SOCIAL STUDIES – Adapted Review Sheet
Unit 1-Chapter 1: Exploring the United States
Test: Thursday, October 1st
Be able to define, explain, and give examples of the following *key* vocabulary words:
 relative location-The United States is located west of the Atlantic Ocean, east of the
Pacific Ocean, south of Canada, and north of Mexico.
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mountain-The mountain range to the east of the Interior Plains is the Appalachian
Mountains.
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source-The place where a river begins or starts.
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weather and climate-Temperature, wind, and precipitation best describe weather and
climate. Alaska has a colder climate than Hawaii because it’s farther from the equator.
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renewable resources-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-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-Mt. McKinley has the largest elevation in North America.
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climate-Mountain areas usually have a colder climate than valley areas.
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industry-The farming industry needs a lot of water to grow crops.
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equator-Because the U.S. is located north of the equator, it lies in the Northern
Hemisphere.
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landform-Plains are the most common landform in the middle part of the U.S.
Be able to locate the following places on a map and know their relative locations:
Refer to p. 20 in your social studies book to locate all of these places on a map:
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Canada
Gulf of Mexico
Atlantic Ocean
Mexico
Appalachian Mountains
Coast Ranges
Sierra Nevada
Rocky Mountains
Interior Plains
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 Coast 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, all resources are limited.