Unit #2: U.S. & Canada
Take Five
 Compare
the following features between
the US and Canada:
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Landmass
Population
Rivers
Mountains
 What
do the US and Canada have in
common that place them in the same
region?
Chp 5 Section 1: Landforms and
Resources
 US
and Canada are bound together by the
following:

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

History
Physical geography
Cultural heritage
Economic & political ties
History of North America
 Bering
Straits
 Hunters and gatherers
 Agricultural revolution
 Native Americans
 Great Britain and France
 French & Indian War
 American Revolution
Physical Geography
has the world’s 2nd
largest land mass and the US has the
world’s 3rd largest land mass
 Rich in natural resources
 Landmass-Canada

Such as: fertile soil, water resources, forests,
mineral deposits
Physical Geography: Landforms

Use the blank map provided to recreate the landforms on
pg. 118

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Eastern lowlands
Appalachian Highlands
Islands
•
•
•
•

Western Mtns
•
•
•
•
•

Ellesmere
Victoria
Baffin
Hawaiian islands—name the various islands
Rocky Mountains
Continental Divide
Sierra Nevada
Cascade Range
Mt. McKinley
Interior Lowlands
• Great Plains
• Canadian Shield
Wally Points…
 Look
at the map on page 120, what types
of natural resources does the US and
Canada have at their disposal?
 What common natural resources does the
US and Canada have in common?
 Complete the “skillbuilder” section on pg
120.
Natural Resources & Raw
Materials
 Water
resources: Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic
Oceans & Gulf of Mexico
 8 of the world’s 15 largest lakes are
located in N America:

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Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie &
Superior
Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee,
Illinois, Mackenzie, and St. Lawrence Rivers
Wally Points…
 What
states does the Mississippi River
flow through?
Natural Resources & Raw
Materials

½ of Canada is woodland forests
 1/3 of US is woodland forests


Minerals


Major producers of lumber and forest products
Iron ore, nickel, copper, gold, uranium, silver etc
Fossil fuels


Oil, natural gas, coal
US is the world’s largest consumer of fossil fuels
In Class Assignment
 Make
a Venn diagram or other graphic
organizer comparing and contrasting the
US and Canada—include the following
elements: physical geographic features
(mountains, rivers, lakes, plains), raw
materials, culture, history, population,
political systems and economy.
Take Five
 What
types of climates can be found in
North America?
 What climates do the US and Canada
share?
 What climates do NOT exist in Canada?
Take Five…
 The
population of Canada is clustered
along the border with the US in the
eastern half of the country. Why is this a
trend?
Chp 5 Section 2: Climate and
Vegetation

The US and Canada share various climate
zones
 The US has more climate zones than Canada

US=Ranging from tundra to tropical
• Mid-latitudes
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Canada=arctic and subarctic climates
Winters are long, summers short average temp in
summer 400 F
Permafrost-permanently frozen ground
Climates of US and Canada
 Moderate
climates-North Central and
Northeastern US and southern Canada
have a humid continental climate: cold
winters and warm summers

Most productive agricultural regions
• Dairy, grain and livestock
Climates of US and Canada

Milder Climates
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Dry Climates
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South of 400 latitude
Hot and muggy summers
Mild and cool winters
Mediterranean climates (like California as well)
Great Plains & Great Basin
Less than 10 inches of rain per year
Tropical Climates

Hawaii & Florida
• Warm, wet climate
• Everglades—4,000 sq miles of swampland
Everglades
Effects of Extreme Weather in the
US
 Tornado Alley—Great
Plains
 Earthquakes—California
 Hurricanes—N. & S. Carolina, Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas
 Flooding, blizzards, volcanoes (Mt. St.
Helens)
In Class Assignment
 Using
your maps—answer the skill builder
questions on pg 125
Timed Writing Assignment
 Write
a 5 paragraph essay (thesis, point
one, point two, point three, conclusion) on
the following topic (grammar & spelling do
not count…do you best)

Discuss the government, economy and
culture of America. Refer to both past and
present issues as relevant…
How was it graded?
 Paper
graded from the rubric
 + Map grade divided by 2 to get final
average
How was it graded?
 Title
 Legend
 Scale
 Compass
 Lat
5 pts
5 pts
5 pts
5 pts
15 pts
& Long
 Clear border
dispute
15 pts
Colorful
25 pts
Well designed 25 pts
Take Five
 What
is “urban sprawl”?
 What is the difference between
“Americanization” and multiculturalism?
 What approach do you think is healthier
for a country?
Take Five
 What
islands form a state in the US?
 What are the highest mountains in the
US?
 Where are the most below sea-level
elevations located in the US?
 Which lake does the St. Lawrence River
connect to the Atlantic Ocean?
Section 3: Human-Environment
Interaction
 Agricultural
revolution—nomads moving to
settlement
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Agriculture due to fertile soils is key resource
for both the US and Canada
Irrigation systems to open farming in certain
dry regions
Section 3: Human-Environment
Interaction

Cities
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Usually near water resource (lake, river, stream, etc)
Other factors: landscape, climate, weather & natural
resources
Montreal: freezing temps yet 2nd largest Canadian city
• St. Lawrence & Ottawa rivers
• Mount Royal

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Adaptation to weather—underground & inside
LA: mild climate 2nd largest US city
• Pacific coast
• Problems with urbanization—pollution, traffic, lack of water
resources
• Earthquake prone
Section 3: Human-Environment
Interaction

Overcoming Distances

Intercoastal waterways
• Ex: St. Lawrence seaway—joint project of US/Canada—
connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic. Ships are raised
and lowered by a series of locks which allows large ships to
enter into the agricultural and industrial areas of NAmerica

Transcontinental Railroads
• Connecting east and west coasts and providing
transportation for travel as well as commerce
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1869 US connects east and west
1885 Canada connection from Montreal to British Columbia
US has 2nd largest rr system in world & Canada has the 3rd
largest
National Highway Systems
• US 4 million miles of roads
• Canada 560,000 miles of roads
In class assignment…
 To
be placed in your portfolio
 Complete the Chp 5 Assessment on pg
132-133
 DO
NOT COMPLETE THE
INTERNET ACTIVITY!!!!!