Study Buddy—Midwest Region of the United States
--Science—
1. All matter is made up of atoms.
2. There are 3 different states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
3. The atoms in a solid are tightly condensed together and don’t move very
much. A solid has its own shape.
4. The atoms in a liquid are moving. Liquids take the shape of a container.
5. The atoms in a gas are moving very fast and are spread apart.
6. The sun is a source of both heat and light to Earth. The sun provides
energy to cause water to change from a liquid to a gas.
7. Weather may change every day. When we are determining the weather, we
look at temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, and
air pressure.
8. Climate is tracking the weather over a period of time.
9. There are different types of clouds.
*Cumulus clouds are white fluffy clouds that form on sunny days.
*Cirrus clouds look like a horse’s tail. They form very high in the sky.
*Stratus clouds are low gray clouds that form in layers of sheets. Stratus
clouds are considered rain clouds.
*A cumulonimbus clouds is a giant thunderhead cloud. The bottoms are
close to the ground, but the tops can be several miles high.
10. You need to be able to sketch a picture of the water cycle. When water
changes from a liquid to a gas, this is called evaporation. When this gas
condenses back into a liquid, this is called condensation. When the water
vapor becomes too heavy, liquid water falls back down to earth in the form
of precipitation. If the temperature is above freezing (32 degrees), then
the form of precipitation is rain. When the temperature is below freezing,
the form of precipitation could be snow, sleet, or hail.
11. When the air pressure is low, expect precipitation.
12. When the air pressure is high, expect clear skies.
13. Wind occurs when there is warm air rising and cold air falling.
14. Weather maps are used by meteorologists to help track the weather. Be
able to forecast the weather by looking for temperature changes, air pressure
changes, and wind patterns.
15. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air.
16. Scientific instruments are used to measure the wind (anemometer and
weather vane), the air pressure (barometer), and the amount of rain (rain
gauge).
17. The weather patterns in the United States show that weather travels from
west to the east. Be able to use this information when you are predicting
changes in the weather.
--Social Studies—
1. The Midwest includes these 12 states: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas,
Iowa, and Missouri. Be able to locate these states on a map.
2. There are 5 Great Lakes. They include Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake
Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. Be able to locate the lakes on a
map.
3. CAPITALS: Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Springfield,
Illinois; Lansing, Michigan; Madison, Wisconsin; Bismarck, North Dakota;
Pierre, South Dakota; St. Paul, Minnesota; Lincoln, Nebraska; Topeka,
Kansas; Des Moines, Iowa; and Jefferson City, Missouri.
4. Farming has changed since the 1800’s. Back in the 1800’s, most Americans
lived on farms. Farmers used hand tools such as a scythe and a flail.
Instead of using farm equipment like tractors and combines, farmers planted
their crops by hand, and used mules to help pull a plow.
5. Chapters 8 and 9 in your social studies book help give an overview of some
of the sites in the Midwest and also of the changes in farming.