In 1984, the National Council on Geographical Education and the Association of American Geographers jointly formulated a statement on five geographic topics. Since then, the creation of five topics of geography has been supplanted by the National Standards of Geography, but it is still an excellent basis for facilitating and organizing the teaching of geography in K-12 classes.
LOCATION
The first of the five topics of geography is location. Location is the study of where a function sits, either relative or absolutely. Absolute location can be described in several ways. This can be a list of latitude and longitude coordinates or GPS systems. The street address is also an absolute location, as well as the village and the grocery store. The first of the five topics of geography can also be relational. A place is described by where it is associated with something else. An example is the statement that "Seattle, WA, north of Portland, Oregon."
A PLACE
The second element of the five themes of geography is the place. This part of the five topics of geography describes places both from the point of view of a person and with the physical characteristics of the site. The human side of the equation includes the effects that people had on the earth and in the environment. It can be cultural, architectural, professional and recreational use of land and even transport systems. The physical aspect of the five themes of geography describes mountains, lakes, rivers and deserts, as well as plant and animal life, occupying space.
HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION
This category of five geographic themes describes how people change and adapt to their environment. People redid the land, changed the flow of rivers, dug the Panama Canal. All these are examples of the interaction of man and the environment of the five topics of geography.
MOTION
This theme of the five topics of geography studies the movement of people around the globe. It can include ideas, resources, communications, as well as fads and durable goods. The whole picture and the history of migration and the movement of man on the surface of the planet form the basis of the fourth of the five topics of geography.
REGION
Finally, the fifth of the five topics of geography describes the place in terms of its position on the surface of the earth. Regions can be formal, such as cities, counties, states, or countries. Borders are widely known and generally understood. Regions can be functional, for example, to describe the coverage area for servicing cell phones. The third type of area has no exact boundaries, but is usually understood from the mental map that we have studied over the years. An example would be the Pacific Coast or the Midwest.
These five topics of geography are useful as a basis for teachers studying the subject of geography. Different levels of age and levels can absorb various levels of these topics at any time. As a rule, younger age groups begin with that one and will take possession of the states of the United States or the state capital of their home state.
