Geography Geography: the study of Earth’s surface and the way people use it. 5 Themes of Geography Location: the place where it can be found Place: shaped by physical and human features Human-environment interactions: the ways in which people and their surroundings interact Movement: where, how, and why people, goods, and ideas travel from one place to another Regions: areas with at least one feature that makes it different from other areas.

A map is a drawing that shows all or part of Earth Maps A map is a drawing that shows all or part of Earth on a flat surface. Map Features Map title: tells subject of the map Map key: explains the symbols used on a map Inset map: smaller map within a larger one Locator: small map or globe that shows where the place on the main map is located within a larger area Map scale: compares distance on the map to a distance in the real world. Compass rose: shows direction

A compass rose shows direction Cardinal directions: North, South, East, West Intermediate directions: directions between the cardinal directions. Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Northeast

Grid System Lines that cross each other on a map. These lines form a pattern of squares called a grid system. Around the grid there are numbers and letters. Each square on the map can be identified by its letter and number.

Chapter 1 Exploring the United States

Lesson 1 Where is the United States?

Global Address Hemisphere: halves of Earth Two imaginary lines divide the earth into hemispheres Equator: circles Earth halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. The equator separates the earth into the Northern hemisphere and the Southern hemisphere. Prime meridian: divides the Earth into Western and Eastern hemisphere

Hemispheres

Equator and Prime Meridian

Continents Continents: largest land areas on Earth North America South America Africa Europe Asia Australia Antarctica Major Oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic

Continents and Oceans

Ways to tell relative location Relative location: where a place is in relation to other places on Earth. Ways to tell relative location Between two countries Border: line that shows the end of a place Between two oceans Your stat’s relative location Gulf: part of an ocean or sea that reaches into the land

Where is the United States? The United States is located on the continent of North America in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It’s borders are the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Canada, and Mexico .

Latitude and Longitude By stating latitude and longitude you can describe the absolute location, or exact location of a place. Lines of latitude: run east and west. The equator is a line of latitude. Lines of longitude: run north and south. The prime meridian is a line of longitude

The American Landscape Lesson 2 The American Landscape What are the major landforms in the United States?

Landforms Landforms are features such as mountains, hills, valleys, and plains.

Land at sea level is level with the surface of the ocean In the East Land at sea level is level with the surface of the ocean The Coastal Plain:. Area of low land that lies along the coast of an ocean. The flat area along the Atlantic Ocean is coastal plain. The Appalachian Mountains: the highest lands in the eastern United States. stretches 1500 miles from Alabama into Canada the oldest mountains in North America

In the Middle The Interior Plains:. huge area of low, grassy lands. Reach north from Mexico through the middle of the United States into Canada. The Central Plains: eastern part of Interior plains. Wide rivers, grassy hills, and forests. Great Lakes: 5 connected lakes; Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario The Great Plains: a vast high plateau of semiarid grassland. Plateau: high flat area of land

A river and its tributaries make up a river system A Mighty River Mississippi River: one of the longest rivers in North America. It runs through the middle of the Interior Plains. Source is small lake in Minnesota. Flows south for 2,340 miles. Tributaries are Ohio, Missouri, and Arkansas Rivers. Source: the place where a river begins Tributary: river or stream that flows into a larger river A river and its tributaries make up a river system Mouth of a river is the place where it empties into a larger body of water.

Pacific Mountains and Valley In the West Tall mountains, deep valleys, green forests, vast deserts, and rocky coastline The Rocky Mountains (Rockies): first mountain you see in the west. Longest mountain range. Stretch more than 3000 miles from Mexico to Alaska West of the Rockies Intermountain Region: land between mountain ranges. The Great Basin covers the middle part of the this region. basin: low bowl shaped land with higher ground around it canyon: a deep narrow valley with steep sides Pacific Mountains and Valley The Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, and Coast Ranges Run through California, Oregon, and Washington

Summary The United States has many different landforms. Some parts of the country have tall mountains. Other parts have flat plains and plateaus or deep valleys and canyons. The United States also has long coastlines and many large rivers and lakes.

Lesson 3 Climate in the United States

How to describe weather Temperature: how hot or cold the air is Precipitation: the amount of water that falls to Earth’s surface as rain, sleet, or snow. Wind: air blowing The temperature, the wind, and precipitation in a place on any given day make up the weather.

Effects of weather and climate What is climate Climate: the kind of weather a place has over a long time Effects of weather and climate What clothes people wear Where people choose to live How people earn a living What people do for fun

Variety of Climate How Far from the equator? the closer a place is to the equator, the warmer it usually is What is the elevation? Temperatures become cooler as they go higher above sea level How far from the ocean? Oceans warm the land near the coast in winter and cool it in summer humidity: moisture in the air What landforms are nearby?

Line graph: shows changes over time Parts of a line graph Title: tells us what the graph is about. Labels: horizontal label across the bottom and the vertical label along the side tells us what kinds of facts are listed. Scales: horizontal scale across the bottom and the vertical scale along the side tell us how much or how many. Points: show us the facts. Lines: connects the points and give estimates of the values between the points.

Line Graph

Lesson 4 Natural Resources

What is a natural resource? Something found in nature that people can use such as water, soil and trees. Land resources Soil Trees Renewable resources: a resource which is replaced naturally and can be used again. Examples are: oxygen, fresh water, solar energy, timber, and biomass.

Water is our most important resource Water Resources Water is our most important resource Getting fresh water Lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater supply almost all the fresh water people use. Groundwater: the water that sinks beneath Earth’s surface when it rains or snows Using water Drinking, washing, cooking, boating Industry: all the business that make one kind of product or provide one kind of service

Nonrenewable resources Minerals and Fuels Minerals: natural substances found in rocks. Copper, gold, silver Fuels: a natural resource that is used to make heat or energy Nonrenewable resources Resources that cannot be replaced. Once they are used they cannot be replaced

People and Resources When people use natural resources they change their environment, (where people, plants, and animals live). Using resource wisely Conservation: protecting of natural resources and using them wisely