Name: ________________ Class: .

Date:
----- ---

The Five Themes of Geography

1) LOCATION: Where am I?

2) PLACE: How can I describe my location?

3) HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION: How do people use

the place?

4) MOVEMENT: How do people, goods, and ideas move from

place to place?

5) REGION: What does the place have in common with others?

Name ___________________ Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

~ ~ ~ ~ ='---_ _ _ _GI_o_be_s_ _ _ _, ~ ~ ~ ~
I:
The Earth is a sphere, shaped like a round ball. A globe is a model of the Earth, so a globe
is shaped like a round ball, too . A globe shows the large, main pieces of land, called continents.
There are seven continents. A globe shows the main bodies of water, called oceans. There are
four oceans. A globe also shows many of the seas, the smaller bodies of water.
Globes have a compass rose to help you to find directions. Some globes also have a map
key and di stance scale. Most globes also have lines of latitude and longitude.
Do you have a globe? If you do, look at it. If not, look at the map below. At the top of
the globe is the North Pole. At the bottom of the globe is the South Pole. Find the Prime
Meridian and Equator on the globe.

North Pole THE WORLD North Pole

South Pole South Pole

MihMH#J.. Study a globe or the map. Use it to answer the questions.

1. What are the names of the seven continents?

....
1. What are the names of the seven continents?

2. What are the names of the four oceans ?

3. On which co ntinent is Beijing located ? 4. On which continent do you live ?

Name __________________ Date _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Cardinal Directions
You use directions every day. Directions help you to compare locations. Directions tell
you where you are in relation to other places. They also tell you where other places are in
relation to you. You might use directions such as front, back, up, down, right, left, near, or far.
A map is a drawing of a real place. It shows the place as if you are looking at it from
above. A map uses the directions of north, south, east, and west. These are called the cardinal
directions. Look on the map for a direction marker. This marker is called a compass rose. It
may have the abbreviations for all the cardinal directions: N, S, E, W. Or it may have only the
abbreviation for north: N. If it has only the N, you have to remember how to find the other
directions. Face a wall map or hold the map below in front of you. Find north on the compass
rose. It is toward the top of the map. South is the opposite of north, so it is toward the bottom
of the map. East is toward the right side of the map. West is toward the left side.
II

OAK BLUFF ~I
I

w4 s
E

I Bookstore
Q5
Q)
'-
Museum I
.-.
(J)
Q)
Forest Street .-.
.-.
Q)
I
Q) Q)
0.. Joe's House l <D ....
~ ....
.-.
.-.
(J)

Carlo's
2 (J) ....
~
House Supermarket I ~
~
Mary's House
0..
0 a
Main Street 0...

mit.un·o. Use the map to answer the questions.

1. Is Mary's house east or west of the supermarket? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

1. Is Mary's house east or west of the supermarket? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

2. Is the bookstore north or south of Carlo's house? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

3. Which directions does MapJe Street run'? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

4. Which directions does Main Street run? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

,L ACt·IVI.ty
~ -~-

I Draw a map of your neighborhood. Include at least four streets. Include the houses on
those streets. Put an X on your house . Add any other features that you want. When you
finish, share your map with the cJass. Save your map for llse in another activity later.
Name: Class: - - - Date:
------ ---

Reading a Map
The Elements of a Map:

• The Title: The title tells you what the map is about.

• Legend or Key: A legend or key lists and explains the

symbols, lines, and colors on a map.

• Symbols: Symbols are drawings or patterns that show what

things on the map mean or represent.

• Compass Rose: A compass rose shows which way the

directions north (N), south (S), east (E), and west (W) point on
the map.

• Scale: A scale shows the ratio between a unit of length on the

map and a unit of distance on the earth.

• Lines: Lines can represent many different things such as

boundaries (borders), roads, rivers or movement.

• Colors: Colors also can be used to represent many different

things on a map.

• Labels: Labels are words or phrases that explain various items

or activities on a map.

• Labels: Labels are words or phrases that explain various items

or activities on a map.
 Name _____________________________________ Date _________

i ~:": ~: I Map Parts I,> ' i : ':

~--------------------------------------------~

To use a map well, you must know about its parts. These parts help you to know what
information the map contains. You already know about the compass rose. The compass rose
indicates the directions. A map usually has a title. The title tells what the map is about. Most
maps also have a map key, or legend. Maps use symbols, which are drawings or patterns to
show what things on the map mean. The map key tell s you what these symbols mean.

OldTown Title
Map Key

- - City
boundary
""""" Bike path
Map Key
-H+t+ Railroad
I~

~ School
!

.......... Jorge's
crt house Elm Street *
-w~n~~c-
s
j

o ~ mile 1mile
I I I
Distance Scale

Ill! Bja.. Look at the map of Old Town. Find the title and map key. Study these parts
carefully. Then, answer the questions.

1. What is the title of this map? ___________________________________________

1. What is the title of this map? _________________________________________

I"

2. What does this symbol ~ in the map key stand for? _________________________
3. What does this symbol """"" in the map key stand for? _______________________
4. Find Jorge 's house on the map. Jorge must walk to the intersection of Oak Street and
Long Road. Which direction should he go? _ _______________________________

.1.:- ACt+IVI+ty
-0
I Use your neighborhood map from page 7. Add the title "My Neighborhood." Also add
a map key that uses symbols for the houses, trees, and other features that you have on
your map.
II
 D~k'.

CHICAGO AREA Wilmette.

Evanston
Skokie.

Map Key
• The Loop
• Suburb

+ O'Hare
Airport

o 5
I !
!
I
! I

o 5 Km

--r1l e, l i t \ -e. SCC\.\-e

-
J
TV! e... L.e.. -e Vj J.. o r k-ej L,VI-eS
1",-, ~ . ~ .'- ~-

J
TV! e... L.e.. -e Vj J.. o r k-ej L 1'VI -e S
S'jYYl'oD \ _
CO\D(J_
CompC\~s R..oSe
LQ'o-e\

y \' (e L -h '()V1 s: JYI C\t CJ'1 ~ LA C Vi \-e +f C' r --tD --hi -€ e Ie me: v\ +
\+- (z p(-P S (V1 i ~ 6Y\ -+n-e met p .
Name __________________ Date _ _ _ _ _ _ __

~(~.~I:~I:IL__~U=si=n~g~a~D~i=st=a~nc=e~S~c=a~le~__yl:=1==,,=.=
Maps are not life-size. They show big areas on small pieces of paper. Distance on a map
is not the same as the real distance in a place. To show distance, maps use a distance scale.
A distance scale shows that a certain length on the map equals a certain length in a real
place. Most distance scales show distance in miles and kilometers. Look at the map below.
Find the distance scale. On this distance scale, 1 inch = 300 miles. Notice that this map also
shows distances in kilometers.
Suppose you want to find the distance from Cairo to the Mediterranean Sea. One way
is to use an inch ruler. Measure the distance between the two places. The distance is
about ~ inch. On the distance scale, ~ inch = about 100 miles.

EGYPT

SAUDI
. ARABiA
LIByA
EGYPT

Aswan
o! 100
I '
200
! .
300 Miles
I

j 1. 1 i I
o 100 200 300 400 Kilome te rs
, ---.------ ---- -- -"-
§..UQAN

mii-ibn,. Use an inch ruler and the distance scale on the map to finish
each sentence.

'·slf, Hb '.,r V.;lv-Ctll "h..lll rUI<J1 c:lIIU lIl<J UlvlOllLJe ;:)LJOIt:; UII lilt:; IllctfJ LU

each sentence.
'IIII~"

1. On the map, the distance from Aswan to 4. On the map, the distance from
Cairo is about ______ inches . Alexandria to Cairo is about
______ inch.
2. On the map, 1 inch = 300 miles. In the
real place, Aswan is about 5. In the real place, Alexandria is about
- - - - - - miles from Cairo. ______ miles from Cairo.

3. On the map, 1 inch = 480 kilometers. 6. Asyut is a city about 250 miles ·
northwest of Aswan. Asyut is about 200
In the real place, Aswan is about
miles south of Cairo on the Nile River.
- - - - - - kilometers from Cairo. Place the city of Asyut on the map.
Draw a dot and write the name Asvut.
 k "

~ Th!! land in the Middle Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Central America and

the Caribbean ...
*, Bahamas
0 ••

Jamaica~
~
o
Puerto •
• 0

Rico

oC
100
I
200
I
300
I

miles
Use the mileage chart to decide the best answer to each question. Measure from the starred capita
each country, then circle the answer.
1. The distance from Puerto Rico to Panama 500 miles 800 miles 1,100 mil
2. The clistance from Belize to Haiti 800 miles 1,100 miles 1,300 mil
3. The distance from Costa Rica to Guatemala 500 miles 800 miles 1,200 miJ
4. The distance from the Bahamas to Honduras 300 miles 700 miles 1,000 mi
C;
o. T}M' 4i§Mws~ if9}:}:) La]!1aica to the Dominican Republic 500 miles 800 miles 1,000 mi
4. The distance from the Bahamas to Honduras 300 miles 700 miles 1,666 mi
5. The distance from Jamaica to the Dominican Republic 500 miles 800 miles 1,000 mi
6. The distance from Cuba to Nicaragua 300 miles 800 miles 1,100 mi
7. The distance from Guatemala to Jamaica 600 miles 700 miles 900 milE
8. The distance from El Salvador to Costa Rica 400 miles 800 miles 1,200 m
9. The distance from Cuba to Belize 300 miles 600 miles 900 milr
10. The distance from Haiti to Puerto Rico 400 miles 900 miles 1,300 IT

Match these capital cities with their countries by unscrambling the country names.

Tegucigalpa (UOANDRHS) _ _ _ _ __ _ Port-au-Prince (IIATH) _ _ _ _ __

Kin2:ston (IAAACJM) Nassau (AAASHMB) _ _ _ _ _ __
 Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Southwestern United States

Arizona Tulsa _
- Gallup .. Santa Fe *Oklahoma
- Flagstaff • City
Albuqu~rque Amarillo
Clovis Oklahoma
* Phoenix
New Mexico Worth _ - Dallas
-Tucson -Abilene
Texas
Austin.

o 50 100 150 miles

I I

Use the mileage chart to measure the distance between these cities. Circle the best answer.

Dallas to Tucson Flagstaff to Gallup

400 mi. 800 mi. 900 mi. 150 mi. 450 mi. 700 mi.
Yuma to Santa Fe Phoenix to Oklahoma City
100 mi. 350 mi. 500 mi. 300 mi. 550 mi. 800 mi.

Yuma to Santa Fe Phoenix to Oklahoma City

100 mi. 350 mi. 500 mi. 300 mi. 550 mi. 800 mi.
Oklahoma City to Corpus Christi EI Paso to Houston
250 mi. 500 mi. 800 mi. 150 mi. 400 mi. 650 mi.
Houston to Phoenix Amarillo to Fort Worth
950 mi. 1,200 mi. 1,400 mi. 300 mi. 500 mi. 650 mi.
Albuquerque to Abilene El Paso to Laredo
200 mi. 400 mi. 600 mi. 250 mi. 500 mi. 650 mi.
~on to Tulsa Fort Worth to Clovis
450 mi. 800 mi. 1,200 mi. 50 mi. 200 mi. 350 mi.
 1 em = 50 miles

1) On the map, the distance from New York City to

Albany is 3 em. NYC is about miles
from Albany.

2) NYC is about 250 miles from Washington D.C.

How many centimeters apart is NYC from
Washington D.C. on the map? _ _ __

3) On the map, the distance from NYC to San

Francisco is about 60 cm. NYC is about
- - - miles from San Francisco.
Name _________________________________ Date _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Capitals and ~C)~ndaries

".
.' . \ . ' .'

. , . . '>J.~ .
The United States is divided into 50 states. Each state has a center of government. That
center of government is called the state capital. Laws for the whole state are made in the
state capital. Do you know the capital of your state? Look at the map key below. On this
map, a star stands for a state capital. Can you find the state capital of Washington?
Nations also have capitals. Laws for the whole nation are made in the national capital.
On many maps, a star in a circle stands for a national capital.
This map also shows state and national boundaries. Boundaries are the lines on a map
that show where one state or nation ends and
another state or nation begins. The boundaries
separate the two places. Boundaries are also
called borders. Find the boundary symbols in
the map key. Move your finger along the
boundaries on the map.

r:gull.• Use the map to answer

the questions.

1. What is the state capital of California?

* State capital
• Cities
•.•.•. National boundary
2. Look at the map key. A dotted line is a - - State boundary
national boundary. With what nation
does Alaska share a border?
! Honolulu
o*",
Hawaii ()
a
I
250 500 Mi
,
a 250
I , I
500 Km

3. If you wanted to travel from the state

capital of Oregon to Anchorage, Alaska, 5. What is the state capital of Alaska?
which direction would you go?
. _ __ _ _ _ -... , __ .............. ....., ........... "'....... _ <Jl,.Ul,."-"

capital of Oregon to Anchorage, Alaska, 5. What is the state capital of Alaska?

which direction would you go?
,

6. What is the state capital of Hawaii?

4. If you wanted to travel from the state
capital of Alaska to the state capital of
Hawaii, which direction would you go? 7. What is the state capital of Oregon?

-',I,9:- A Ct+IVI+ty ,
A state's shape is determined by its border. Some states have unusual shapes. Colorado
is a rectangle. The lower part of Michigan looks like a mitten. Several states have
"panhandles." Find your state on the United States map on page 5. What shape does
our state have? Move our fin er alon the state border.
 165'W 75'N 90'W

Ms. Miller
Name: ____________----
Date: ______
"Class #: _ __

1. Which river divides the United States most of the way from North to South? - - - -

2. What large mountain range expands from the Western United States all the way into
Western canada? _ _- - - - - - - - -

~ 3. What strait separates Florida and Cuba? ________

AI J
I 4. What mountain range is east of the Ohio River? ________

5. What mountain range is directly east of the Gulf of california? - - - - - - - - - -

6. How many "Great Lakes" are there between the United States and canada? - - - - -

PA.CIFIC

o 500 Miles
1-1- - - - - - . . , . , - - - - - '

o 500 KM
Parallel scale at 45·N 90·W

120'W O' 105'W 90'W 60'

~ GuatBtnalan ~BatcfJ
map tQadingimapmaking

Name _ _ _ _ _ _~-=--------_

Guatemala
Tikal ruins
s
~res
MEXICO

Puerto Barrios

Pacific Ocea n
Quezal tenango HONDURAS
f ·0
Answer these questions. Mazatenango.
ella. • Escuintla
1. What city is east of l17.Pe..:
"Co

Salama?
------~------------- EL SALVADOR
2. Which city is north of Mazatenango? ~
7. Which city is west of Puerto Barrios?
3. Name the capital city.
8. What is the city south of Escuintla?
4. What Mayan ruins are found far to the
north? 9. What two countries are south and east
-------------~------

4. What Mayan ruins are found far to the

north? 9. What two countries are south and east
------------~------

5. Name the country to the north and of Guatemala?

-------------------
west of Guatemala.
---------------
6. What large lake empties into the Gulf 10. Which coastal city lies farthest to the
of Honduras on the east side of
west?
-------------------------
Guatemala?
----------------
Now follow these directions:

Color lakes and rivers blue.

12. Put boxes around all country names.
-
Name __________________ Date _ _ _ _ _ _ __

~=!=~=:=~==t~_ _ ___.:.La==n=d~fo=_=r_=m=__:M==a~pS=__ _~~ j";ja ~

A landform map tells about the form, or shape, of the Earth's surface. It gives
information on various physical features, such as mountains, hills, plateaus, plains, and
deserts. It can also tell where rivers are. Maps indicate these natural features in different
ways. Some maps use drawings to show the landforms. Other maps use shading. The map
below has the names of the landforms printed on the map.

MAJOR LANDFORMS AND NATURAL REGIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST

I'l]it-du·j:' Use the map to answer the questions.

1. Which landform covers the southwestern part of Arizona? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. In which natural region is Oklahoma City located? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3. Which city is shown at the edge of the R~,cky Mountains? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. In which natural region is Oklahoma City located? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3. Which city is shown at the edge of the Rocky Mountains? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
4. What mountain range is located in southeast Oklahoma? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
5. In which natural region is Houston located? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
6. Which three deserts are shown on the map? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

7. Which two plateaus are shown on the map? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

.I, ACt·IVI.ty
--9--
What are some landforms in your state? Do research to find out. Then,-use the map on
page 5 to draw an outline of your state. Write the names of the landforms wher~ they
<:lr", lnf'<:lt",rI 1n 17nllr ct<:lt",
Name:
------ Class: - - - Date: - - -

The Different Types of Maps

• Physical Maps: Physical maps show landforms and other

physical features of an area.

• Political Maps: Political maps show political (having to do with

government) units such as countries, states and cities.

• Historical Maps: Historical maps show things from the past

such as migrations, battles, changing boundaries, and how
people used the land.

• Thematic Maps: Thematic maps show many different things

such as population, land resources and climate.