1. Themes and Essential Elements of Geography Section 2

2. Learning Geography 5 important themes Location: exact or relative spot of something on Earth Place: physical & human features of a location Human-environment interaction: the ways people and environments affect each other Movement: how people change locations and how goods are traded as well as the effects of these movements Region: organizes Earth into geographic areas with one or more shared characteristics National Geography Standards Geography For Life Six essential elements The world in spatial terms Places and Regions Physical Systems Human Systems, Environment & Society The Uses of Geography

3. The World in Spatial Terms Focuses on geography’s spatial perspective Location: Absolute location: an exact spot on Earth Grid lines of latitude and longitude Relative location: position of a place in relation to another place Measurements of direction, distance, or time can help Use of maps and other geographic tools & technologies are used to determine spatial perspective Knowing how to organize & analyze information about people, places, & environments to use geographic tools

4. Places & Regions Earth’s surface divided into different places and regions Used to differentiate areas of the world Deals with how people have created regions based on Earth’s features and how culture and other factors affect how we see places and regions Places Described by physical location & physical and human features Physical features: coastlines & landforms, lakes, rivers, or soil types Can be described by climate Regions Area with one or more shared characteristics Characteristics used with places also used with regions Vary in size Boundaries vary Deserts, forests, grasslands, etc. Also described as cultural, economic, or political

5. Physical Systems Shape Earth’s features Earthquakes, mountains, rivers, volcanoes, weather patterns How plants & animals relate to living physical systems How different types of plants, animals, & physical features are distributed on Earth

6. Human Systems Study of human activities, movements, & settlements shape Earth’s surface Movement: Of people & ideas Need to know how and why people move from place to place People move for many different reasons Spread of ideas & behaviors also important Movement through communication Through technology, films, magazines, newspapers, radio, tv Movement of ideas or behaviors from one region to another is called diffusion

7. Environment & Society Human actions affect the environment Earth’s physical systems affect human activities Human-Environmental Interaction How people & surroundings affect each other Examined in 3 ways How humans depend on their physical environment to survive How human change their behavior to be better suited to an environment How human change the environment

8. The Uses of Geography Helps us understand the relationship among people, places, & the environment over time Helps to make plans for the future