Communities and Geography Chapter 2 Mrs. Tweedie July 2006

What is geography? Geography is the study of Earth’s natural features. It describes the surface of the land and the bodies of water that cover it.

A landform is the shape of the surface of the land. What are landforms? A landform is the shape of the surface of the land.

A plain is a large area of flat land. What is a plain? A plain is a large area of flat land.

Where are the Great Plains? The Great Plains stretch from North Dakota all the way south to Texas.

What is a plateau? A plateau is a large area of flat land that is raised high above the land around it.

What is a mountain? A mountain is a large mass of earth and rock rising well above other common landforms.

What is a region? A region is an area with common features that set it apart from other areas.

What is the Atlantic Ocean? The Atlantic Ocean borders the United States on the east.

What is the Pacific Ocean? The Pacific Ocean borders the United States on the west.

What is climate? Climate describes what a place’s weather is like over a long period of time. It tells how hot or cold, rainy or dry, windy or calm a place can be.

What does adapt mean? Adapt means to become used to something. People who live in cold climates are used to wearing warm clothing. People in warm climates are used to wearing light clothes.

What is a tornado? A tornado is a strong spinning wind that looks like a cone. The winds of a tornado can reach up to 300 miles per hour.

What is a hurricane? A hurricane is a rainstorm with high winds and usually thunder and lightning.

A blizzard is a snowstorm with strong winds and cold temperatures. What is a blizzard? A blizzard is a snowstorm with strong winds and cold temperatures.

What is a landform map? A landform map uses different colors to show where different kinds of landforms are found.

A compass rose shows directions. What is a compass rose? A compass rose shows directions.

What is a natural resource? water forests minerals A natural resource is something found in nature that people use.

What is a mineral? iron salt coal Minerals are another natural resource. Minerals are things found in the earth that are not plants or animals. Iron, salt, and coal are all minerals.

What is a renewable resource? A renewable resource is something found in nature that can be replaced. Wind, sunlight, water, and trees are renewable resources.

What is a nonrenewable resource? A nonrenewable resource are things found in nature that are limited and cannot be replaced. Minerals such as copper, iron, coal, and gold are nonrenewable resources.

What is the environment? The environment is the air, the water, the land, and all the living things around us.

What does recycle mean? To recycle means to use something over again. You can recycle paper, tin, plastic, and glass.

What is a graph? A graph is a special kind of picture that shows information in a way that is easy to understand. There are several different kinds of graphs.

A bar graph has bars to show amounts at one time. What is a bar graph? A bar graph has bars to show amounts at one time.

What is a line graph? A line graph shows how something changes over time. A line connects dots that give information for different dates.

A coast is land next to a large body of water. What is a coast? A coast is land next to a large body of water.

A peninsula is land that has water on three sides. What is a peninsula? A peninsula is land that has water on three sides.

An island is land that is completely surrounded by water. What is an island? An island is land that is completely surrounded by water.

Wildlife are the wild animals that live in an area. What is wildlife? Wildlife are the wild animals that live in an area.