Geography is the study of Earth and its features. Geographers also study the distribution of plant and animal
life on the planet, including people and cities.
It’s helpful to look at geography through these five themes:
LOCATION – Where is it? The term can refer to absolute location, such as an address or geographic
coordinates. It can also refer to relative location, or where something is in relation to something else.
PLACE – What is it like? This term refers to the characteristics that make a place unique. Those
characteristics can be physical, such as landforms and vegetation. They can also be human, referring to an
area’s culture, economy and government. Every place has a special combination of physical and human
characteristics.
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION – What is the relationship between the environment and
humans? The term refers to ways that humans adapt to an environment, how they change it, and how they
depend on it. Bridges and dams are examples of ways that humans have interacted with the environment to
meet their needs.
MOVEMENT – How have people, goods or ideas moved from one place to another? Examples of
movement include America’s westward expansion and the Internet.
REGIONS – What characteristic is shared by a group of places? Putting places into regions allows us to
organize our knowledge of the world. A region can be defined by specific boundaries, such as a county or the
United States. But a region such as the “Rust Belt” or “Tornado Alley” can also be based on our perceptions
of places.
Watch the clip “Mapping the National Parks” Following the segment, answer the following questions:
a. According to the segment, what is a park’s purpose?
b. What types of environments were among those shown and described in the segment?
c. In what ways do those environments compare to your idea of a “park”?
d. Which of those environments would you like to know more about?
life on the planet, including people and cities.
It’s helpful to look at geography through these five themes:
LOCATION – Where is it? The term can refer to absolute location, such as an address or geographic
coordinates. It can also refer to relative location, or where something is in relation to something else.
PLACE – What is it like? This term refers to the characteristics that make a place unique. Those
characteristics can be physical, such as landforms and vegetation. They can also be human, referring to an
area’s culture, economy and government. Every place has a special combination of physical and human
characteristics.
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION – What is the relationship between the environment and
humans? The term refers to ways that humans adapt to an environment, how they change it, and how they
depend on it. Bridges and dams are examples of ways that humans have interacted with the environment to
meet their needs.
MOVEMENT – How have people, goods or ideas moved from one place to another? Examples of
movement include America’s westward expansion and the Internet.
REGIONS – What characteristic is shared by a group of places? Putting places into regions allows us to
organize our knowledge of the world. A region can be defined by specific boundaries, such as a county or the
United States. But a region such as the “Rust Belt” or “Tornado Alley” can also be based on our perceptions
of places.
Watch the clip “Mapping the National Parks” Following the segment, answer the following questions:
a. According to the segment, what is a park’s purpose?
b. What types of environments were among those shown and described in the segment?
c. In what ways do those environments compare to your idea of a “park”?
d. Which of those environments would you like to know more about?