1. Western Europe Geography
SS6G8 The student will locate selected features of Europe
SS6G10 The student will explain the impact of location, climate, natural resources, and population distribution on Europe.

2. Essential Questions What are the major physical features of Europe?
 What are the major countries of Europe?
 How do the factors of climate, access to water and natural resources affect where Europeans choose to live and work?

3. Vocabulary Peninsula –A body of land nearly surrounded by water
Fjord –A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea located between steep cliffs.
Population Density –The average number of people living per sq mile or km.
Rain Shadow –An area on the sheltered side of a mountain that receives little rain fall.
Loess -Rich dust like soil found in the European plain.

4. Vocabulary Prairie –Grasslands
Tundra –A treeless plain where only grasses and mosses grow.
Permafrost –Permanently frozen soil
Taiga –A forest in Russia that covers 4 million sq miles…the largest forest in the world
Steppes –The Russian grasslandsHydroelectric Power –Water generated power
Fossil Fuel –Fuel from fossils
a. Renewable
b. Non-Renewable
Reserves –The available supply of a fossil fuel

5. The land mass formed by the continents of Europe and Asia
What is Eurasia?
The land mass formed by the continents of Europe and Asia

6. Europe and Russia are in Eurasia…
Eurasia is divided by the Ural Mountains!

7. The Four Main Regions of Europe
Northwestern Highlands- Old mountain range of poor soil and steep slopes.
Great European Plain- Most productive crops and largest cities in Europe
Central Uplands–A plateau region of not so great farmland…yet it is good for raising animals
Alpine Mountain System–This system is the mountainous region to the south of Europe and contains the Alps.

8. Why do people live where they do?

9. The Mountains of Europe
1. The Alps 2. The Pyrenees 3. The Balkan 4. Ural

10. The Rivers of Europe
Rhine
Seine
Volga
Danube
Thames
Elbe

11. Review/ Ticket Out the Door
What are the major physical features of Europe?
 What are the major countries of Europe?
 How do the factors of climate, access to water and natural resources affect where Europeans choose to live and work?

12. Environmental Issues of Europe
SS6G9 The student will discuss environmental issues in Europe
SS6G10 The student will explain the impact of location, climate, natural resources, and population distribution on Europe.

13. Essential Questions
What environmental concerns do countries in Europe face?
How are specific European countries addressing specific environmental concerns (acid rain in Germany, and air pollution in England)?
How has the nuclear disaster that occurred in Chernobyl, Ukraine affected the region and other surrounding areas?

14. Germany’s Acid Rain

15. Acid Rain
A type of polluted rain, produced when pollution combines with water vapor.
Results of acid rain:
Damage or kill trees and other vegetation
Kill fish and other aquatic life
Contaminate drinking water

16. How does air pollution turn into acid rain?
The pollution that comes from the smoke stacks of factories and car exhaust, enters the clouds and mixes with the water vapor.
The water vapor leaves the clouds as acid rain.

17. In Germany, acid rain is killing forests full of trees.
More than 70,000 square kilometers of forest has died in Germany as a result of acid rain.

18. Remember… Acid rain comes from AIR POLLUTION
The acid rain in Germany is a result of air pollution from factories in Germany AND other countries, like the United Kingdom…

19. United Kingdom’s Air Pollution

20. Air Pollution Air pollution comes from many sources.
It is the result of burning fuels, which releases chemicals into the air.
A major cause of air pollution is exhaust from the hundreds of millions of motor vehicles on the planet.

21. Air pollution does not just stay in one place.
Winds can blow polluted air away.
It can move from city to city, country to country, or even across continents.

22. Air pollution is a major problem in the United Kingdom.
Causes:
Power stations (industrial and power generating)
The burning of fossil fuels, like coal and heavy oils.
Vehicle emissions

23. Check Your Knowledge!
What country does the air pollution in the United Kingdom also affect?
What does the air pollution cause in this country?

24. Ukraine’s Nuclear Disaster at Chernobyl

25. Occurred in 1986 in Ukraine
Most severe nuclear accident to ever take place.
An explosion occurred when scientists were doing and experiment.

26. Overall Consequences:
Land evacuation
Land contamination
Economic impact on farmers in East and North Europe
Health issues
High rates of cancer
Birth defects
Death

27. Check Your Knowledge How did Chernobyl’s nuclear accident occur?
What were some of the effects of the accident?

28. Review/ Ticket Out the door
What environmental concerns do countries in Europe face?
How are specific European countries addressing specific environmental concerns (acid rain in Germany, and air pollution in England)?
How has the nuclear disaster that occurred in Chernobyl, Ukraine affected the region and other surrounding areas?