Five+Themes+of+Geography

THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY Essential Questions: What is Geography? How can the Five Themes of Geography help you understand the world?

Lesson Overview:
This lesson helps students figure out the answer to the question "What is geography?" by introducing them to the Five Themes of Geography. Students will apply these themes to various photographs and will create presentations showing how the geographic concepts described in the themes can be used to help solve environmental problems.

Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to: Preview
 * contribute their answers to the question "What is geography?"
 * contribute examples to illustrate the five themes of geography
 * follow the directions to apply the five themes of geography to one of the photographs presented in class.
 * create presentations showing how geographical concepts can be used to educate people about an environmental problem.
 * Pose the question "What is geography?" to the class. Students will write the question on an a piece an 8 x 10 piece of poster paper that will be used as a unit cover page for their binders. Allow 5 to 7 minutes for students to brain storm words, sentences and drawing relating to their prior knowledge about thoughts on geography. Call on students and list their responses on the board or using a projector and the internet create a Wordle word cloud. They might think about geography-related activities they have done in school or things they've read in //National Geographic// or other magazines or books.
 * Students will write a summary response at the conclusion of this exercise for homework answering the question "What is geography?

Lesson:
Present the Five Themes of Geography. Set up and model format for 2 column notes. Facts on right, student responds, connections, questions and drawings on the left. Use this wiki site for definitions for the 5 Themes of Geography. Provide printed material for students that may need modifications.

Curriculum Guide [[file:MAP Five Themes.doc]]
==//In their work, geographers are guided by two questions. (1) Where are things located? and (2) Why are they there? To find the answers, geographers use five themes to organize information. These themes are//== location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region. 1. Location: Geographers begin to study a place by finding where it is, or its location. There are two ways to talk about location. //Absolute location// describes a place's exact position on Earth. You might call absolute location a geographic address. Geographers identify the absolute location by using two kinds of imaginary lines around the Earth: latitude and longitude. With these lines, they can pinpoint any spot on Earth. Geographers also discuss //relative location.// This explains where a place is by describing places near it. For example how near or far away it may be or a short or long drive...

2. Place: Place describes what a location is like. All places have physical and human characteristics that distinguish them from other places. //Physical Characteristics//: landforms(mountains, plains,etc) bodies of water ( oceans, lakes, bays, etc) ecosystems (soil, plants, animals, and climate) //Human Characteristics:// bridges, roads, buildings, culture and language.

3. Human Environment Interaction: H.E.I. describes how people and places interact with and exchange their environment. People //depend// on the environment. People //adapt// to the environment. People //modify// the environment.

4. Movement: How are people and places linked by communication and the flow of people, ideas and goods? People, goods and ideas are constantly in motion through transportation, communication, and trade.

5. Region: What are their unifying features and how do they form and change over time? Regions are a basic unit for geographic study. Geographers divide the world into regions to help them interpret these units. Regions can be defined on the basis of physical and human characteristics.

Additional Resource Present this power point presentation to help students with additional examples of the Five Themes of Geography.

Activity 1:
This activity should be conducted as a classroom activity. Model expectations and outcomes as a classroom or group.
 * Project image
 * In groups students will determine where they think this photograph was taken.
 * Teacher will ask groups to share where the photo was taken and what evidence can they provide to back up their statement. The teacher will introduce the connection to the 5 Themes of Geography.
 * Students will complete the questions in groups analyzing photo for evidence of the five themes.
 * [[file:Analyzing a Photograph for Evidence of the Five Themes of Geography.doc]]

//People ice skate at sunset on a freshly shoveled patch of ice in the Boston Public Garden.//
 * Title of Picture:**




 * Lets practice! Project a photograph from any transparency from Geography Alive! Mapping Lab that represents each of the 5 themes. Students will work in groups to identify the 5 Themes of Geography. Have students set up their 2 column notes and identity each theme on the right and explain why it represents of that theme on the left. Note that many aspects of the photograph can be categorized into multiple themes. Students will use a blue pen during this classroom discussion and star answers that they too had in their 2 column notes. Students will revise in red pen adding aspects identified by other students that they did not record.
 * Writing assignment: Students will select one picture that represents each of the Five Themes of Geography. The picture may come from a magazine, internet or be a personal photograph. (Personal Photographs work best!) The teacher will provide a graphic organizer to help students identity the 5 themes within their photograph. Allow classroom time for the graphic organizer to be filled in. The teacher can circulate the room explaining and clarifying any misconceptions. Students will write a detailed paragraph explaining how the 5 themes of geography are represented in their photo.
 * Picture Podcasts: Use audacity to record a few of the best examples. Scan the photograph, upload MP3 file and post to wiki.
 * Media presentations: Students will show how geographical concepts can be used to educate people about an environmental problems.



Five Themes Activity: Location
Where did President Barack Obama grow up?

Five Themes of Geography Video Rap... TEACHERTUBE
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