5 Themes of Geography
1. Purpose (Essential Questions):
· What are the 5 themes of geography?
· How is the geography of the Unites States unique?
· How do we use text features to help us locate information?
2. Vocabulary:
· Geography- the study of the Earth’s surface.
· Location- where is it located?
· Place- what is the area like? (Climate, landscape, people)
· Movement- how did people get there and why would they want to move there or away from there?
· Human Environmental Interaction- how does environment affect the people who live there? How do
people use, change, and adapt to their environment?
· Regions- how are places organized? What type of physical or cultural groupings does an area belong to?
3. Skills:
· Listening
· Identifying
· Applying
· Comparing and contrasting
· Working collaboratively
4. Objectives:
· Students will identify the 5 themes of geography.
· Students will identify the five themes of geography for the United States.
· Students will analyze the geography of the United States using text features through the use of trade
books.
5. Common Core Learning Standards:
· Unit 1: Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere
o Continents, countries, and regions of the Western Hemisphere can be organized by physical, political,
economic, or cultural features 2.3c, 3.1d, 3.2a
o The Western Hemisphere can be located and represented using maps, globes, aerial and satellite
photographs, and computer models 3.1c, 3.2a, 3.2b
o The physical environment of the hemisphere is modified by human actions 3.1a, 3.1c, 4.1a, 4.1b, 5.1a
o Culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions in the Western
Hemisphere 3.1d, 3.2c
o The interconnectedness of nations affects individual cultures 3.1a, 3.1d, 3.1e
6. Pre-Assessment: Students have previously used their trade books to complete a scavenger hunt of text features. This will help the students because they are now familiar with their trade books and will easily be able to identify where to find the information concerning the 5 themes of geography. The concept of the 5 themes will be new for them but having previously identified how to locate information, finding the information shouldn’t be an issue.
7. Lesson Presentation:
· Set-Induction:
o I will start by calling all of the “families” to the rug. I will call them one by one to maintain
management.
- I will ask the students to sit with their reading partners, with their social studies notebooks and
their graphic organizers.
o I will begin my lesson by first asking the students what they think geography is.
- Geography is the study of the Earth’s surface.
· What do you think that includes?
· Students will brainstorm this idea and I will write it on chart paper.
- I will then say that we categorize or group geography into 5 different ways.
- I will then hand them a graphic organizer. With their reading partners they will discuss what
they think each of the 5 words mean and will write
them into their organizers.
· Before they start a conversation with their partner, I will model the assignment with the first
theme, location, and say that, “I think location is where a place can be found” and I will write it
in my organizer.
· Procedure:
o Once they have completed the organizer, I will tell them to go back to their seats according to the
section they sat in on the rug.
o I will then ask the students what they talked about with their partners and ask them to help me fill in
the section in the organizer, what I think they mean?
o I will then get their attention by telling them we will be watching a brain pop video about the 5 themes
of geography.
- The students will first watch the video without taking any notes and by just listening.
- The students will then watch the video for a second time but will be asked to take notes.
· Students will be asked to write what they have learned about the 5 themes in their graphic
organizers.
o As a class we will complete a class diagram on the Smartboard of the 5 themes that the video just
talked about. We will complete the chart with the proper definitions of each theme.
o We will then compare and contrast the differences between what we thought and what we now know.
o I will then explain that we will be using our trade books to figure out the geography of North America
using the 5 themes.
- I will hand out the organizer so I can reference it correctly. This organizer will be what they use to
find the 5 themes of geography in their trade books.
- I will then hand out a stack of trade books to each table.
- Then I will reference what they will need to be successful in this task.
· What do we know about text features?
· What important text features can we use to help us find this information?
· Why are these text features helpful?
· I will then model how we use text features like a table of contents to figure out where to being
my search for the information.
o Students will then fill out the organizer using a large selection of trade books.
- As the students are working I will be circulating and observing their work.
- I will be going around and asking them how they came across that characteristic and also how it
relates to the theme they are working on.
· Closure:
o The students will be asked to share the information they found through a grand conversation. As a
class, we will discuss what characteristics we found to describe North America, using the 5 themes of
geography, and how we used our text features to help us find this information.
8. Materials:
· Social Studies notebooks
· Pencils
· Smartboard
· Brain pop video
· Graphic organizers for each student
· Definition graphic organizers for each student
· Chart Paper
· Trade books
i. Who Were the First North Americans? by: Phillippa Wingate and Struan Reid
ii. America in the Time of Colombus by: Sally Senzell Isaacs
iii. North America by: Libby Koponen
iv. Continents- North America by: Erinn Banting
v. Exploring the Americas by: Ted Schafer
vi. New World: Continents and Land Bridges: North and South America by: Bruce McClish
vii. Explore North America by: Molly Aloian and Bobbie Kalman
viii. Atlas of North America by: Karen Foster
9. Follow Up Activity:
· Following the lesson, students will have a lesson that goes more in depth on how to use location. The
students will be asked to use location by determining the latitude and longitude for certain locations.
o They will go further in how to read maps and globes using the terms longitude, latitude, equator, prime
meridian, and cardinal directions. This will enforce the first theme of geography, location.
10. Evaluation/Assessment:
· The students will be asked to complete the 5 themes of geography for the United States in a graphic
organizer. I will then collect it and grade it according to the following rubric. This will just show if the
students have mastered what the 5 themes are and also how to apply these 5 themes to the United States
of America. As the students are working in groups, I will be circulating and observing the students ability to
work in groups and also how they are contributing to the conversation.
11. Differentiation:
· For ESL learners, the students will get to look at the pictures in the trade books to see the different types
of geography. Working in pairs will also help these students because they can get help from their
classmates.
· The advanced students will have the opportunity to work at their own pace when they are looking for the
information in their trade books. These students will be encouraged to find more examples of themes if
they finish their work early.
· Visual
o Students will be able to visually see maps of the United States in their trade books.
o Students will also get the opportunity to observe these themes in their trade books.
· Interpersonal
o Interpersonal learners will enjoy this activity because they can work together on communication skills
to figure a definition for the geographical theme and also fill in their graphic organizers.
· Intrapersonal
o These students who like to work alone will be able to fill out their graphic organizers by themselves but
will also be challenged to contribute to the grand conversation.
12. Resources:
· Definitions: http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0015-longitude.php
· Brain Pop Video on Geography: http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/geography/geographythemes/
· Klein, Joel I. "The Five Themes of Geography." Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
New York: NYC Department of Social Studies, 2009-10. 72-75. Print. Grade 5: Unit 1.
· New York State Social Studies Scope and Sequence: http://schools.nycenet.edu/offices/teachlearn/ss/SocStudScopeSeq.pdf
· What are the 5 themes of geography?
· How is the geography of the Unites States unique?
· How do we use text features to help us locate information?
2. Vocabulary:
· Geography- the study of the Earth’s surface.
· Location- where is it located?
· Place- what is the area like? (Climate, landscape, people)
· Movement- how did people get there and why would they want to move there or away from there?
· Human Environmental Interaction- how does environment affect the people who live there? How do
people use, change, and adapt to their environment?
· Regions- how are places organized? What type of physical or cultural groupings does an area belong to?
3. Skills:
· Listening
· Identifying
· Applying
· Comparing and contrasting
· Working collaboratively
4. Objectives:
· Students will identify the 5 themes of geography.
· Students will identify the five themes of geography for the United States.
· Students will analyze the geography of the United States using text features through the use of trade
books.
5. Common Core Learning Standards:
· Unit 1: Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere
o Continents, countries, and regions of the Western Hemisphere can be organized by physical, political,
economic, or cultural features 2.3c, 3.1d, 3.2a
o The Western Hemisphere can be located and represented using maps, globes, aerial and satellite
photographs, and computer models 3.1c, 3.2a, 3.2b
o The physical environment of the hemisphere is modified by human actions 3.1a, 3.1c, 4.1a, 4.1b, 5.1a
o Culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions in the Western
Hemisphere 3.1d, 3.2c
o The interconnectedness of nations affects individual cultures 3.1a, 3.1d, 3.1e
6. Pre-Assessment: Students have previously used their trade books to complete a scavenger hunt of text features. This will help the students because they are now familiar with their trade books and will easily be able to identify where to find the information concerning the 5 themes of geography. The concept of the 5 themes will be new for them but having previously identified how to locate information, finding the information shouldn’t be an issue.
7. Lesson Presentation:
· Set-Induction:
o I will start by calling all of the “families” to the rug. I will call them one by one to maintain
management.
- I will ask the students to sit with their reading partners, with their social studies notebooks and
their graphic organizers.
o I will begin my lesson by first asking the students what they think geography is.
- Geography is the study of the Earth’s surface.
· What do you think that includes?
· Students will brainstorm this idea and I will write it on chart paper.
- I will then say that we categorize or group geography into 5 different ways.
- I will then hand them a graphic organizer. With their reading partners they will discuss what
they think each of the 5 words mean and will write
them into their organizers.
· Before they start a conversation with their partner, I will model the assignment with the first
theme, location, and say that, “I think location is where a place can be found” and I will write it
in my organizer.
· Procedure:
o Once they have completed the organizer, I will tell them to go back to their seats according to the
section they sat in on the rug.
o I will then ask the students what they talked about with their partners and ask them to help me fill in
the section in the organizer, what I think they mean?
o I will then get their attention by telling them we will be watching a brain pop video about the 5 themes
of geography.
- The students will first watch the video without taking any notes and by just listening.
- The students will then watch the video for a second time but will be asked to take notes.
· Students will be asked to write what they have learned about the 5 themes in their graphic
organizers.
o As a class we will complete a class diagram on the Smartboard of the 5 themes that the video just
talked about. We will complete the chart with the proper definitions of each theme.
o We will then compare and contrast the differences between what we thought and what we now know.
o I will then explain that we will be using our trade books to figure out the geography of North America
using the 5 themes.
- I will hand out the organizer so I can reference it correctly. This organizer will be what they use to
find the 5 themes of geography in their trade books.
- I will then hand out a stack of trade books to each table.
- Then I will reference what they will need to be successful in this task.
· What do we know about text features?
· What important text features can we use to help us find this information?
· Why are these text features helpful?
· I will then model how we use text features like a table of contents to figure out where to being
my search for the information.
o Students will then fill out the organizer using a large selection of trade books.
- As the students are working I will be circulating and observing their work.
- I will be going around and asking them how they came across that characteristic and also how it
relates to the theme they are working on.
· Closure:
o The students will be asked to share the information they found through a grand conversation. As a
class, we will discuss what characteristics we found to describe North America, using the 5 themes of
geography, and how we used our text features to help us find this information.
8. Materials:
· Social Studies notebooks
· Pencils
· Smartboard
· Brain pop video
· Graphic organizers for each student
· Definition graphic organizers for each student
· Chart Paper
· Trade books
i. Who Were the First North Americans? by: Phillippa Wingate and Struan Reid
ii. America in the Time of Colombus by: Sally Senzell Isaacs
iii. North America by: Libby Koponen
iv. Continents- North America by: Erinn Banting
v. Exploring the Americas by: Ted Schafer
vi. New World: Continents and Land Bridges: North and South America by: Bruce McClish
vii. Explore North America by: Molly Aloian and Bobbie Kalman
viii. Atlas of North America by: Karen Foster
9. Follow Up Activity:
· Following the lesson, students will have a lesson that goes more in depth on how to use location. The
students will be asked to use location by determining the latitude and longitude for certain locations.
o They will go further in how to read maps and globes using the terms longitude, latitude, equator, prime
meridian, and cardinal directions. This will enforce the first theme of geography, location.
10. Evaluation/Assessment:
· The students will be asked to complete the 5 themes of geography for the United States in a graphic
organizer. I will then collect it and grade it according to the following rubric. This will just show if the
students have mastered what the 5 themes are and also how to apply these 5 themes to the United States
of America. As the students are working in groups, I will be circulating and observing the students ability to
work in groups and also how they are contributing to the conversation.
11. Differentiation:
· For ESL learners, the students will get to look at the pictures in the trade books to see the different types
of geography. Working in pairs will also help these students because they can get help from their
classmates.
· The advanced students will have the opportunity to work at their own pace when they are looking for the
information in their trade books. These students will be encouraged to find more examples of themes if
they finish their work early.
· Visual
o Students will be able to visually see maps of the United States in their trade books.
o Students will also get the opportunity to observe these themes in their trade books.
· Interpersonal
o Interpersonal learners will enjoy this activity because they can work together on communication skills
to figure a definition for the geographical theme and also fill in their graphic organizers.
· Intrapersonal
o These students who like to work alone will be able to fill out their graphic organizers by themselves but
will also be challenged to contribute to the grand conversation.
12. Resources:
· Definitions: http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0015-longitude.php
· Brain Pop Video on Geography: http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/geography/geographythemes/
· Klein, Joel I. "The Five Themes of Geography." Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
New York: NYC Department of Social Studies, 2009-10. 72-75. Print. Grade 5: Unit 1.
· New York State Social Studies Scope and Sequence: http://schools.nycenet.edu/offices/teachlearn/ss/SocStudScopeSeq.pdf