The Five Themes of Geography

A Framework for Studying the World

North Carolina Geographic AlliancePowerPoint Presentations

2007

5 Themes of GeographyGeography is the study of the earth’s

physical features and people’s relationship with them.

Theme 1: Location

• Where is It?• Why is It There?

Two Types of Location

•Absolute

•Relative

A. Absolute Location

• An exact point on the Earth’s surface• Uses a grid system of Latitude and

Longitude• A global address

• Latitude is a map feature that measures the distance north or south of the equator.

• Longitude is a map feature that measures the distance east or west of the prime meridian.

• A map is a flat drawing that shows all or parts of the Earth.

The EQUATOR: an imaginary line of 0 degrees LATITUDE that divides the earth into a

northern and southern hemisphere.

The Prime Meridian is an imaginary line

that runs through Greenwich, England (0 degrees longitude) and divides the world into eastern and western

hemispheres

North CarolinaAbsolute Location

North Carolina Raleigh36° N Latitude 35° N Latitude 79° W longitude 78° W Longitude

DRMS Latitude and Longitude:35 54 N 78 35 W

B. Relative Location• Where a place is

in relation to another place

• Uses the Compass Rose and directional words to describe– Cardinal directions

North, West East

South

What is NC’s Relative Location to the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia, and Tennessee?

• North Carolina is bordered by Virginia on the north, South Carolina and Georgia on the south, and Tennessee on the west.

• The Atlantic Ocean forms North Carolina's east coast.

• North Carolina is one of the Southeastern States

● Theme 2: PlacePhysical Characteristics

• Land Features• Mountains, plains,

and deserts• Climate• Bodies of Water

● Human Characteristicsof Place

• People• Culture• Language• Religion• Buildings and

Landmarks• Cities

North Carolina: Human Characteristics

National Geographic Magazine

http://www.rivinus.com/camerastuff/charlotte_nc.htm

Top right:http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/unc/nonsport/school-bio/unc-oldwell2-lg.jpg

Cape Hatteras Physical Characteristics

Biomes: All of these forces work together to form biomes, or areas of land with particular flora (plants), fauna (animals), climate, and inhabitants.

Theme 3: (HEI) Human Environment Interaction

How People Interact With Their Environment

• Adapt: People change their behavior, eskimos build shelter from ice

• Modify : People change the environmentcut down forests for farming

• Depend on Their Environment- soil to grow crops

http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/corbis/DGT119/BAG0017.jpg

Depend On, Modify, or Adapt to1. The Aleut use ice to build their homes in

the Arctic Circle.2. The people of NC use their air conditioners

every day during July and August.3. The farmers of NC cut down trees, cleared

fields and planted tobacco in the 1700s.4. The Egyptians used the flood waters of the

Nile to fertilize their crops.

On the back write 1 How does the Hoover Dam change the environment?

2. How do people depend upon the environment based on this image?

North Carolina: Human Environment Interaction3. How have humans modified this environment?

http://www.ee.duke.edu/~sag8/Duke/02-03/PiKA/Fall%20Break/Fall_Break_02.htm

http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/091002/images/mallc.jpg

4. How did Washington Duke modify his environment in Durham, NC?

Examine the image and list ways that people interact with the environment

Theme 4: Movement

The Mobility of• People• Goods• Ideas

How Places are linked to one another and the world

North Carolina: Movement

http://www.marad.dot.gov/Gallery/MoreheadCity/pages/Ming%20Europe.htm

http://www.evertize.com/land/images/I-40-64%20interchange.JPG

Theme 5: Regions

What Places Have in Common• Political Regions (red and

blue states)• Landform Regions• Agricultural Regions• Cultural Regions

How have these men adapted to their environment?

Teacher: See questions in “Notes” below.

Review: Describe the Physical and Human Characteristics of Place How have these people adapted to their environment?

Review Movement The Lost Boys• What were the push

factors that contributed to the movement of the Lost Boys?

• What were the pull factors that contributed to the movement of the Lost Boys?

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/movies/god-grew-tired/from-sudan-ggtu/ http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/movies/god-grew-tired/responsibility-leadership-ggtu/

Climate Regions We’ll SeeHumid Tropical Warm and Wet Rain Forest

Tropical Savannah

Warm, Wet and Dry Grassland

Desert Dry Sand and Rock

Steppe Hot and Cool, Little Rain Short Grass, Shrubs

Mediterranean Dry, warm summers…Mild, Wet Winters

Scrub Woodland, Grasses

Humid Subtropical

Hot Summers, Mild Winters, Wet

Mixed Forest

Marine West Coast

Mild Summers, Rainy Winters, Ocean Influence

Evergreen Forest

Highland Elevations Mountains