Warm-Up
Which country is the largest
country in the world?
Russia
Opening: What are political maps?
Learning Target:
Work Session:
1. Check Political Map of Europe
2. Begin Physical Map
What does a political map show?
Boundaries of different countries
Check your Political Map of Europe
____ Belgium
____ France
____ Germany
____ Italy
____ Poland
____ Russia
____ Spain
____ Ukraine
____ United Kingdom
Opening:
Why does location matter?
SS6G8 – The student will locate selected features of Europe.
Vocabulary Terms - Organizer
What is a peninsula?
A piece of land almost surrounded by water or
projecting out into a body of water.
What is a plain?
A large area of flat or gently rolling land.
What is a plateau?
An elevated plain, usually with at least one steeply
dropping or rising side.
What is a strait?
A narrow stretch of water that connects 2 larger bodies
of water.
What is a channel?
A length of water wider than a strait, joining two larger
areas of water, especially two seas
The Geography of Europe
Before the 1900’s, the easiest
way to travel around Europe
was by water.
This is because some parts of
Europe are very
mountainous.
Many rivers and seas make
Europe ideal for waterway
travel.
Today, Europe is full of
railways, airports, and roads.
These man-made
transportation corridors
allow people to move
throughout Europe without
waterways.
Before the advent of modern
transportation, the many
waterways were vital to the
growth of Europe.
Water surrounds almost the
entire continent.
The southern coast of Europe
borders the warm waters of
the
Mediterranean Sea.
Europe has an extensive river
system.
Major Rivers
Rhine River
Danube River
Volga River
These rivers allowed for
movement of goods,
people, & ideas throughout
the continent in the past.
Rhine River
(Color Blue)
Danube River
(Color Blue)
Volga River
(Color Blue)
Landforms of Europe
Europe is sometimes called a
“continent of peninsula’s.”
This is because several large
peninsula’s, or bodies of
land surrounded by water
on three sides, form the
European continent.
Iberian Peninsula
(Color Orange/Peach)
Includes: Spain & Portugal
Italian Peninsula
(Color Orange/Peach)
Scandinavian Peninsula
(Color Orange/Peach)
Includes: Norway
&
Sweden
Landforms of Europe
Along the jagged shorelines
of the Scandinavian
Peninsula are fjords.
A fjord is a long, narrow,
deep inlet of the sea
located between steep
cliffs.
These were carved by
glaciers during the last ice
age.
Landforms of Europe
Much of Europe is covered
with mountains.
All of the peninsula’s we
just saw contain
mountain ranges. The
highest mountains in
Europe are the Alps.
Color the mountains brown.
The Ural Mountains divide
the continent of Europe
from Asia.
(Color the mountains brown)
The people on the western side of
the Urals have more of a
European culture, whereas
those on the eastern side have
a more Asiatic culture.
Not all of Europe is mountainous.
A large region called the
Great or North European
Plain stretches from the
coast of France to the
Ural Mountains.
This land is good for
farming.
Color the plains green.
The North European Plain
is home to some of the
world’s best farmland. It
also contains many
rivers, which made it a
great place to live in the
days before modern
transportation & grocery
stores.
A plain is a large, flat area
of land, usually with few
or little forest cover.
Climate of Europe
Europe usually experiences
cold winters in the northern
regions.
Overall, western Europe is
warmer than other places in
the world at the same
latitude, like Canada.
This is because the
gulf stream brings warm water
to the continent which
makes warm weather.
Climate of Europe
Natural Resources of Europe
Europe had an abundance
of natural resources. It
still has a lot, but it has
so many people that
they go quickly.
Europe has a good bit of
coal, ores, & mineral
resources.
Most of the forests have
been cleared for timber.
Let’s Review Last week
Physical Map of Europe
Locate the selected physical features of Europe:
European Plain
Iberian Peninsula
Scandinavian Peninsula
Alps Mountains
Ural Mountains
Danube River
Rhine River
Mediterranean Sea
English Channel