Because economic geography is viewed as a field with too many different aspects for one person to master, teaching an introductory course in the subject poses the challenge of selecting an organizing theme. One specific approach, organized around higher level generalizations and theories, is the use of location theory. Coupling location theory with the trend toward problem solving can result in the theme of the locational analysis of welfare economics. Welfare economics, which is the evaluating and ranking of economic alternatives open to society, is a topic in need of research but available to classroom consideration in part because of its interest to students. Examples of use of this theme range from the simple question of where ice cream vendors should stand on the beach for the greatest benefit to their customers to the location of a factory for the greatest benefit to the immediate population and to society as a whole. In the footnotes economic geography texts and materials, some of which use the locational theory approach, are cited. (JH)