Social Studies:Geographic

Understandings

5th. Grade

Georgia Performance Standards

Geographic Understandings • SS5G1 The student will locate important places

in the United States.

• a. Locate important physical features; include the Grand Canyon, Salton Sea, Great Salt Lake, and Mojave Desert.

• b. Locate important man-made places; include the Chisholm Trail; Pittsburgh, PA; Gettysburg, PA; Kitty Hawk, NC; Pearl Harbor, HI; and Montgomery, AL.

How do I locate the 4 main physical features for 5th grade?

Grand CanyonSalton

Sea

Great Salt LakeMojave

Desert *

***

Why they are important:• Grand Canyon – a gorge located in northwestern Arizona. It is

over 250 miles long and over 1 mile deep at its deepest point. The Colorado River’s flowing water carved out the canyon over millions of years. The Grand Canyon is one of the earth’s greatest natural wonders and attracts over 5 million visitors each year.

• Salton Sea – a salt lake and the largest lake in California. The Salton Sea is located in the southeastern corner of California and spans over 350 square miles.

• Great Salt Lake – the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere. It is located in the northern part of Utah. The lake changes in size depending on the amount of annual rainfall. It is home to millions of native birds, shrimp, and waterfowl.

• Mojave Desert – over 22,000 square miles and is one of the country’s major deserts. Most of the Mojave lies in southern California, but portions of it run through Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.

Let’s Practice. Which letter is: Grand Canyon Salton Sea

Great Salt Lake Mojave Desert

A.B.

C.D.

Grand CanyonSalton

Sea

Great Salt Lake

Mojave Desert

Response Board Practice--Which letter is: Mojave Desert Great Salt Lake Salton Sea Grand Canyon

A.

B.C. D.

Great Salt Lake

Grand Canyon

Mojave Desert

Salton Sea

How do I locate the 6 main man-made features for 5th grade?

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Ch

ish

olm

Tra

il

Montgomery, Alabama

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Pittsburgh

Gettysburg

**

**

*

Why they are important:• Chisholm Trail – a route used in the 19th century to move cattle from

Texas to Kansas. • Pittsburgh, PA – is located where the Allegheny and Monongahela

Rivers come together to form the Ohio River. The city’s location has made it a key industrial center. These rivers provide key water routes for transporting industrial resources and goods. During the early 1900s, Pittsburgh manufactured almost half of the nation’s steel.

• Gettysburg, PA – where one of the key battles of the American Civil War was held. The Union’s victory here ended the Confederate's hopes of invading the north. It was a key turning point of the war.

• Kitty Hawk, NC – this is famous because it is the site of the Wright Brothers’ first powered airplane flight in 1903.

• Pearl Harbor, Hawaii – a US naval base. It is the site of Japan’s attack on the US that led to the United States entering WWII.

• Montgomery, AL – The capital of Alabama. It is the location where the Montgomery Bus Boycott took place, in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the city bus.

Let’s Practice. Which number is: Kitty Hawk, NC Gettysburg, PA

Pearl Harbor, HI Montgomery, AL Pittsburgh, PA Chisholm Trail

5.

12.3.

4.6.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Chisholm TrailMontgomery, Alabama

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Pittsburgh

Gettysburg

*

***

Response Board Practice-- Which number is:Gettysburg, PA Kitty Hawk, NCChisholm Trail Pearl Harbor, HI Pittsburgh, PA Montgomery, AL

***

***

1234

5

6

PittsburghGettysburg

Kitty HawkMontgomery

Chisholm TrailPearlHarbor

It’s a Grade! Locate the following physical and man-made features:Pittsburgh, PA Gettysburg, PA Kitty Hawk, NC Montgomery, AL Chisholm Trail Pearl Harbor, HI

Grand Canyon Salton Sea Mojave Desert Great Salt Lake

1

397

426810

5

Answer Key:1. Pearl Harbor, HI

2. Chisholm Trail

3. Pittsburgh, PA

4. Montgomery, AL

5. Great Salt Lake

6. Salton Sea

7. Kitty Hawk, NC

8. Mojave Desert

9. Gettysburg, PA

10.Grand Canyon