1. regionA large area in which places share
similar characteristics
2. landform A natural feature of the earth’s
surface
3. mountainA very high landform often with steep
sides
4. plainAn area of flat land that often is
covered with grass or trees
5. desertAn area that receives less than ten
inches of rain in one year
6. canyonA deep valley with steep, rocky walls
7. plateauA large, flat raised area of land
8. boundaryA line or natural feature that separates
one area or state from another
1. Northeast RegionRegion that contains the country’s oldest
mountain range- the Appalachian Mountains
2. Southeast RegionRegion where the Appalachian Mountains
gradually flatten to the Atlantic Coastal Plain
3. Southwest RegionRegion that is very dry with many
deserts, canyons, and plateaus
4. Midwest RegionRegion that has flat, grassy plains and
large areas of forests
5. West RegionRegion that has extremes both in
temperatures and landforms
6. Washington, D.C.The capital city of the U.S. located in
the District of Columbia, 39◦ N 77◦W
Regions
1.
A region is an area where places share similar characteristics, but
there can be differences.
2.
There are 5 regions in the United States (Northeast, Southeast,
Midwest, Southwest, and West).
a)
The Northeast has the Appalachian Mountains, the oldest
mountains in North America, a rocky coastline, and good farmland
the more west you go in this region.
b) In the Southeast the Appalachians gradually flatten into the Atlantic
Coastal Plain. The Mississippi and Red Rivers create rich farmland in
this region.
c) The Midwest is a flat, grassy plain, with 4 of the 5 Great Lakes in this
region.
d) The Southwest is dry, with very little rain. The Grand Canyon was
carved out by the Colorado River.
e) The West is a region of extremes. It has the highest and lowest
landforms and temperatures.
Borders
1. A border or boundary is a line or natural
feature that separates one area or state from
another.
2. State borders can only be seen on maps, are
legal, and are set by the government.
3. Regional borders are not set by any rule or
law and can be different from book to book.
1. weatherThe condition of the air at a certain
time and place
2. climateThe weather patterns in one place
over a long period of time
3. precipitationThe amount of moisture that falls as
rain, snow, sleet, or hail
4. temperatureA measurement telling how hot or
cold something is
5. humidityThe amount of moisture in the air
6. equatorThe imaginary line that circles the
center of Earth from east to west
7. elevationHow high a place is above sea level
8. Tropical climateAn area that is usually very warm all
year
9. Polar climateArea around the North and South
poles with the coldest temperatures
10. Subarctic climateAn area with short, warm summers and ground
covered in snow for most of the rest of the year
11. Temperate climateModerate area between the tropical
and subarctic climates
Weather and Climate
1. Weather is the condition of the air at a
certain time and place.
2. Climate is the weather of a place averaged
over a long period of time.
3. Both precipitation (rain and snow) and
temperature are factors for weather and
climate.
Water in the Air—The Rain Cycle
1. Energy from the sun evaporates the water from
the ground into the air and changes it into water
vapor.
2. As the water vapor rises, it cools down and
forms tiny drops of water.
3. Millions of these tiny drops join together to form
a cloud.
4. Inside the cloud, the tiny drops grow into bigger
drops. When the cloud is too heavy the drops
fall as rain/snow.
5. The precipitation falls to the ground and the
cycle starts over again.
Causes of Climate
1. Distance from the equator
a) The sun’s rays hit directly at the equator all year
causing it to have a warm climate.
2. Distance from a large body of water
a) Land heats and cools faster than water.
3. Elevation of a place
a) The higher you go, the colder it will get.
Types of Climate
1. Tropical Climate: warm all year.
2. Subtropical Climate: warm all year, but not
as warm as a tropical.
3. Polar Climate: coldest climate found at the
North and South Poles.
4. Subarctic Climate: warm periods in summer,
but covered in snow most of the year.
5. Temperate Climate: warm in the summer,
cold in the winter. (Climate we live in)
1. Natural resourceSomething in the environment that
can be used
2. Raw materialSomething that is changed so that
people can use it
3. processTo change something so that people
can use it
4. harvestCut for use, as a crop
5. industrya business that makes a product or
provides a service
6. manufacturingmaking things to use or sell
7. productsomething that people make or grow
8. Capital resourcesomething people make in order to
produce other products
9. agriculturethe raising of crops or animals
10. conserveto use resources carefully
11. Renewable resourcea natural resource that can be
replaced
12. recycleto use something more than once
(reuse)
13. Nonrenewable
resourcea resource that cannot be replaced.
14. Human resourcesA person that makes products or
provides services
15. serviceJob that someone does for others
Regional Resources
1. There are 3 main kinds of resources:
a) natural resource- something in the environment that
can be used
b) capital resources- something people make in order
to produce other products
c) human resources- a person that makes products or
provides services
2. Renewable resources can be replaced and
nonrenewable resources cannot.
a) Renewable resources: cotton, cattle, corn, fish,
lumber, sugarcane, rice, wheat
b) Nonrenewable resources: gold, silver, coal, oil,
natural gas
Resources or Industries by Region
1. Northeast: farming, fishing, coal, factories
2. Southeast: Agriculture, sugar cane, cotton,
rice, soil
3. Midwest: corn, soybeans, wheat, cows,
hogs, soil
4. Southwest: farming, cattle, cotton, oil,
natural gas, factories
5. West: farming, soil, silver, gold, cattle,
timber, fish, fruits, nuts, vegetables