.What people do to change a place.

o Ex: Global Warming, building roads and buildingsEx: Global Warming, building roads and buildings

Interaction – How do HUMANS and the ENVIRONMENT affect each other?Humans greatly Humans greatly changechange their their environmentsenvironments as they as they adaptadapt to to livingliving. Over long periods of . Over long periods of timetime, humans have really , humans have really changedchanged the way our the way our planetplanet looks and acts. looks and acts.

Example: Humans have cut down so many trees to build Example: Humans have cut down so many trees to build houses and make every day supplies that we have actually houses and make every day supplies that we have actually greatly reduced the amount of oxygen in the airgreatly reduced the amount of oxygen in the air for us to for us to breathe.breathe.

The The environmentenvironment also changes also changes humanshumans.. Humans have Humans have evolvedevolved through a long process of through a long process of learninglearning to to adaptadapt to the to the challenges of their challenges of their environmentsenvironments..

o Example: People who live in warmer places where the sun is Example: People who live in warmer places where the sun is strong need darker skin to protect them from the sun rays.strong need darker skin to protect them from the sun rays. This is why people who live in Africa (or their ancestors) have This is why people who live in Africa (or their ancestors) have dark skin.dark skin.

Movement – How do HUMANS interact with other HUMANS?

People People movemove around the around the globeglobe often because often because resources resources are scattered are scattered unevenlyunevenly around the around the globeglobe. People often go where it is . People often go where it is easiesteasiest for for them to them to livelive a good life. a good life.

o Examples: People migrate (move) all around the Examples: People migrate (move) all around the globe to get closer to resources and share ideas. globe to get closer to resources and share ideas. People trade with each other, countries import People trade with each other, countries import (bring goods in) and export (send goods out). (bring goods in) and export (send goods out).

Region – What links where we are to the places around

us?The The areaarea where we are and the where we are and the areasareas around us have around us have similarsimilar physical characteristics (like physical characteristics (like climatesclimates and and landformslandforms).).

o Humans have drawn lines on Humans have drawn lines on mapsmaps and called different and called different places by different names, but our Earth doesn’t know places by different names, but our Earth doesn’t know that!that!

o Pennsylvania and New Jersey are not physically very Pennsylvania and New Jersey are not physically very differentdifferent. We are part of the same “. We are part of the same “regionregion” even though ” even though we are called by two different names. We have similar we are called by two different names. We have similar climatesclimates (weather) and similar types of (weather) and similar types of landland. We even . We even share some important landforms like the Appalachian share some important landforms like the Appalachian Mountains.Mountains.

Maps and Globes

A globe is a scale model of Earth. It shows the

actual shapes, sizes, and locations of all

Earth’s landmasses and bodies of water.

Understanding Globes

Lines of Latitude – Imaginary horizontal lines around the globe.

*Also called Parallels

Lines of Longitude – Imaginary vertical lines around the globe.

*Also called Meridians

Together, these lines form the global grid. Every place on the earth has its own set of coordinates on the global grid.

• To help us find our location on the earth easier, we break our earth down into parts, or hemispheres. We divide our planet into North and South halves, OR into East and West halves.

• Which 2 hemisphere’s do we live in?

Earth’s Hemisphere’s

Map Projections

Types of Maps:Types of Maps:

• Same-Shape Maps Same-Shape Maps (Mercator Projection): (Mercator Projection): Accurately show the Accurately show the shapes shapes of landmasses, of landmasses, but distort the but distort the size size of of landmasses and landmasses and distances distances between them.between them.

• Equal Area Maps: Equal Area Maps: Show Show the correct the correct size size of of landmasses, but distort landmasses, but distort their their shapesshapes, especially , especially at the at the edges edges of the map.of the map.

• Robinson Maps: Robinson Maps: Gives a Gives a full overall picture of the full overall picture of the world. Keeps the world. Keeps the size size and and shape shape correct for correct for most continents and most continents and oceans, but distorts the oceans, but distorts the size of the size of the polar polar regions.regions.

Maps are drawings that show regions on flat surfaces.

Maps are easier to use and carry than globes, but they cannot show the correct size and shape of every feature on Earth’s curved surface. They must shrink some places and stretch others.

To make up for this distortion, map makers use different map projections. No one projection can accurately show the correct area, shape, distance, and direction for all of Earth’s surface.

Comparing Types of Maps

Mercator ProjectionMercator ProjectionMercator ProjectionMercator Projection

Robinson ProjectionRobinson ProjectionRobinson ProjectionRobinson Projection

Equal Area ProjectionEqual Area ProjectionEqual Area ProjectionEqual Area Projection

By looking at the country of Greenland on each map, we can see how different objects appear in different ways on each map.

How to use a map

Parts of a MapParts of a Map

• Locator Globe:Locator Globe: Shows Shows you where on the you where on the globe globe the area of the the area of the map map is is locatedlocated

• Compass Rose: Compass Rose: Shows Shows you you directiondirection. (North, . (North, South, East, West)South, East, West)

• Key:Key: Shows you the Shows you the symbols symbols and and colors colors used on the map, and used on the map, and what each one means.what each one means.

• Scale Bar: Scale Bar: Helps you Helps you find the actual find the actual distances distances between between points shown on the points shown on the mapmap..

Mapmakers provide several clues to help you understand the information on a map.

Maps provide different clues, depending on their purpose or scale.

Most maps have several clues in common.

Political and Physical Maps

Political Maps

Political maps show Political maps show political political borders: continents and borders: continents and countries.countries.

The The colors colors on political maps on political maps do not have any special do not have any special meaning, but they make the meaning, but they make the map easier to read. map easier to read.

Political maps also include Political maps also include symbols symbols and and labels labels for for capitals, cities and towns.capitals, cities and towns.

Physical Maps

Physical maps represent what a Physical maps represent what a region region looks like by showing its looks like by showing its major major physical physical features, such features, such as hills and plains. as hills and plains.

Physical maps also often show Physical maps also often show elevation elevation and and reliefrelief. .

Elevation is the Elevation is the height height of the of the land above sea level. Relief land above sea level. Relief shows how sharply the land shows how sharply the land rises rises and and fallsfalls..

Political MapPolitical Map Physical MapPhysical Map

Comparing Political and Physical Maps

• On which map would it be easier to find Los Angeles, California? Why?• On which map would it be easier to find the highest peak in North America? Why?

The EndQuestions? Repeats? Did you miss

anything?