Jump to content

Five themes of geography: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Flameviper (talk | contribs)
Adding H-E I image, and also unhiding the railroad image
removing - seems to add nothing
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Educational tool}}
:''For a basic list of geography topics, see the [[List of basic geography topics]].''
{{pp|small=yes}}
:''For a more comprehensive list, see the [[List of geography topics]].''
{{Multiple image
| direction = vertical
<!--Location-->
| image1 = Orthographic projection SW.jpg
| caption1 = Location
| alt1 = Orthographic map projection of the Eastern Hemisphere
<!--Place-->
| image2 = Ruine Aggstein 02.JPG
| caption2 = Place
| alt2 = Ruins of Aggstein Castle on the Danube River in Austria
<!--Human-Environment Interaction-->
| image3 = Deforestration premejung.JPG
| caption3 = Human-Environment Interaction
| alt3 = Deforestation in Nepal
<!--Movement-->
| image4 = MS Hanseatic vor Anker.JPG
| caption4 = Movement
| alt4 = A cruise ship in the Falkland Islands
<!--Region-->
| image5 = Sahara ecoregion.svg
| caption5 = Region
| alt5 = The Sahara Desert
}}


The '''five themes of geography''' are an educational tool for teaching [[geography]]. The five themes were published in 1984<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/> and widely adopted by teachers, textbook publishers, and curriculum designers in the United States.<ref name="Guidelines for Geographic Education and the Fundamental">{{cite journal |last1=Natoli |first1=Salvatore J. |title=''Guidelines for Geographic Education'' and the Fundamental Themes in Geography |journal=[[Journal of Geography]] |date=1 January 1994 |volume=93 |issue=1 |pages=2–6 |doi=10.1080/00221349408979676 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221349408979676 |issn=0022-1341}}</ref> Most American geography and [[social studies]] [[classroom]]s have adopted the five themes in teaching practices,<ref name="LessonPlanet">{{Cite web |url=http://www.lessonplanet.com/article/elementary-math/geography-lesson-plans-using-google-earth |title=Geography Lesson Plans Using Google Earth |first=Karen |last=Ganzel |access-date=April 28, 2010 |publisher=Lesson Planet}}</ref> as they provide "an alternative to the detrimental, but unfortunately persistent, habit of teaching geography through rote memorization".<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/> They are pedagogical themes that guide how geographic content should be taught in schools.<ref name=":0" />
'''[[Geography]]''' is the study of the [[Earth]] and its features and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life and the effects of human activity. Geography research addresses both the questions of ''where'', as well as ''why'', geographical phenomena occur. In most <!-- American, I don't know about the rest of the world -->modern geography and [[social studies]] [[classroom]]s, students are taught about the five unifying themes of geography. These five themes are '''[[location]]''' (which can be [[absolute location|absolute]] or [[relative location|relative]]), '''[[place]]''', '''[[regions]]''', '''[[movement]]''', and '''[[interaction|human-environment interaction]]'''.


== Location ==
== Themes ==
[[Image:Nyc-e72st plane crash map.png|thumb|200px|right|A map of [[New York City]] which shows the absolute location of 524 East 72nd Street]]
'''[[Location]]''', the most basic theme of geography, can be expressed simply as where something is. Location can be either absolute or relative. Absolute location is more useful than relative location, but is harder to obtain. On the other hand, relative location is easily obtained but is meaningless in many cirsumstances.


'''Five Themes of geography''':<ref name="5Themes">{{Cite web |url=http://geography.about.com/od/teachgeography/a/5themes.htm |title=The Five Themes of Geography |first=Matt |last=Rosenberg |access-date=November 16, 2013 |publisher=About.com |archive-date=November 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106232928/https://www.thoughtco.com/five-themes-of-geography-1435624 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
=== Absolute location ===
'''[[Absolute location]]''' is the position of something in regards to an absolute scale (like [[latitude]] and [[longitude]]), which is the same no matter where one is. [[Road map]]s normally use absolute location. Although harder to obtain than relative location (usually requiring knowledge of one's exact location to begin with), absolute location (unlike relative location) can be used by anyone, regardless of location.


* [[Location (geography)|Location]]
=== Relative location ===
* [[Place (geography)|Place]]
'''[[Relative location]]''' is the position of something in regards to another place (usually where one currently is). Relative location is usually expressed in the form of [[directions]], such as "go five miles north and head west for two miles". Relative location varies depending on where one is situated (unless it is relative to a fixed point). Although relative location is easy to obtain (usually requiring only the naked eye for a rough observation), the directions would mean nothing to someone who does not know from which starting point the directions are intended for.
* [[Human-Environment Interaction]]
* [[Movement (geography)|Movement]]
* [[Region]]


===Location===
== Place ==
Every point on Earth has a location. Location can be described in two different ways:
[[Image:San Francisco Sunset.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The unique skyline of [[San Francisco]] makes it distinct from any other location.]]
* ''Absolute location'', a location as described by its latitude and longitude on the [[Earth]]. For example, the coordinates of [[Albany, New York]] are 42.6525° N, 73.7572° W.
'''[[Place]]''' is a [[description]] of the [[characteristic]]s that make a certain location [[distinct]]. [[Physical]] characteristics include [[landforms]], [[vegetation]], and [[climate]]. Human characteristics include [[culture]], [[economy]], and [[government]]. Every place has a unique combination of physical and human characteristics.
* ''Relative location'', a location as described by where it is compared to something else. For example, [[Albany, New York]] is roughly 140 miles north of New York City.


Every site on Earth has a unique absolute location, which can be identified with a reference grid (such as [[latitude and longitude]]). [[Map]]s and [[globe]]s can be used to find location and can also be used to convey other types of geographical information. [[Map projection]]s are used to represent the three-dimensional Earth on a two-dimensional map. The Earth's position relative to the [[Sun]] affects [[climate]], [[season]]s, and [[time zone]]s.<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/> Location as a theme helps teachers to demonstrate to students that observers have to know and be able to explain where something is before it can be examined geographically.<ref name=":0" /> It allows the examination of [[spatial relationships]] using spatial ideas such as [[distance]], direction, adjacency, proximity, and enclosure.<ref name=":0" />
For example, the [[Great Pyramid]] of [[Giza]] has characteristics such as [[sand]], [[heat]], and the presence of a large [[pyramid]]. [[Chichen Itza]] also has a large pyramid, but its defining charateristics such as its lush [[vegetation]] and [[humid]] climate make it distinctly seperate from the Great Pyramid.


== Regions ==
===Place===
A place is an area that is defined by everything in it. It differs from location in that a place is conditions and features, and location is a position in space.<ref name=":0" /> Places have [[physical geography|physical characteristics]], such as [[landform]]s and plant and animal life, as well as [[human geography|human characteristics]], such as economic activities and languages.<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/> All places have features that give them personality and distinguish them from other places. It is a combination of the “features, perceptions, and activities that occur in a given location".<ref name=":0" />
A '''[[region]]''' is any group of places that share at least one similar characteristic. egions can be any size, and one location can be a part of multiple regions. For example, [[Detroit]] is a part of the [[American Midwest]], the [[Michigan]] [[coastline]], and the [[temperate]] [[climate]] zome.


* [[Toponym]]: a place name, especially one derived from a topographical feature.
== Movement ==
* Site: an area of ground on which a town, building, or monument is constructed.
[[Image:Railroad1860.png|thumb|200px|right|Innovations such as this [[1860s]] railroad in the [[United States]] allowed quicker and more prolific transportation of goods and people.]]
* Situation: the location and surroundings of a place.
'''[[Movement]]''' is the [[travel]] of [[people]], [[good]]s or [[idea]]s from one location to another. Examples of movement include [[United States|America]]'s [[westward expansion]], the [[Information Revolution]], and [[immigration]]. New devices such as the [[airplane]] and the [[Internet]] allow physical and ideological goods to be transferred long distances in short time intervals.
* Population: the number of people that live in the area.


== Human-Environment Interaction ==
=== Human-environment interaction ===
{{further|human-environment interaction}}
[[Image:Bathurst Inlet Evening 1998-07-11.jpg|thumb|200px|right|This house and the residents therein interact with their environment via the water, the air, and their daily energy needs.]]
This theme describes how people interact with the environment, and how the environment responds, with three key concepts:<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/TeacherEd/FacultyStaff/betts/Handouts/PDFs/Five%20Themes%20of%20Geography.pdf | title=The Five Themes of Geography | access-date=2 June 2015}}</ref>
'''[[Human]]-[[environment]] [[interaction]]''' is the complex, interwoven bond between [[humans]] and [[nature]]. It explores humanity's use and modifications to the environment. Examples of human-environment interaction include [[bridge]]s, [[dam]]s, and the [[mining]] [[industry]].

*Dependency: Humans depend on the environment.
*[[Adaptation]]: Humans adapt to the environment.
*Modification: Humans modify the environment.

Sub-themes include "the earth as an environmental system" (including the role and problems of technology, environmental hazards and limits, and adaptation) and "ethics and values" (differing cultural values and the trade-off between economic development and environmental protection).<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/> In the original 1984 ''Guidelines for Geographic Education: Elementary and Secondary Schools,'' this was called “relationships within places". It focused on the advantages and disadvantages for human settlement in places.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Massachusetts Geographic Alliance|title=Global Geography: Activities for Teaching the Five Themes of Geography (Grades 3-9)|publisher=Social Science Education Consortium|year=1990|isbn=0-89994-356-X|location=Colorado|pages=6–12}}</ref> It was later renamed to human-environment interaction.<ref name=":0" /> This theme is not exclusive to geography, as it is a goal for many disciplines of study.<ref name=":0" />

=== Movement ===
Movement is the [[travel]] of [[people]], [[Good (economics and accounting)|good]]s, and [[idea]]s from one location to another. Examples of movement include the [[United States]]' [[westward expansion]], the [[Information Revolution]], and [[immigration]]. New devices such as the [[airplane]] and the [[Internet]] allow physical and ideological goods to be transferred long distances in short time intervals. A person's travel from place to place, and the actions they perform there are also considered movement.

Places are connected by movement:<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/>
* Methods of transportation ([[transportation geography]]) – [[public transportation]], [[private transportation]], [[freight transportation]]
* Movement in everyday life
* History of movement
* Economic factors influencing movement
* Energy or mass induced movement – the [[water cycle]], [[tectonic plates]], movements within [[ecosystem]]s, etc.
* [[Global interdependence]]
* Models of human interaction, including [[gravity model]]s and [[central place theory]]
In the original 1984 ''Guidelines for Geographic Education: Elementary and Secondary Schools'' document'','' movement was called “relationships between places".<ref name=":0" /> Transportation routes and telephone lines that link people all over the world are visible examples of relationships between places.<ref name=":1" />

=== Region ===
[[Region]]s are areas with distinctive characteristics: human characteristics, such as demographics or politics, and physical characteristics, such as climate and vegetation. For example, the US is a political region because it shares one governmental system.

Regions may have clear, well-defined borders or vague boundaries.<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/>

* Uniform region – "defined by some uniform cultural or physical characteristic", such as the [[Bible Belt]] or [[New England]]<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/>
* Functional region – space organized around a focal point, such as a [[metropolitan area]]<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/> or around the flow of something, like the water of the [[Amazon basin|Amazon Basin]], or the flow of travelers in an [[airport]]<ref name=":0" />
* [[Cultural diversity]] – regions are a way to understand human diversity.<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography "/>
Uniform regions and formal regions share a similar definition, with formal regions being “a group of places that have similar conditions".<ref name=":0" /> Even in formal regions, it is true that no region is completely homogeneous, as characteristics vary from place to place.<ref name=":0" /> While regions all share at least one common trait, it is true that they can have multiple traits that unite them, an example being a region that shares a language and a government.<ref name=":1" />

==History==

The five themes of geography were published in the 1984 ''Guidelines for Geographic Education: Elementary and Secondary Schools'' by the [[National Council for Geographic Education]]/[[Association of American Geographers]] Joint Committee on Geographic Education.<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography">{{cite journal |title=An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography |journal=Social Education |date=April–May 1994 |volume=58 |issue=4 |pages=211–18 |url=http://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/publications/se/5804/580402.html |last1=Boehm |first1=Richard G. |last2=Petersen |first2=James F.}}</ref> The document was 28 pages, and suggested the themes as a way for teachers to organize content for geography classes.<ref name=":0" /> The committee included Salvatore J. Natoli, Richard G. Boehm, James B. Kracht, David A. Lanegran, [[Janice J. Monk]], and Robert W. Morrill.<ref name="Guidelines for Geographic Education and the Fundamental"/> They settled on five themes: location, place, relationships within places (later changed to human-environment interaction), relationships between places (later shortened to movement), and region.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Gersmehl|first=Phil|title=Teaching Geography|publisher=The Guilford Press|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4625-1641-4|location=New York|pages=135–146}}</ref> The themes were not a "new geography" but rather a conceptual structure for organizing information about geography.<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/>

The themes became widespread in American social science education and were used for teacher training by the [[National Geographic Society]]'s statewide alliances. They also played a role in reestablishing geography in school curricula.<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/> When the National Geography Standards were released in 1994, people compared them to the five themes, saying that the themes had a simplicity that the new standards were lacking.<ref name=":0" />

In 1992, a [[National Assessment of Educational Progress]] consensus group said that the five themes are useful for teaching, but that for assessment, geography should be divided into the three topics of "space and place", "environment and society", and "spatial dynamic and connections".<ref name="An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography"/>

The five themes continue to be used as an educational approach in many educational outlets.<ref name="LessonPlanet"/> As of 2012, they are included in the [[National Council for the Social Studies]] elementary school standards and in state social studies standards.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal |last1=Buchanan |first1=Lisa Brown |last2=Tschida |first2=Christina M. |title=Exploring the five themes of geography using technology |journal=The Ohio Social Studies Review |date=2015 |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=29–39 |url=https://ossr.scholasticahq.com/enwiki/api/v1/attachments/2781/download}}</ref>

== Current Usage ==
The five themes continue to be used as an educational approach in many educational outlets.<ref name="LessonPlanet" /> As of 2012, they are included in the [[National Council for the Social Studies]] elementary school standards and in state social studies standards.<ref name=":2" /> The influence of the five themes can still be found in many standards, such as the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards for elementary grades.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NCSS Social Studies Standards {{!}} Social Studies|url=https://www.socialstudies.org/standards|access-date=2021-12-01|website=www.socialstudies.org}}</ref> With the increase of emphasis placed on standardized testing in the United States, social studies, and thus geography, is receiving less time in elementary classrooms.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Buchanan|first1=Lisa|last2=Tschida|first2=Christina|date=Spring 2015|title=Exploring the Five Themes of Geography Using Technology|url=https://ossr.scholasticahq.com/enwiki/api/v1/attachments/2781/download#page=35|journal=Ohio Social Studies Review|volume=52|issue=1|pages=29–32}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
{{portal|Geography|Education}}
Cayton, Andrew, Elisabeth I. Perry, Linda Reed, and Allan M. Winkler. <u>America: Pathways to the Present</u>. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2007. [[ISBN]] 0-13-133510-3.

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Geography education]]
[[Category:American Association of Geographers]]
[[Category:Subfields of geography]]

Latest revision as of 14:36, 14 September 2024

Orthographic map projection of the Eastern Hemisphere
Location
Ruins of Aggstein Castle on the Danube River in Austria
Place
Deforestation in Nepal
Human-Environment Interaction
A cruise ship in the Falkland Islands
Movement
The Sahara Desert
Region

The five themes of geography are an educational tool for teaching geography. The five themes were published in 1984[1] and widely adopted by teachers, textbook publishers, and curriculum designers in the United States.[2] Most American geography and social studies classrooms have adopted the five themes in teaching practices,[3] as they provide "an alternative to the detrimental, but unfortunately persistent, habit of teaching geography through rote memorization".[1] They are pedagogical themes that guide how geographic content should be taught in schools.[4]

Themes

Five Themes of geography:[5]

Location

Every point on Earth has a location. Location can be described in two different ways:

  • Absolute location, a location as described by its latitude and longitude on the Earth. For example, the coordinates of Albany, New York are 42.6525° N, 73.7572° W.
  • Relative location, a location as described by where it is compared to something else. For example, Albany, New York is roughly 140 miles north of New York City.

Every site on Earth has a unique absolute location, which can be identified with a reference grid (such as latitude and longitude). Maps and globes can be used to find location and can also be used to convey other types of geographical information. Map projections are used to represent the three-dimensional Earth on a two-dimensional map. The Earth's position relative to the Sun affects climate, seasons, and time zones.[1] Location as a theme helps teachers to demonstrate to students that observers have to know and be able to explain where something is before it can be examined geographically.[4] It allows the examination of spatial relationships using spatial ideas such as distance, direction, adjacency, proximity, and enclosure.[4]

Place

A place is an area that is defined by everything in it. It differs from location in that a place is conditions and features, and location is a position in space.[4] Places have physical characteristics, such as landforms and plant and animal life, as well as human characteristics, such as economic activities and languages.[1] All places have features that give them personality and distinguish them from other places. It is a combination of the “features, perceptions, and activities that occur in a given location".[4]

  • Toponym: a place name, especially one derived from a topographical feature.
  • Site: an area of ground on which a town, building, or monument is constructed.
  • Situation: the location and surroundings of a place.
  • Population: the number of people that live in the area.

Human-environment interaction

This theme describes how people interact with the environment, and how the environment responds, with three key concepts:[6]

  • Dependency: Humans depend on the environment.
  • Adaptation: Humans adapt to the environment.
  • Modification: Humans modify the environment.

Sub-themes include "the earth as an environmental system" (including the role and problems of technology, environmental hazards and limits, and adaptation) and "ethics and values" (differing cultural values and the trade-off between economic development and environmental protection).[1] In the original 1984 Guidelines for Geographic Education: Elementary and Secondary Schools, this was called “relationships within places". It focused on the advantages and disadvantages for human settlement in places.[7] It was later renamed to human-environment interaction.[4] This theme is not exclusive to geography, as it is a goal for many disciplines of study.[4]

Movement

Movement is the travel of people, goods, and ideas from one location to another. Examples of movement include the United States' westward expansion, the Information Revolution, and immigration. New devices such as the airplane and the Internet allow physical and ideological goods to be transferred long distances in short time intervals. A person's travel from place to place, and the actions they perform there are also considered movement.

Places are connected by movement:[1]

In the original 1984 Guidelines for Geographic Education: Elementary and Secondary Schools document, movement was called “relationships between places".[4] Transportation routes and telephone lines that link people all over the world are visible examples of relationships between places.[7]

Region

Regions are areas with distinctive characteristics: human characteristics, such as demographics or politics, and physical characteristics, such as climate and vegetation. For example, the US is a political region because it shares one governmental system.

Regions may have clear, well-defined borders or vague boundaries.[1]

Uniform regions and formal regions share a similar definition, with formal regions being “a group of places that have similar conditions".[4] Even in formal regions, it is true that no region is completely homogeneous, as characteristics vary from place to place.[4] While regions all share at least one common trait, it is true that they can have multiple traits that unite them, an example being a region that shares a language and a government.[7]

History

The five themes of geography were published in the 1984 Guidelines for Geographic Education: Elementary and Secondary Schools by the National Council for Geographic Education/Association of American Geographers Joint Committee on Geographic Education.[1] The document was 28 pages, and suggested the themes as a way for teachers to organize content for geography classes.[4] The committee included Salvatore J. Natoli, Richard G. Boehm, James B. Kracht, David A. Lanegran, Janice J. Monk, and Robert W. Morrill.[2] They settled on five themes: location, place, relationships within places (later changed to human-environment interaction), relationships between places (later shortened to movement), and region.[4] The themes were not a "new geography" but rather a conceptual structure for organizing information about geography.[1]

The themes became widespread in American social science education and were used for teacher training by the National Geographic Society's statewide alliances. They also played a role in reestablishing geography in school curricula.[1] When the National Geography Standards were released in 1994, people compared them to the five themes, saying that the themes had a simplicity that the new standards were lacking.[4]

In 1992, a National Assessment of Educational Progress consensus group said that the five themes are useful for teaching, but that for assessment, geography should be divided into the three topics of "space and place", "environment and society", and "spatial dynamic and connections".[1]

The five themes continue to be used as an educational approach in many educational outlets.[3] As of 2012, they are included in the National Council for the Social Studies elementary school standards and in state social studies standards.[8]

Current Usage

The five themes continue to be used as an educational approach in many educational outlets.[3] As of 2012, they are included in the National Council for the Social Studies elementary school standards and in state social studies standards.[8] The influence of the five themes can still be found in many standards, such as the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards for elementary grades.[9] With the increase of emphasis placed on standardized testing in the United States, social studies, and thus geography, is receiving less time in elementary classrooms.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Boehm, Richard G.; Petersen, James F. (April–May 1994). "An Elaboration of the Fundamental Themes in Geography". Social Education. 58 (4): 211–18.
  2. ^ a b Natoli, Salvatore J. (1 January 1994). "Guidelines for Geographic Education and the Fundamental Themes in Geography". Journal of Geography. 93 (1): 2–6. doi:10.1080/00221349408979676. ISSN 0022-1341.
  3. ^ a b c Ganzel, Karen. "Geography Lesson Plans Using Google Earth". Lesson Planet. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Gersmehl, Phil (2014). Teaching Geography. New York: The Guilford Press. pp. 135–146. ISBN 978-1-4625-1641-4.
  5. ^ Rosenberg, Matt. "The Five Themes of Geography". About.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  6. ^ "The Five Themes of Geography" (PDF). Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  7. ^ a b c Massachusetts Geographic Alliance (1990). Global Geography: Activities for Teaching the Five Themes of Geography (Grades 3-9). Colorado: Social Science Education Consortium. pp. 6–12. ISBN 0-89994-356-X.
  8. ^ a b Buchanan, Lisa Brown; Tschida, Christina M. (2015). "Exploring the five themes of geography using technology". The Ohio Social Studies Review. 52 (1): 29–39.
  9. ^ "NCSS Social Studies Standards | Social Studies". www.socialstudies.org. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  10. ^ Buchanan, Lisa; Tschida, Christina (Spring 2015). "Exploring the Five Themes of Geography Using Technology". Ohio Social Studies Review. 52 (1): 29–32.