Natural Resources: Things made by nature that are useful to people

WaterSoilForestsMinerals

Rivers, Soil, and Forests

River systems: A group of streams and smaller rivers that flow into a larger river

P.A. has 3 Main River Systems: Delaware Susquehanna Ohio

Drinking water

Transportation “highway”

Hydroelectric Power

Recreation

The Delaware flows down the eastern border of Pennsylvania. It forms the eastern natural boundary of PA.

This river flows into the Delaware Bay, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Delaware River is part of the Atlantic Ocean Watershed.

The Delaware River is a Lotic System. A Lotic System is a flowing water system, such as, a river, stream, or spring.

The Delaware River is NOT a Lentic System. A Lentic System is a system of still water, such as, a lake or pond.

Can you guess some reasons why the Delaware River is important to PA?

TransportationDrinking WaterPowerRecreationHome to wildlife

Susquehanna River This river flows through the central part

of the state. This is the river that flows by Jersey

Shore. The Susquehanna River flows into the

Chesapeake Bay and is also part of the Atlantic Ocean Watershed.

The Ohio River This river flows in the western part

of the state and meets up with two other rivers in Pittsburgh.

The Ohio River is part of the Mississippi Watershed. The Mississippi River is a waterway that leads to the Gulf of Mexico.

With a dry erase marker, trace the flow of this Pennsylvania River on your World Map.

The Ohio River

What other bodies of water did you “meet-up” with? Where did you end up?

Southeastern PA and Lake Erie are good areas for farming.

The soil there has large amounts of limestone; a mineral plants need to grow

The soil there has large amounts of limestone; a mineral plants need to grow

What are some of the crops grown in PA?

List as many as you can on a sticky note.

Corn, oats, wheat, hayApples, peaches, grapesLargest producer of mushrooms

Trees grow well in the Northern part of P.A.

Many trees were cut down, their wood used for building Paper Furniture

P.A. is the Christmas tree capital ofthe U.S.A

Williamsport was once the lumber capital of the world

More millionaires were living in Williamsport than anywhere else in the country

Men built small shacks in the woods and cut down trees all year.

Logs were put in the Susquehanna River and trapped in the “boom” near Williamsport.

“Logjammers” hopped across the river on the logs to free logs that were jammed.

Lumber was sent to lumber mills to be cut up and sold.

Minerals: Coal, Oil and Natural Gas

Minerals: Things found in the earth that are neither plant nor animal Coal Oil Natural Gas

Coal, oil, and natural gas can be burned as fuels.

Fuel: Something that can be burned to make heat or power

BITUMINOUS

Soft

Burn quickly

Lots of smoke when

burned

Western P.A.

(Pittsburgh)

ANTHRACITE

Hard

Burns slowly

Less smoke when

burned

Eastern P.A. (Scranton

and Hazleton)

STRIP MINING

Coal near the surface of

ground

Bulldozers “strip” the

soil and rock above the

coal

Most coal in P.A. is

extracted using strip

mining

UNDERGROUND MINING

Two shafts, or large holes

are dug into the ground

About 400 – 600 ft. deep

Large machines used to

drill and scoop out the

coal

They send it up to the

surface through a shaft

STRIP MINING UNDERGROUND MINING

Centralia was a borough in Columbia County that was known for coal mining.

In 1981 the population was over 1,000

By 2007, the population was only 7

Centralia used an abandoned mine pit as their landfill.

They burned their garbage there.

In 1962, the burning garbage ignited exposed coal, and a fire has been burning ever since.

In 1984, the government offered residents money to relocate to another place.

In 1992, most of the remaining buildings were demolished

The world’s first oil well was drilled in Titusville, P.A.

Natural Gas: Clear, odorless

gas used as a source of heat

No smoke

No ashes

Found mostly in Western, P.A.