Describe Georgia with regard to physical
features and location. SS8G1
Where are we?
• Take a moment and make a list of ways you
can describe Georgia’s location locally,
nationally, and globally.
Georgia’s location
• Southeast region of America.
• Northern and Western Hemisphere
• Latitude 30 ° 31’ and 35° N
• Longitude – 81° W to 85 ° 53’ W
Earth is divided in half, along the equator, in to
the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Earth is divided in half, along the Prime
Meridian, into the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres.
Earth is divided in half, along the Prime
Meridian, into the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres.
Western
Eastern
Georgia is located in the southeastern
region of the United States.
Georgia is surrounded by five states (Tennessee and
North Carolina to the North, South Carolina to the East, Florida to
the South, and Alabama to the West) as well as the Atlantic Ocean.
Relative location is Georgia’s location in
relationship to the surrounding states.
To understand relative location,
you simply need to
know the four cardinal directions.
Between each cardinal direction
is an intermediate direction:
Quick Quiz!!
Lesson One (SS8G1a) – Locate Georgia in relation to region, nation, continent, and hemispheres.
What do you remember about…
Georgia’s location???
1.Is Georgia in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? _______________________
2. Is Georgia in the Eastern or Western Hemisphere? _________________________
3. On which continent is Georgia located? __________________________________
4. Georgia is part of what nation? _________________________________________
5. In what region of the nation (northwestern, northeastern, southwestern,
southeastern) would you find Georgia? _____________________________________
6. Which five states border Georgia? _______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Project
• 1. In your groups you will need to draw an
outline of Georgia on a poster.
• 2. Label Atlanta with a star.
• 3. Label the following cities with a dot –
Savannah, Augusta, Milledgeville, Buford, Lake
Lanier, and Columbus
– Keep it neat because you will be adding more to
your poster as the week goes by!
Cool physical features in Georgia!
Physical Feature - Fall
Line
• The fall line stretches across
Georgia.
• North of the fall line you will find red clay soil and
people get their water from man made lakes.
• South of the fall line you will find sandy soil and
people get their water from aquifers/wells.
Physical Feature - Okefenokee Swamp
• Second largest freshwater swamp in the US.
• Name means land of “trembling water.” Why
do you think it was named this?
• Home to more than 1,OOO types of plants and
animals.
Physical Feature - Appalachian
Mountains
• Southern end of this mountain chains lies
within Georgia’s Blue Ridge region.
• Gold mining is important to this region.
Physical Feature - Chattahoochee
River
• Important river in the development of
Georgia!
• Forms border between GA and AL.
• Major transportation artery used to transport
cotton, textiles, and other goods.
• Provides hydroelectric power.
• Forms Lake Lanier!
Chattahoochee River
Lake Lanier
Physical Features - Savannah River
• Forms border between GA and SC.
• Savannah provides an important deep water
ocean port at the mouth of the river emptying
into the Atlantic.
• Where colonization of GA began.
Savannah River
Physical Features - Barrier Islands
• Provides a natural boundary between the
Atlantic Ocean and Georgia’s coast.
• Early home to the French.
• Today a popular tourist destination.
• Forts were built here to defend Georgia from
the Spanish.
Barrier Islands
Quick Quiz
What do you remember about… Georgia’s physical features???
____ 1. This feature flows along GA’s eastern border.
____ 2. Gold was found in this area in the early 1800s.
____ 3. Forts were built here to defend GA’s early settlers.
____ 4. This area is a wildlife refuge for over 1000 species.
____ 5. This geographical boundary separates the Coastal
Plain from the Piedmont.
____ 6. This major river provides drinking water and forms
part of the state’s western border with Alabama.
A. Fall Line B. Okefenokee Swamp
C. Savannah River
D. Chattahoochee River E. Appalachian Mtns.
E. F. Barrier Islands
Project
• Label each of the important physical features
in Georgia. Illustrate it in a way that it will help
the you understand its importance. For
example, swamp = alligator, River = boat for
transportation, etc. You can also bring in yarn,
fabric, items from nature etc. to help create
you map.
•
7 Natural Wonders of Georgia
Amicalola Falls
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Video
Highest waterfall east of the Mississippi.
729 feet tall
Name means tumbling water.
Amicalola Falls
Okefenokee Swamp
• Video
• Notes already taken : )
Okefenokee Swamp
Providence Canyon
• Video
• Man made in the past 150 years due to
erosion and poor farming techniques.
• Called Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon”
Providence Canyon
Radium Springs
• http://www.gpb.org/georgiatraveler/111springs
• Constant 68 degrees
• 70,000 gallons a water a minute gush from
this spring.
• Traces of radium
• Sacred to Native Americans.
Radium Springs
Stone Mountain
•
•
•
•
Video
650 feet tall and 2 miles long.
Largest Confederate Memorial.
Made of granite.
Stone Mountain
Tallulah Gorge
• Video
• Deep gorge carved into
rock with a series of
waterfalls.
• Popular tourist attraction
• Sacred to the Native
Americans.
Tallulah Gorge
Warm Springs
• Video
• Warm, mineral water was known as healing
water.
• Made famous by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
• Water stays a constant 88 degrees.
Warm Springs
Project
• Label and illustrate each of the 7 natural
wonders of Georgia on your map.
Georgia’s 5 Geographic Regions
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Appalachian Plateau
Valley and Ridge
Blue Ridge Mountains
Piedmont
Coastal Plain
1. Geographic Regions – Appalachian
Plateau
• Smallest region in Georgia.
• Located in northwest corner.
• Region is made up of narrow valleys and
wooded ridges.
• Only source of fossil fuel
(coal) in Georgia.
2. Geographic Region – Valley and
Ridge
• This area consists of several mountain ridges
and valleys created between them.
• Mining and farming are the main industries in
this region.
3. Geographic Region – Blue Ridge
Mountains
• Southernmost point of the Appalachian Mountains.
• Brasstown Bald (highest point in GA) is located in
this region.
• First US gold rush took place here in 1828.
4. Geographic Region - Piedmont
• Most populated region.
• Used to be home to many cotton plantations
but today industry leads the economy.
• Buford is in this region!
5. Geographic Region – Coastal Plain
• Peanut, cotton, and vegetable farming takes
place in this region.
• Largest region in Georgia.
Quick Quiz
What do you remember about… Georgia’s physiographic
regions???
_____ 1. Contains GA’s highest peak, Brasstown Bald
_____ 2. Contains most of GA’s peanut and cotton farms
_____ 3. The smallest physiographic region
_____ 4. Has GA’s highest amount of annual rainfall
_____ 5. The most populated of GA’s regions.
Plateau
_____ 6. Contains mountain ridges with valleys between
_____ 7. Contains GA’s only source of a fossil fuel (coal)
_____ 8. The location of GA’s capital and largest city
_____ 9. The largest of GA’s regions, in terms of land area
A. Piedmont
B. Valley & Ridge
C. Coastal Plain
D. Blue Ridge
E. Appalachian
Georgia’s Climate
Georgia’s mild climate effects the state in many
ways:
1. Because of the mild temperatures, Georgia has a
longer growing season than most northern states. It
also has the perfect amount of annual rainfall to
support tobacco, peanut, cotton, and lumber farming.
FOR MOST OF ITS
HISTORY, GEORGIA’S ECONOMY WAS BUILT ON
FARMING (also called agriculture)!!!
Georgia’s mild climate effects the state in
many ways:
• 2. The cool summers and cold winters in the
mountains attract hikers and skiers.
(money/tourism)
Georgia’s mild climate effects the state in
many ways:
• 3. Beach-goers and people escaping cold
northern winters will often come to Georgia’s
coastal plains. (money/tourism)
Georgia’s mild climate effects the
state in many ways:
4. Georgia and it’s neighbor states in the South are
part of a warm region of the United States called
the Sun Belt. The warm climate has attracted many
major corporations to relocate to Georgia.
Show what you know.
Based off of what you know regarding
Georgia’s location, physiographic regions,
physical features and climate, how has
Georgia’s LOCATION affected Georgia’s
culture, economy, and development???
Project
• In your groups creatively label each region of
Georgia. You can use symbols, craft supplies,
illustrations etc. to help you to do this.