Landforms

Learner Expectation Geography enables the students to see, understand and appreciate the web of relationships between people, places, and environments. Students will use the knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts within the six essential elements of geography: world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical systems, human systems, environment and society, and the uses of geography. Learning Expectations: 3.01 Understand how to use maps, globes, and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process and report information from a spatial perspective Demonstrate how to identify and locate major physical and political features on globes and maps.

LANDFORMS Landforms are the kinds of land/terrain a place has. Landforms include mountains, valleys, plateaus, deserts, plains, islands, and peninsulas.

MOUNTAINS A mountain is a place on earth’s surface that is much higher than the land around it. Mountains can be tall and sharply pointed like the Rocky Mountains. Mountains can be lower and more rounded like the Appalachian Mountains.

VALLEYS Valleys are lowlands that lie between mountain ranges. They are often good places for communities because water runs down from the mountains and they have rich soil to grow crops.

PLATEAUS Plateaus are landforms that have STEEP SIDES and a FLAT top. It is flat land that is higher than the land around it. They may stretch for miles in every direction.

PLAINS Plains are flat sometimes grassy lands that stretch for miles and can be good habitats for animals of all sorts. Also called: savannas, grasslands, steppes or prairies

DESERTS A desert is dry land with few plants and little water.

Tundra A large area of flat land in arctic parts of the world where there are no trees and the ground is always frozen.

ISLANDS An island is a piece of land that has water on all sides.

PENINSULAS A peninsula is a piece of land that has water on ONLY THREE sides and is attached to another piece of land. A good example of a peninsula is FLORIDA or the ARABIAN PENINSULA.

Isthmus a narrow area of land that connects two larger land areas.

Archipelago A group or cluster of islands

REVIEW OF LANDFORMS MOUNTAINS: High steep, rocky land VALLEYS: Low land in between mountains PLATEAUS: Steep, sloped land with a flat top DESERTS: Dry, sandy land PLAINS: Flat, grassy land that stretches for miles ISLANDS: Land surrounded by water PENINSULAS: Land with water on 3 sides Isthmus: a narrow strip of land that connects two larger pieces of land Archipelago: A group of islands.