Five Themes of Geography: An Instructional Strategy
I. LOCATION ... tells us where a place is on the Earth's surface.
1. On the map place a red sticker to show where you were born. (US map)
2. On the map place a blue sticker to show where you live now. (RI map)
II. PLACE ... tells the special characteristics a place might have,
such as culture, climate, population, plants, animals, and landforms.
Imagine you took these pictures.
1. How would you describe how it feels to be there?
2. Choose three adjectives to describe what you see and feel. Use
three words of your own or choose from the word bank below.
III. HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION ... tells how people react, change,
or adapt to their environment.
1. Rate these places for how NATURAL they are.
Use the following rating scale.
1. This place looks pristine and as close to its natural state as it
2. This place shows a moderate amount of human interaction.
3. This place shows a great deal of human interaction and change.
IV. MOVEMENT ... tells about the flow of people, products, and ideas
into and within a region.
1. Choose an item of clothing, accessory or footware. Read the
tag where it was made.
2. Place a sticker on the map for this place.
V. REGION ... tells us about areas of the Earth that are alike in some
way or another.
1. Choose a card and some matching stickers. (Examples:
rainforest, tundra, savannah, deserts, Middle East, mountains, etc.)
2. Place the stickers on the corresponding locations on the
Earth. You may use the atlases for help.