Destination—Northeast
STUDY BUDDY (sign me for +3)_______________
We will be studying the Northeast until the end of January. That gives us
several weeks. I will let you know how we are doing in a few weeks.
Science Concepts that I need to understand:
Motion
 Motion is a form of kinetic energy. Energy is the ability to do
work.
 Objects move in many different ways (fast and slow, back and
forth, straight, zig zag, etc.)
 You can describe a push or pull as being hard, soft, fast, or
slow.
 Magnets have two poles. A north pole and a south pole.
 When you place two north poles end to end or two south poles
end to end, they push away from each other. To push away
means to repel.
 When you place two opposite poles together (north and south),
they will pull towards each other. This pull towards each other
means to attract.
 Forces (pushes or pulls) can cause objects to start moving, go
faster, slow down, or change the direction they are going.
 Magnetism is a force that can make some things move without
touching them.
 Moving water is a force that produces energy. (Niagara Falls
is an example.)
 Gravity is a force that pulls objects to the ground.
Electricity
 Electricity is a form of potential energy. Energy is the ability to
do work.
 Electricity can only flow if it has a closed circuit.
 A closed circuit can produce sound, light, or motion.
 Some materials conduct electricity. They are called
conductors.
 Some materials do not allow electricity to flow. They are
insulators.
 There are two kinds of circuits.
 Series circuits are like Christmas lights. When one light goes
out, the entire strand goes out.
 Parallel circuits are like in your house. You can turn one light
off without turning off every light in the house.
Social Studies concepts I need to understand:
Urban
 Urban areas are cities. The urban areas of the Northeast have
very large populations.
 Many things are different in the city. Housing—apartments;
Transportation—subways, taxis, buses, walking; Jobs—
many businesses; Recreation—ballgames (major league,
NBA, NFL), plays, concerts, restaurants, parks, shopping,
museums; Population—crowded
 New York City is the largest city in the United States.
 The Statue of Liberty is found in New York City. It is a symbol
of freedom.
 Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. are other large
cities of the Northeast.
Rural
 Rural areas are country areas. The rural areas of the
Northeast are similar to the small towns of Kentucky.
 Many things are different in the country. Housing—houses,
yards; Transportation—cars; Jobs—small businesses;
Recreation—ballgames (little league, high school), riding
bicycles, ice skating in the winter, sledding; Population—fewer
people per square mile
Government
 Government provides services to the people of our country.
(police protection, fire fighters, garbage pick-up, water
treatment, road maintenance, snow removal, education, public
libraries, public parks, etc.)
 Governments are formed to establish order. (laws)
 Governments are formed to provide security. (military)
 As citizens of the United States, we have rights and
responsibilities. (The freedom to choose our leaders; the
responsibility to vote. The freedom to use the public parks; the
responsibility to pick up trash.
 Government services are paid for by collecting taxes from the
people who live there.
 Washington, D.C. is the capital of our country. Our president,
President Obama lives in the White House with his family. Our
legislators (people who make the laws) work in the capitol
building in Washington, D.C.
Economics
 Businesses have changed over time because the needs of the
people change over time.
 Natural Resources come from nature. (water, coal, oil, natural
gas, trees)
 Human Resources are people who provide services. (fire
fighters, teachers, police officers, workers, etc.)
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We have needs and wants.
Some businesses provide for our needs.
Some businesses provide our wants.
A person who buys a product is a consumer.
A person who makes a product is the producer.
In your business, the supply is how many products you have to
sell.
In business, the demand is how many products people want to
buy.
If your demand is too high, you don’t have enough products.
This is scarcity.
The extra money you make from your business after you pay
all your bills and your workers is your profit.
Businesses in a community have to work together.
An assembly line helps a business produce more products in
less time. This is called mass production.
A factory is a business that uses assembly lines.
Geography
 There are 11 states in the Northeast. Maine, Vermont, New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Be
able to locate them on a map.
 There are 5 Great Lakes in the United States. Two of these
lakes are part of the Northeastern region. Lake Erie and Lake
Ontario. Niagara Falls is located between these two great
lakes. Be able to label them on a map.
 The Atlantic Ocean is the eastern boundary of the
Northeastern region.
 A cape is a pointed piece of land that sticks out into a sea,
ocean, lake, or river. The sea refers to the ocean.
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BONUS POINTS: Each state has a capital city.
Augusta, Maine
Montpelier, Vermont
Concord, New Hampshire
Boston, Massachusetts
Hartford, Connecticut
Providence, Rhode Island
Albany, New York
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Trenton, New Jersey
Dover, Delaware
Annapolis, Maryland
*The history content will be assessed in literature circles
and project-based learning at school.
History
 Eastern “woodland” Indians—Shaman, Sachem, Seminole,
Powhatan, Delaware, Susquehanna, Mohican Massachusett,
Iroquois, and Cherokee once lived in the Northeastern region.
 The early Europeans, who came to America, came from many
countries of Europe. (England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain,
Denmark, Ireland, and Scotland) The first Europeans worked
together with the Native Americans in order to survive.
 Our country was very different during the Colonial Times.
 During the earlier days of America there were 13 colonies that
were governed by England. The colonies were divided into 3
different regions (Southern, Middle Atlantic, New England).
 Three ships were sent to America by the London Company in
England looking for gold and other riches. The first continuous
English colony was Jamestown. Jamestown was established
by Captain John Smith in the Chesapeake Bay in the year
1607. The people of Jamestown traded with the Powhatan
Indians. Diseases killed many of the people, both colonists
and Indians.
 Colonists came to Massachusetts looking for religious
freedom. These groups were called the Pilgrims and the
Puritans. Pilgrims came from England on three ships, one ship
being the Mayflower. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. The
Pilgrims were helped by the Indians. Remember the first
Thanksgiving. The Puritans established another settlement and
focused on reading and education.
I have studied this social studies and science content with
my child,________________________.
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