Bodies of Water
What are some of the different bodies of
water in the United States?
• Identify and locate major
bodies of water in the United
States
• Explain why many cities in
the United States are located
near rivers.
Lesson Vocabulary
inlet – any area of water extending into the land from a
larger body of water.
gulf – are large inlets.
sound – is a long inlet that separates offshore islands
from the mainland.
tributary – a stream or river that flows into a larger
stream or river.
river system – is made up of rivers and tributaries. A siver
system drains and carries water away from the land
around it.
drainage basin – the land drained by a river system is its
drainage basin.
fall line – is a place where the land drops sharply.
Chapter 1, Lesson 3
Places to Know
Gulf of Mexico
Great Lakes
Great Salt Lake
Mississippi River
Inlets and Gulfs
Chapter 1, Lesson 3
Our Largest Lakes
How do the Great Lakes and the
Great Salt Lake differ?
The Great Salt Lakes
contain freshwater. The Great Salt
Lake contains salt water. Some
people consider the Great Salt
Lake a sea – an inland body of
water containing salt.
Chapter 1, Lesson 3
Bodies of water in the United States
Inland and Ocean
What are some major inland bodies of water?
What are some major ocean inlets?
What rivers are part of the Mississippi River system?
Chapter 1, Lesson 3
tributary – a stream or river that flows into a
larger stream or river.
river system – is made up of rivers and
tributaries. A river system drains and carries
water away from the land around it.
drainage basin – the land drained by a river
system is its drainage basin.
Rivers
The Mississippi and its tributaries create the largest river system in the United States.
Chapter 1, Lesson 3
The Chesapeake Bay
Chapter 1, Lesson 3
What is the difference between a river and
a river system?
A river system drains, or carries
water away from, the land around it.
Rivers and Cities
Many US cities were founded near a river, so these cities
could be reached by boat, long before roads and railroads
connected these to other cities.
Rivers were vital for city transport, trade, and defense.
Examples:
New York City (The Hudson River)
St. Louis (Mississippi River)
Albany (Hudson River)
Richmond (James River)
Augusta (Savannah River)
Portland (Columbia River)
Hartford (Connecticut River)
Louisville (Ohio River)
Chapter 1, Lesson 3
Fall Line – a place where the land drops
sharply, causing rivers to form waterfalls
or rapids.
People once used fastmoving water to power
machines. We now use it to
make electricity.
The Continental Divide of North America
How do rivers east and
west of the Continental
Divide differ?
Eastern rivers
flow into the Atlantic
Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.
Western rivers flow into
the Pacific Ocean.
Summary
1.3 - The United States has different bodies of water. Its largest
lakes are the Great lakes. Rivers drain land and are often used
for transportation. The Continental Divide separates rivers that
flow into the Atlantic from rivers that flow into the Pacific.