are a way to understand human diversity. Uniform regions and formal regions share a similar definition, with formal regions being “a group of places that have similar conditions". Even in formal regions, it is true that no region is completely homogeneous, as characteristics vary from place to place. While regions all share at least one common trait, it is true that they can have multiple traits that unite them, an example being a region that shares a language and a government. History The five themes of geography were published in the 1984 Guidelines for Geographic Education: Elementary and Secondary Schools by the National Council for Geographic Education/Association of American Geographers Joint Committee on Geographic Education. The document was 28 pages, and suggested the themes as a way for teachers to organize content for geography classes. The committee included Salvatore J. Natoli, Richard G. Boehm, James B. Kracht, David A. Lanegran, Janice J. Monk, and Robert W. Morrill. They settled on five themes: location, place, relationships within places (later changed to human-environment interaction), relationships between places (later shortened to movement), and region. The themes were not a "new geography" but rather a conceptual structure for organizing information about geography. The themes became widespread in American social science education and were used for teacher training by the National Geographic Society's statewide alliances. They also played a role in reestablishing geography in school curricula. When the National Geography Standards were released in 1994, people compared them to the five themes, saying that the themes had a simplicity that the new standards were lacking. In 1992, a National Assessment of Educational Progress consensus group said that the five themes are useful for teaching, but that for assessment, geography should be divided into the three topics of "space and place", "environment and society", and "spatial dynamic and connections". The five themes continue to be used as an educational approach in many educational outlets. As of 2012, they are included in the National Council for the Social Studies elementary school standards and in state social studies standards. Current Usage The five themes continue to be used as an educational approach in many educational outlets. As of 2012, they are included in the National Council for the Social Studies elementary school standards and in state social studies standards. The influence of the five themes can still be found in many standards, such as the National Council for