U.S. History to 1865 Study Guide
HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS OF LEARNING - CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK 2008 (NEW)
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Red type indicates new content added in 2008 revision
ST AN DAR D USI . 2A - - - CO NT INE N T S & O CE ANS
The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, or tables to
a) locate the seven continents and five ocean
Continents are large land masses surrounded by water.
What a r e the sev en con tin ents ?
What a r e the f iv e o cea n s ?
Oceans
•
Continents
Atlantic Ocean
•
North America
• Pacific Ocean
•
South America
• Arctic Ocean
•
Africa
• Indian Ocean
•
Asia
• Southern Ocean
•
Australia
•
Antarctica
•
Europe*
*Note: Europe is
considered a continent
even though it is not entirely surrounded by water. The
land mass is frequently called Eurasia
S TA N D A R D U S I. 2B
G E O G R A P H I C R E GI O N S
b) locate and describe the location of the geographic
regions of North America: Coastal Plain, Appalachian
Mountains, Canadian Shield, Interior Lowlands, Great
Plains, Rocky Mountains, Basin and Range, and Coastal
Range.
Geographic regions have distinctive characteristics.
Whe re th e geo g ra phic r egio n s o f N o rt h
Ame ric a lo c a ted a nd wh at a re a re thei r
phys i ca l cha ra cte r ist i cs ?
Coastal Plain
–
Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of
Mexico
–
Broad lowlands providing many excellent
harbors
Appalachian Highlands
–
–
Located west of the Coastal Plain, extending
from eastern Canada to western Alabama;
includes the Piedmont
Old, eroded mountains (oldest mountain range
in North America)
Canadian Shield
–
Wrapped around the Hudson Bay in a
horseshoe shape
–
Hills worn by erosion and hundreds of lakes
carved by glaciers
Interior Lowlands
–
Located west of the Appalachian Mountains
and east of the Great Plains
–
Rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river
valleys, and grassy hills
Great Plains
Basin and Range
–
Located west of the Interior Lowlands and east
of the Rocky Mountains
–
Located west of the Rocky Mountains and east
of the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades
–
Flat lands that gradually increase in elevation
westward; grasslands
–
Varying elevations containing isolated
mountain ranges and Death Valley, the lowest
point in North America
Coastal Range
Rocky Mountains
–
Located west of the Great Plains and east of
the Basin and Range
–
Rugged mountains stretching from Alaska
almost to Mexico; high elevations
–
Contains the Continental Divide, which
determines the directional flow of rivers
–
Located along the Pacific Coast, stretching from
California to Canada
–
Rugged mountains and fertile valleys
S TA N D A R D U S I. 2C
WAT E R F E AT UR ES
c) locate and identify the water features important
to the early history of the United States: Great Lakes,
Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River,
Columbia River, Colorado River, Rio Grande, St.
Lawrence River, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and
Gulf of Mexico.
The United States has access to numerous and varied
bodies of water.
Bodies of water support interaction among regions,
form borders, and create links to other areas.
What a r e the m ajo r bod ies of
wate r in the U nite d S ta t es ?
•
The Ohio River was the gateway to the west.
•
Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the
Great Lakes.
•
The Mississippi and Missouri rivers were used to
transport farm and industrial products. They were
links to United States ports and other parts of the
world.
Major bodies of water
•
Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific
•
Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Columbia,
Colorado, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence River
•
The Columbia River was explored by Lewis and
Clark.
•
Lakes: Great Lakes
•
The Colorado River was explored by the Spanish.
•
Gulf: Gulf of Mexico
•
The Rio Grande forms the border with Mexico.
•
The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration
destination.
•
The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and
Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and
other parts of America.
•
The St. Lawrence River forms part of the
northeastern border with Canada and connects
the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
What a r e s o m e wa y s bo die s o f
wate r in the U nite d S ta t es ha ve
suppo rt ed int er ac ti on a mong
reg io ns an d c reated l i nk s to o the r
are as ?
Trade, transportation, exploration, and settlement
•
The Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts of the United
States have provided access to other parts of the
world.
•
The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for
explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants.
S TA N D A R D U S I. 2D
G E O G R A P H I C F E AT U R E S
d) recognize key geographic features on maps,
diagrams, and/or photographs.
It is important to recognize key geographic features on
maps, diagrams, and/or photographs.
Landforms and water features set the stage for and
influence the course of events in United States history.
What d o the se im po r tan t
geog ra ph ic fe atu res lo o k li ke wh e n
they appea r o n m ap s, gl o bes, and
diag ram s a nd i n pic tu re s and
photo g raph s ? W hy ar e
geog raph ic f eatu re s im p o rta nt in
Uni ted S t ate s h is to ry ?
Key geographic features
•
Water-related
–
Lakes
–
Rivers
–
Tributaries
–
Gulfs and bays
•
Land-related
–
Mountains
–
Hills
–
Plains
–
Plateaus
–
Islands
–
Peninsulas
What a r e s ome impo rta nt
cate go r ies o f g eog raph i c fea tu res ?
Geographic features are related to
•
patterns of trade
•
the locations of cities and towns
•
the westward (frontier) movement
•
agricultural and fishing industries.