Geography and Landforms Grade 2 Social Studies Mr. Nellor

Grade 2: Geography and Landforms Enduring Understanding:  Maps,globes,compass,keys and legends are used to acquire and report information about geography.  The Earth is divided into continents and oceans.  A landform is any natural formation of rock and dirt, found on Earth.

Grade 2: Geography and Landforms Essential Questions:  How do models and maps help us show representation of the Earth  Why do we use maps?  How are maps similar and different from one another?

Maps & Globes

What is a Globe?  A Globe is a sphere (3D model) and represents the whole Earth.  A globe shows the entire earth.  A globe spins and is made of hard material.

What is a Map?  A map is a drawing or model of a round Earth on a flat surface.  It can shows the landforms (mountains, rivers, etc.), borders or part of the sky in a particular region.  A map includes a legend and a compass rose.

Map Legends  The legend is the key to unlocking the secrets of a map. Objects or colors in the legend represent something on the map.

Compass  A compass is a tool that helps the user know what direction one is headed.  On a map, a compass or a compass rose helps the user locate these directions.

Types of Maps There are three basic types of maps:  PHYSICAL  POLITICAL  THEMATIC.

Physical Maps  Physical maps show the natural features of the Earth.

Political Maps  Unlike physical maps, political maps show how humans have impacted the landscape. For example, city names, roads, country borders, etc. are all part of political maps.

Thematic Maps  Thematic maps can represent a variety of information including things like climate, precipitation, vegetation, elevation, population, life expectancy, etc.

Landforms

What are landforms?  A landform is any natural formation of rock and dirt, found on Earth.  It can be as large as a mountain range, or as small as a hill.  It can be as large as a continent, or as small as a pond.

Landforms Vocabulary  Continent  Hill  Mountain  Peninsula  Lake  Ocean  Valley  River  Island  Plain

Continent  A continent is a large land mass completely surrounded by water.

Continents  About one third of the earth is made up of land areas.  The large land areas are called continents.  There are seven continents.

The Seven Continents  The seven continents are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica.

The Seven Continents Australia Antarctica South America Africa Asia Europe North America

Oceans  About two thirds of the earth is covered by water.  Oceans are the largest areas of water on the earth.  There are five oceans.

Oceans  The five oceans are the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean and the Arctic Ocean.

The Five Oceans Arctic Ocean Indian Ocean Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Southern Ocean

Ocean  Oceans are the largest bodies of water in the world.

Hill  A rounded natural elevation of land lower than a mountain.

Mountain  A mountain is a very tall, high, natural place on Earth.

Mount Everest The peak of Mount Everest is 8,848 meters (29,028 feet) above sea level. This high elevation gives Mount Everest the distinction of being the mountain with the highest altitude.

Peninsula  A piece of land stretches into a body of water and is surrounded by at least three sides.

Lake  A lake is water that is completely surrounded by land.

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is considered to be the largest lake on Earth.

Valley  A valley is a low place between mountains.

Great Rift Valley The largest valley in the world is the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, 6,000 km (3,700 mi) in length, extending from Syria in the north to Mozambique in the far south.

River  A river is a long flowing body of water.

The Nile The Longest River in the world is The Nile. The Nile travels through Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. It is 6,650 kilometers long EgyptEritreaEthiopia Tanzania

Island  An island is a piece of land that is surrounded by water.

Greenland The largest island in the world is Greenland. Australia is considered a continent because it has unique plant and animal life. Antarctica also is a continent – larger than Europe and Australia.

Bishop Rock  The smallest island in the world – according to the Guinness Book of Records – is Bishop Rock. It lies at the most south- westerly part of the United Kingdom. It is one of 1040 islands around Britain and only has a lighthouse on it.Guinness Book of Records

Plain  Plains are flat lands that have only small changes in height.

The Great Plains The Great Plains of North America is the largest plains in the world. It is a roughly triangular area covering 1.4 million square miles that extends for about 2,400 miles (3,870 km) from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba southward through Texas into Mexico and approximately 1,000 miles (1,612 km) from foothills of the Rocky Mountains eastward to Indiana.