SOCIAL STUDIES – Review Sheet
Unit 1-Chapter 1: Exploring the United States
Be able to define, explain, and give examples of the following *key* vocabulary words:
 relative location-where a place is in relation to other places on Earth
The relative location of the United States is west of the Atlantic Ocean, east of the Pacific
Ocean, south of Canada, and north of Mexico.
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source-the place where a river begins or starts
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climate-the kind of weather a place has most often, year after year
Temperature, wind, and precipitation best describe weather and climate. For example,
Alaska has a colder climate than Hawaii because it’s farther from the equator. Also,
Mountain areas usually have a colder climate than valley areas.
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renewable resources-something that can be made again by nature or people
Trees are an example of a renewable resource.
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environment-the surroundings in which people, plants, and animals live
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nonrenewable resource-something that cannot be made again by nature or by people
Oil is an example of a nonrenewable resource. One way people can help conserve oil is by
driving cars less often.
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elevation-the height of the land above sea level
Mt. McKinley has the largest elevation in North America.
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industry-all the businesses that make one kind of product or provide one kind of service
The farming industry needs a lot of water to grow crops.
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equator-an imaginary line that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the
Southern Hemisphere
Because the U.S. is located north of the equator, it lies in the Northern Hemisphere.
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landform-one of the shapes that makes up Earth’s surface, such as mountains, hills, valleys,
or plains
Be able to locate the following places on a map and know their relative locations:
Refer to p. 20 in your s.s. book to locate all of these places on a map:
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Appalachian Mountains
Atlantic Ocean
Canada
Coast Ranges
Coastal Plain
Gulf of Mexico
Interior Plains (Central Plains and the Great Plains)
Mexico
Pacific Ocean
Rocky Mountains
Sierra Nevada
Be
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able to read a map using the following map skills:
latitude and longitude-Refer to pages 16-17 in your s.s. book.
line graph-Refer to pages 30-31 in your s.s. book.
elevation-Refer to pages 24-25 in your s.s. book.
Be able to explain the following concepts:
 your state’s relative location of the Mississippi River-Pennsylvania is located east of the
Mississippi River.
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Coastal Plain and Interior Plains (similarities and differences)-Both are large areas of flat
land in the U.S. The Coastal Plain is in the eastern part of the country, but the Interior
Plains are in the middle. The Coastal Plain runs along the Atlantic Ocean, but the Interior
Plains are located inland.
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sources of fresh water in the United States and how they’re used-The main sources of fresh
water in the U.S. are rivers, lakes, and groundwater. People use these resources for
drinking, cooking, cleaning, growing food, and creating power.
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conservation and its importance-Conservation is the protecting of natural resources and
using them wisely. Conservation is important because people need natural resources to
survive, and all resources are limited.