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Date

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Section 1 The Five Themes of Geography

In-Depth Resources: Unit 1

Guided Reading
A. Comparing and Contrasting Use the chart below to compare and contrast the two
types of location.

Absolute Location

Relative Location

What is it?

1.

2.

How is it found?

3.

4.

B. Making Generalizations Use the chart below to write a general statement about
each geographic theme.

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Theme

Generalization

Location

1.

Place

2.

Region

3.

HumanEnvironment
Interaction

4.

Movement

5.

C. Map and Graph Skills Use the maps on page 6 in your textbook to answer the
following questions.
1. Location How many degrees of longitude are there?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Region What formal regions are located in the Western Hemisphere?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking at the Earth 5

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Section 1 The Five Themes of Geography

In-Depth Resources: Unit 1

SKILLBUILDER PRACTICE

Creating a Sketch Map

Maps are visual representations of a portion of the earth. They are powerful tools for geographers. Some maps require extensive research. Other maps, such as mental maps, do not. We
all use mental mapsso called because we carry them around in our mindsof familiar routes
and places everyday. The instructions and information below will help you to create a sketch
map of the route you take from home to school. (See Skillbuilder Handbook, page R12.)
A. RELATIVE LOCATION Relative location describes how a place is related to its
surrounding environment. For example, you may tell a person that the library is three
blocks west of the park. This orients the personif he or she knows where the park
is located.
List ten landmarks that could be used to give the relative location of your home or your
school.
1. ________________________________

6. ______________________________

2. ________________________________

7. ______________________________

3. ________________________________

8. ______________________________

4. ________________________________

9. ______________________________

5. ________________________________

10. ______________________________

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B. DRAW YOUR MAP Sketch your map in pencil first, so that you can make any
revisions. Be sure to use the landmarks you listed above. Remember that a mental
map does not have to be physically exact or drawn to scale.

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Section 1 The Five Themes of Geography

In-Depth Resources: Unit 1

Reteaching Activity
Reading Comprehension Find the missing word or phrase that best completes each
of the sentences below. Write your answers in the blank.
1. ____________________ is the study of the distribution and interaction of physical
and human features on the earth.
2. Geographers use a variety of methods to study the use of space on Earth. The most
common ones are ____________________, visual representations of a portion of
the earth.
3. Another basic tool used by geographers are the five themes of geography:
____________________, ____________________, ____________________,
____________________, and ____________________.
4. ____________________ is the exact place on the earth a geographic feature, such
as a city, is found. ____________________ describes a place in relation to other
places around it.
5. To locate places north or south, geographers use a set of imaginary lines, called
____________________ lines, that run parallel to the equator.
6. To locate places east or west, geographers use a set of imaginary lines, called
____________________ lines, that go around the earth over the poles.
7. The question, What is it like? refers to the geographic theme of

8. The question, How are places similar or different? refers to the geographic theme
of ____________________. Latin America, Europe, and Africa are examples of
____________________.
9. People draining swamps or digging irrigation ditches are examples of the
geographic theme of ____________________.
10. Geographers analyze the geographic theme of ____________________ by looking
at three types of distances: ____________________, ___________________, and
____________________. ____________________ distance means how far across
the earth, an idea, a person, or a product travels.

10 UNIT 1 CHAPTER 1

Copyright McDougal Littell Inc.

____________________.