1. 5 Physical Geography The United States and Canada

2. Map of North America Politically, North America only includes: Canada –3,849.7 million sq. miles in area (2 nd largest country) United States –3,717.8 million sq. miles in area (3 rd largest country) Physically, North America also encompasses Middle America: Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Basin.

3. North American Physiography

4. Landforms Map

5. Major Rivers and Water Bodies

6. Western Mountains and Plateaus Collisions between the Pacific and North American Plate have created the Pacific Ranges (Sierra Nevada, Cascade, and Coast Range). Mt. McKinley – is the highest point on the continent The Rockies stretch 3,000 miles from New Mexico to Alaska

7. Grand Canyon  The Colorado River created the Grand Canyon  The River took millions of years to carve out the 6000 foot deep Canyon

8. Agenda 5/4/2016  1. Warm-Up  2. Finish Discussing “The Land North America”  3. Mississippi River Video Clip  4. Mississippi River Group Work- Stations  5. Mississippi River Article  Students will evaluate the importance of the Mississippi River as a major commercial and cultural physical geography waterway.

9. Warm-Up  1. What is one similarity and one difference that the United States and Canada have.  2. What is one thing that you would like to know or learn about Canada?

10. Colorado & Rio Grande River Headwaters, or source, in the Rockies. The Colorado flows into the Gulf of California, while Rio Grande ends in the Gulf of Mexico. The Rockies also called the Continental Divide and Great Divide, contribute to several other rivers in western North America.

11. Appalachian Mountains The Appalachians Highlands stretch from Alabama to Quebec. This is a very geologically old mountain range that is full of coal and iron ore. The types of rocks in the chain is how age is derived. This range used to be associated with the Interior Highlands, but millions of years have changed their relationship as they have shifted on the liquid core of the Earth.

12. Piedmont: Foot of the Mountain Piedmont means the "foot of the mountain," a reference to its proximity to the Appalachian Highlands to the west. The fall line, the transition point of rivers coming from the Appalachians to the Atlantic Coastal Plain, is where dams and waterwheels were constructed and used for an energy source in the early gristmills. Water helped run the looms in the textile mills whereby cotton was woven into marketable garments. Today the Piedmont area is still a textile area, although it is no longer powered by these mills from an age long past. Other fabricated goods produced in this area are furniture from the surrounding hardwood forest (almost 100% of US stock) and carpets made in Dalton, Georgia and the surrounding area. The manufacturing capacity of the region is why you will see a large influx of cheap labor

13. Mississippi River One of North America’s longest rivers (2,350 miles) It draws water from 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces. It is one of the busiest commercial water ways in the world.

14. Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain The Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain is a low-lying, agriculturally productive land. It is subject to nutrient deficient soils due to frequent rainfall, especially in the winter. It has a subtropical climate that is known as the eastern flank of the "Sunbelt." Transportation links like air, road, and rail are important to the area, especially Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri. Coastal Biloxi and New Orleans are vital ports-of-call, and Miami is the “gateway to Latin America”.

15. Interior Lowlands: Great Lakes Region 14,000 years ago a Glacier created all of the Great Lakes, including many others in North America.

16. Video Questions  What powers does the United States Constitution grant to Congress?  How are the Senate and the House of Representatives alike and different?  What is the process of creating a new law?  How does Congress act as a check on the executive branch of government?

17. Agenda  1. Warm-Up  2. Intro “The Executive Branch”  3. iCivics- The Executive Branch  4. H.W. Finish Worksheet 4

18. Warm-Up  1. What is the executive branch responsible for doing?  2. What is a check on power the Executive Branch either has on other branches or a check the others have the Executive Branch?