A TRAIN TOUR OF THE NORTHEAST5th Grade Social StudiesMrs. Marshall’s Class

Welcome!

Greetings and welcome to our train tour of the historic Northeast.

Our tour will take you to many different places. Each one has a story to tell about the Northeast and its people.

As we visit these places, I want you to look for answers to three questions. First, why do we call the Northeast the “birthplace of our nation?” Next, why did our nation’s first factories start here? And finally, what large cities are found in the Northeast?

Watch your step as you climb aboard. Our first stop will be in the beautiful state of Maine.

West Quoddy Head, Maine Facts: Native Americans

living here say that they “live at the sunrise.”

This is the most northeastern point of the United States. The sun rises here before anywhere else in the country.

Built: 1858 Purpose: to keep ships

from crashing into Maine’s Rocky Shore.

Fishing is an important industry in the Northeast. The coast is dotted with fishing harbors.

Mt. Washington, New Hampshire

Facts: Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the Northeast. It is located in the White Mountains (Is a part of the Appalachian Mountain Range)

Has some of the world’s most severe weather. It can snow here all year long!!

Is also one of the windiest places on Earth.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Common is American’s first public park

Boston is one of American’s oldest cities.

Two historic trails begin at the Boston Common. The first is the freedom trail and the second is the black heritage trail.

Make sure you wear good walking shoes.

Facts: Do you recognize any of these?

The Pilgrims landed here almost 400 years ago. You can see a reproduction of their ship, the Mayflower, in Plymouth Harbor. Tour the Mayflower @ http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/voyage/tour.htm

Plymouth, Massachusetts

Erie Canal A canal is a ditch dug across

land. It connects one waterway with another.

The Erie Canal is a 363-mile-long ditch that connect the Hudson River with the Great Lakes.

Began construction in 1817. At that time there was no good from of transportation to get from one location to another besides by horse. Moving goods by boat was faster and less costly.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQE2sNfYXpg

Hershey, Pennsylvania

Created by Milton Hershey when he began to produce chocolate in 1900. Today Hershey’s in one of the worlds leading chocolate manufacturers

http://www.thehersheycompany.com/about-hershey/our-story/making-our-chocolate.aspx

Independence Hall

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It was here that the United States was born.

The first independence day was July 4, 1776. On that day, leaders from the 13 colonies met in Independence Hall to sign the declaration of independence.

Washington D.C.

Nations Capital Our nations laws

are made here. The national

government has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

How might New Yorkers find room for all of its people?

New York City, New York

Facts: More than 8 million people live in NYC.

It is the largest city in America.

It has always been a city of immigrants

Lesson Summary & Exit Slip

Do you remember the questions I asked you when we began our journey? Use a post-it note to answer the following:

#1: Why does we call the Northeast the “birthplace of our nation?”

#2: Why were the first factories located in the northeast?

#3: Which large cities are found here?