Social Studies
Chapter 5
“A Community’s Geography”
Lesson 1, pp. 146-151
Geography is the study of Earth’s features.
You can describe a place by its physical
features—its water, land, climate, and plant
life.
Landforms are kinds of land.
Examples: mountains, valleys, plains, plateaus
The Andes Mountains form the longest
continuous mountain range in the world. (4,500
miles!!)
Deserts are places with very dry climates.
The plant life in a place depends on the climate
and the soil.
Lesson 2, pp. 154-158
People add human features to Earth, such
as buildings, bridges, roads, farms, and
mines.
Paths between one place and another are
called routes.
Routes make it possible to move both
people and goods.
The Pan-American highway is a route that
connects countries (North and South
America.)
Crossroads are where two routes meet.
Lesson 2, Continued
Farms provide plants and animals for
food.
Mines are human features below the
earth where minerals are found.
Minerals are natural resources, such
as iron and gold.
Lesson 3, pp. 160-165
An environment is made up of all the
physical features, human features, and
conditions of a place.
People have found ways to adapt, or
change, to suit their climate.
One way they heat and cool their homes is
by burning fuels, or natural resources, such
as oil, coal, and wood, to get enerty for
heat and electricity.
Lesson 3, Continued
People often live near natural resources.
A harbor is a protected place with deep water that
allows ships to come close to the shore.
Portland’s natural harbor has made the city one of
the largest fishing centers in the U.S.
People have also found ways to change the
physical features of Earth.
They cut tunnels through mountains to build
railroads. They have made mountaintops flat to
build farms and cities.
They build waterways called canals.