Introduction: Reviewing Geography
A. Understanding the Global Grid
a. What are latitude and longitude?
i. _______________ lines run east and ___________, or
horizontally around the earth.
ii. Latitude lines measure distance ____________ or south
of the equator.
1. Latitude lines are also called ________________.
2. The ___________________ is a parallel located
at 0 degrees latitude.
3. The _________________________________ is
located at 23 ½ degrees north latitude.
4. The _________________________________ is
located at 23 ½ degrees south latitude.
iii. ______________________ lines run north and south,
or vertically.
1. They are also called ______________________.
2. They measure the distance east and
______________ from the Prime Meridian, which
is located at 0 degrees longitude.
3. They also connect the North and ___________
poles.
iv. Together, the latitude and longitude lines form the
______________ _____________.
v. __________________________ location is the exact
location of a place expressed by latitude and longitude.
b. What are directions?
i. North, south, east, and west are the main directions, or
_____________________ directions.
ii. The cardinal directions can be found on a map using the
______________________ rose.
iii. The spikes between the cardinal directions on the
compass rose show ____________________________,
or in-between directions.
1. Intermediate directions help us describe
___________________ location, which is when
we describe one place in relation to another. For
example, you could say that Virginia is southwest
of Delaware.
c. What is a map scale?
i. All maps are smaller than the real area that they show,
so to figure out the real distance between places, most
maps include a ___________________, which shows
the relationship between distances on a map and real
distances. (see p.H14)
d. Why do maps include symbols?
i. A map _______________________ is a drawing that
stands for real things.
ii. Some examples of symbols often used on maps are:
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
e. What do locators show?
i. A ______________________ is a small map set into
the main map. It shows where the area of the main map
is located.
B. Using Maps to Find Geographic Information
a. What is a political map?
i. Political maps show _____________, states, and
countries.
1. They also use lines to show
__________________________.
2. An example of a political map would be a map of
___________________________.
b. What are physical maps?
i. A _____________________ map shows the
characteristics of the ______________________
environment, such as landforms.
1. ____________________ is shading on a map to
show mountains or hilly areas.
ii. An ___________________________ map is a physical
map that uses colors to show the elevation, or height, of
land above sea level.
1. The height is usually measured in feet or meters.
2. An example of a physical map would be a map of
___________________________.
c. What is a historical map?
i. A ____________________________ map shows
information about past events and where they occurred.
1. An example of a historical map would be a map of
___________________________.
d. What is a road map?
i. A ____________________ map shows you how to get
from one place to another.
Introduction: Land and People of the United
States
Lesson 1: America’s Land
A. America’s Land
a. The United States has several kinds of landforms.
i. Landform: a shape on Earth’s surface
ii. Some landforms in the United States are
__________________, plains, _________________,
and basins.
b. Mountains
i. Mountains protect settlements by making them difficult
to reach.
ii. America’s longest mountain range is the
________________________________, which
stretches from Alaska to _____________________.
iii. The highest mountain range is the
_______________________________ in the West.
iv. Our country’s highest mountain,
________________________________, is located in
the Pacific Ranges.
v. The lowest mountain range is the
__________________________________________,
which stretches from Maine to Alabama.
vi. Many of the mountains in the US are rich in natural
resources, such as minerals and forests.
c. Plains
i. The __________________________________ are a
vast area of flat land stretching between the Appalachian
and Rocky Mountains.
1. The Interior Plains have our country’s largest river
system, which includes the Great Lakes and the
________________________________ River.
ii. The __________________________________, in the
west, are drier than the rest of the area, but it has rich
soil, which makes it ideal for growing _____________
and wheat.
iii. The ______________________________ has sandy
beaches, wetlands, and rich farmland.
d. Plateaus and Basins
i. The Western Plateaus and Basins region stretches from
Washington State to ___________________.
1. It is the driest region of the US
ii. The ___________________________ Plateau, in the
south, has some of the most unusual landforms in our
nation, including natural bridges, the
_____________________________, and huge, flattopped rocks.
e. America’s Climate
i. Different parts of our nation have different climates,
which is the weather an area has over a number of years.
1. Climate includes a place’s general
______________________, and amount of
precipitation.
ii. Climate varies for many reasons.
1. Example: A region’s distance from the
_______________________ affects its climate.
a. Places near the equator are warmer.
iii. The East is ______________ and receives more than 20
inches of precipitation per year, while the West is
______________, and gets less than 20 inches of
precipitation.
f. United States Vegetation
i. There are five vegetation regions of the United States.
1. ______________________: needleleaf trees,
broadleaf trees, ferns, fungi, mosses.
2. ______________________: bluestem grass,
buffalo grass, gamma grass.
3. ______________________: cactuses, desert
palm, sagebrush, wildflowers.
4. ______________________: rubber, mahagony,
tropical palm, ferns, orchids.
5. ________________________: mosses, shrubs,
wild flowers, low-growing grasses.
Lesson 2: Environment
B. Environment
a. Natural Resources
i. The _______________________ is all the
surroundings in which people, plants, and animals live.
ii. Natural resources can be _____________________ or
nonrenewable.
1. Renewable resources, such as trees, can be
replaced.
2. Nonrenewable resources, such as minerals, cannot
be replaced.
a. Fossil fuels, such as _____________, oil,
and _____________________________
are also nonrenewable.
b. Ecosystems
i. Our environment is divided into many smaller special
environments called _____________________, which is
all the living and nonliving things in a certain area.
1. Pond ecosystem: Made up of soil, water, tiny plants
called algae, insects, fish, and frogs
ii. Six major ecosystems
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
4. _________________________________
5. _________________________________
6. _________________________________
iii. Ecosystems are in a biological balance, meaning that the
living and non-living things in an ecosystem affect one
another.
1. Sometimes _____________________, which is
unclean matter, can threaten this balance.
C. Changing Our Land
a. We change the land in many ways, for example, we change the
___________________ when we
_______________________________________________.
b. Cities
i. ___________________________ is the development
and growth of cities.
ii. Less than a century ago, most people in the US lived in
___________________ areas, meaning they lived in the
country.
iii. _______________ are central places, which often help
businesses grow. When businesses grow, more people
begin to move to _____________________ areas, or
cities, for better paying jobs.
c. Conservation
i. ____________________________ is the protection
and careful use of natural resources.
ii. One way that we conserve is by __________________,
which is the reuse of materials.
1. Recycling saves natural resources and energy.
Lesson 3: The American People
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free.” – Emma Lazarus, 1883
D. Many Different People
a. The above quote appears on the
________________________________, which is a symbol of
freedom to millions of __________________________,
which is a person who leaves one country to go and live in
another.
b. Immigrants from all over the world have made contributions to
the United States, and their differences have brought a great
deal of __________________, or variety, to our country.
i. Diversity can be seen in the many religions, languages,
values, and traditions that are found in our nation.
c. Part of our nation’s diversity is due to its many different
________________________________, which is a group of
people who share the same customs and language. Many also
have a common history.
d. Today, the largest number of immigrants come from
_______________ and ____________________________.
i. People whose ancestors are from Spanish or Portuguesespeaking countries in the Western Hemisphere are called
_______________________, or Latinos.
1. An ____________________________ is a
relative who lived before you.
E. Government
a. Our nation’s government is responsible for protecting the
diverse people who make up the United States.
b. The _________________________ of the United States is
the plan for our country, which serves the people by providing
ways to make, carry out, and ______________________ the
laws of our land.
i. Our Constitution calls for a ______________________
republic, meaning that people choose representatives to
run the ______________________, or national
government.
1. A representative is a person chosen to speak or
act for others.
ii. Every four years, voters in the United States elect a
__________________________.
1. Fact: Every president except
___________________________________
worked and lived in the White House, which was
designed by James Hoban, an Irish-born
immigrant.
c. Citizenship
i. _____________________ of the United States have
many rights and responsibilities.
1. A citizen is a person who is born in a country or
who chooses to become a member of that country
by law.
ii. The basic rights of citizens are protected by the first
ten _________________________ to the Constitution,
called the _____________________________.
1. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom
of religion, and freedom of assembly.
iii. Citizens responsibilities include:
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
4. _________________________________
5. _________________________________
6. _________________________________
Lesson 4: Our Nation’s Economy
F. Our Nation’s Economy
a. Citizens benefit from the American
____________________________________ system, which
allows equal opportunity for people to own and operate their
own businesses.
i. Each business person makes their own economic
decisions, such as what to make, how much to produce,
and how much to charge.
ii. People who form and run a business are called
_______________________________.
1. They use their ideas and savings to start a
business.
2. They need skilled and hard-working people to
produce their goods and services.
3. They are an important part of free enterprise and
make our economy strong and growing.
b. The laws of the United States help and protect both businesses
and __________________________.
i. A consumer is a person who buys and uses goods and
services.
ii. Our laws help consumers by making businesses list what
is in the products we eat.
G. Preserving Our History
a. ________________________________, people who study
the past, examine clues and records that peple have left behind.
i. They use this information to understand why people do
what they do, and then write books to keep history alive.
ii. Historians also study both ______________________
sources and ________________________ sources.
1. A ____________________________ source is
information that comes from the time being
studied.
a. Example: A letter, official document, or
photograph
2. A _______________________ source is an
account written by someone who did not witness
the event being studied.
a. Example: Someone living now who is writing
about the Revolutionary War.
H. Regions of the United States
a. Most nations are divided into ______________________.
i. The _________ regions of the United States are
examples of how each region is a mixture of physical and
cultural features.
1. Each region has its own environment, for example.
2. Each region shares a history and other features.
ii. The six regions of the United States are:
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
4. _________________________________
5. _________________________________
6. _________________________________
b. Our nation also has __________________________ regions,
which are areas where people share the same language, beliefs,
and customs.
i. Example: The Gullah people of coastal South Carolina and
Georgia make up a cultural region.
1. They speak a language like that of Sierra Leone in
Africa and tell African folktales and make Africanstyle handicrafts.
c. ___________________________ regions are another kind of
region, which are formed when many people are affected by a
natural resource or product of an area.
i. Examples: Corn belt of the Middle West, Silicon Valley in
California