maps may vary, but should include objects in the area

P R E V I E W

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Geography of the United States 1

Map A Look at the area of the classroom your teacher has marked off with tape. Draw all the objects in the area, placing them as accurately as possible on Map A. When you finish your map, compare it to the maps of two or three other students. How closely does your map match the maps of other students? How could this map be drawn more accurately?

Map B Now map the same area again. Be careful to locate each object on the grid before drawing it on Map B. When you complete the map, compare it with two or three maps other students made. Is Map A or B more accurate? Why? How does a grid help us create accurate maps?

A

B

C

D

E

F

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Maps may vary, but should include objects in the area marked off with tape.

Objects on map should match coordinates of actual objects in the classroom. Expect Map B to be more accurate than Map A.

ANSWER KEY

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

R E A D I N G N O T E S

2 Geography of the United States

Wo

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Map

: Co

nti

nen

ts a

nd

Oce

ans

20˚S

20˚S

0˚0˚

20˚N

20˚N

40˚N

40˚N

60˚N

60˚N

80˚N

80˚N

40˚S

40˚S

60˚S

60˚S

80˚S

80˚S

EQU

ATO

REQ

UAT

OR

PRIME MERIDIAN PRIME MERIDIAN

80˚W

80˚W

120˚

W12

0˚W

160˚

W16

0˚W

40˚W

40˚W

40˚E

40˚E

80˚E

80˚E

120˚

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0˚E

160˚

E16

0˚E

0˚0˚

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3,00

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20˚S

0˚

20˚N

40˚N

60˚N

80˚N

40˚S

60˚S

80˚S

EQU

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PRIME MERIDIAN

80˚W

120˚

W16

0˚W

40˚W

40˚E

80˚E

120˚

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Read Section 1, Understanding the Globe.

Answer the Challenge Questions from Handout A: Geography Challenge Questions for Key Parts of the World Map. For each Challenge Question, find the correct location(s) on the map. Make sure to:• write the question number on the location(s)• label the location(s)

2. A

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10. In

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7. A

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8. A

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45˚S

45˚S

30˚S

30˚S

15˚S

15˚S

15˚N

15˚N

30˚N

30˚N

45˚N

45˚N

60˚N

60˚N

75˚N

75˚N 0˚0˚ 60˚S

60˚S

75˚S

75˚S

NN SS

EEWW

0˚0˚30˚W

30˚W

60˚W

60˚W

90˚W

90˚W

120˚W

120˚W

150˚W

150˚W

30˚E

30˚E

60˚E

60˚E

90˚E

90˚E

120˚E

120˚E

150˚E

150˚E

02,

500

5,00

0 ki

lom

eter

s

02,

500

5,00

0 m

iles

N S

EW

45˚S

30˚S

15˚S

15˚N

30˚N

45˚N

60˚N

75˚N 0˚ 60˚S

75˚S

0˚30˚W

60˚W

90˚W

120˚W

150˚W

30˚E

60˚E

90˚E

120˚E

150˚E

SS

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Wo

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: Lat

itu

de

and

Lo

ng

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Read Section 2, Understanding Latitude and Longitude.

Answer the Challenge Questions from Handout B: Geography Challenge Questions for Latitude and Longitude. For each Challenge Question, find the correct location(s) on the map. Make sure to:• write the question number on the location(s)• label the location(s)

8. A

ustr

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3. In

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Oc

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5. A

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6. A

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4. A

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5. N

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10. P

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2. P

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n

1. E

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or7.

Sou

th

Am

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a




Geo

gra

ph

ic T

erm

s

Read Section 3, Describing Water and Landforms.

Answer the Challenge Questions from Handout C: Geography Challenge Questions for Key Water and Landforms. For each Challenge Question, find the correct location(s) on the map. Make sure to:• write the question number on the location(s)• label the location(s)

2. S

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1. G

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4. Tr

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11. V

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. Val

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12. D

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9. P

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8. Pen

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5. M

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3. L

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7. Is

land

6.

6.

Bay

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10. M

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Phy

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Sta

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125˚

W12

5˚W

120˚

W12

0˚W

115˚

W11

5˚W

110˚

W11

0˚W

105˚

W10

5˚W

100˚

W10

0˚W

95˚W

95˚W

90˚W

90˚W

25˚N

25˚N

30˚N

30˚N

35˚N

35˚N

40˚N

40˚N

120˚

W11

5˚W

110˚

W95

˚W90

˚W85

˚W

80˚W

75˚W

25˚N

30˚N

35˚N

40˚N

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29

Read Section 4, Political Geography of the United States, and Section 5, The

Physical Features of the United States.

Answer the Challenge Questions from Handout D: Geography Challenge Questions for Physical Features. For each Challenge Question, find the correct location(s) on the map. Make sure to:• write the question number on the location(s)• label the location(s)

13. AppalachainMountains

13. AppalachainMountains 2. A

tlan

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Ocea

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8. St. Lawrence River

10. O

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. Ohi

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12. Great Plains

12. Great Plains

6. C

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6. C

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4. L

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Sup

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, 4.

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on,

Lake

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9. Mississippi River

9. Mississippi River

3. G

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5. G

ulf C

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al P

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5. G

ulf C

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al P

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11. R

io Gra

nde7. Missouri River

7. Missouri River

14. Rocky Mountains

14. Rocky Mountains

15. Sierra Nevada

15. Sierra Nevada

1. P

acifi

c 1.

Pac

ific

Ocea

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ean




Read Section 6, Climate in the United States.

What type of climate is each place most likely to experience? Label if each place is: hot and dry, hot and humid, cold and dry, or cold and wet.

Read Section 7, Vegetation in the United States.

What type of vegetation is each place most likely to have? Label if the place has: forests, grasslands, or wetlands.

125˚W125˚W 120˚W120˚W 115˚W115˚W 110˚W110˚W 105˚W105˚W 100˚W100˚W

95˚W95˚W

90˚W90˚W

25˚N25˚N

30˚N30˚N

35˚N35˚N

40˚N40˚N

120˚W 115˚W 110˚W 95˚W 90˚W 85˚W

80˚W

75˚W

25˚N

30˚N

35˚N

40˚N

N

S

EW

0 150 300 kilometers

0 150 300 miles

SSA5_ISN_1.3Black Cyan Magenta Yellow Second ProofTCI14 29

125˚W125˚W 120˚W120˚W 115˚W115˚W 110˚W110˚W 105˚W105˚W 100˚W100˚W

95˚W95˚W90˚W90˚W

25˚N25˚N

30˚N30˚N

35˚N35˚N

40˚N40˚N

120˚W 115˚W 110˚W 95˚W 90˚W 85˚W

80˚W75˚W

25˚N

30˚N

35˚N

40˚N

N

S

EW

0 150 300 kilometers

0 150 300 miles

SSA5_ISN_1.3Black Cyan Magenta Yellow Second ProofTCI14 29

cold and wetcold and dry

grasslands

forestswetlands

hot and dryhot and humid



1.

2.

3.

Read Section 8, Geography Affects Where People Live.

Give one example of how each part of geography affects how people live.

Part of Geography Example

Physical Features

Climate

Vegetation

Read Section 9, Creating Maps.

Examine each data table. What kind of map can a cartographer make from the data? Write your answer next to each table.

City Population

New York, New York 8,175,133

Chicago, Illinois 2,695,598

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1,523,006

City Average Temperature Fahrenheit

Las Vegas, Nevada 80

New Orleans, Louisiana 78

Boston, Massachusetts 59

State Median Household Income

Maryland $70,004

Texas $49,392

Ohio $45,749

• People can more easily build homes in places with flat lowlands.• Because people depend on water for food or trade, they are more

likely to live near areas by oceans, gulfs, or lakes.

• It is easier to farm in places with some rain and warm temperatures.

• People who live in places with a hot and dry climate have to get water from other places.

• Vegetation can provide food to people.• Forests provide people with materials they need to create

buildings and homes.

population map

climate map

economic map


R E A D & D O


100°W100°W 80°W80°W 60°W60°W 40°W40°W

40°S40°S

20°S20°S

20°N20°N

40°N40°N

0°0°

120°W120°W

0 1,000 kilometers

0 500 1,000 miles

N

S

EW

CapeHorn

New York City

SanFrancisco

A T L A N T I CO C E A N

PA C I F I CO C E A N

PANAMA

Independence

Sacramento

100°W 80°W 60°W 40°W

40°S

20°S

20°N

40°N

0°

120°W

SSA5_ISN_1.aBlack Cyan Magenta Yellow First ProofTCI14 80

Choose a route, overland or by water, that would take someone traveling from New York to the goldfields of California in 1849. Draw their route on the map below.

Route to California

R E A D & D O


Write a story about people traveling to the goldfields of California. Include some details about how the geographic features along the way affected their journey. You may include an illustration to show one geographic feature.

Stories will vary but should include information from the Student Text to describe the trip, particularly the geographic features.

P R O C E S S I N G

10 Geography of the United States © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

Write questions about geography in the boxes below. You will choose your best five questions to play a Challenge Game. Your questions should be in these categories: general geographic skills, physical features, or states and capitals.

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

Questions may vary, but should align with the three categories. Answers should also be accurate.

maps may vary, but should include objects in the area

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