Download USI.2 Geography Study Guide - Ms. Kelley Social Studies 6

USI.2 Geography Study Guide
Continents (7):
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A land mass that is completely surrounded by water on all sides
o North America
o South America
o Africa
o Asia
o Australia
o Antarctica
o Europe
§ Europe is still considered a continent
even though it is not entirely
surrounded by water
§ The land mass of Europe can often be
called Eurasia
Oceans (5):
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A large body of salt water that surrounds a continent
Covers 70% of the Earth’s surface
o Atlantic Ocean
o Pacific Ocean
o Southern Ocean
o Artic Ocean
o Indian Ocean
Map Skills:
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Compass Rose: shows cardinal directions
o North, East, South, West
§ Remember Never Eat Soggy Worms!
o Put one on every map!
Lines of Longitude:
o Run North and South
o Think like long hair; runs up and down
o Prime Meridian is the line of longitude that is at 0 degrees
§ Splits the world into Eastern and Western Hemisphere
EURASIA
USI.2 Geography Study Guide
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Lines of Latitude:
o Run East to West
o Think Flatitude; runs flat like the horizon
o Equator is the line of latitude that is at 0 degrees
§ Splits the world into Northern and Southern Hemisphere
Landforms and Waterways:
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Land and water features have helped influence the course of events in our country’s
history
Waterways:
o Lake: a body of fresh or salt water surrounded by land
o River: large, flowing body of water that dumps into an ocean o Tributaries: stream that flows to a larger stream § Like a creek
o Gulfs and Bays: a part of the ocean or sea that is partly surrounded by land
§ Ex. Gulf of Mexico •
Landforms:
o Mountains: a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land forming
a peak at the top
o Hills: a landform that extends above land smaller than a mountain; rounded top
USI.2 Geography Study Guide
o Islands: a piece of sub- continental land surrounded by water
§ Ex. Hawaii
o Plateaus: a land area that has a high area right next to a lower flatter level
§ Common in the Coastal Range in California
o Plains: a broad area of flat land
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o Peninsulas: area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for a
narrow strip of land connecting it with the mainland
§ Ex. Florida
Geographic Features:
o Related to the:
§ Patterns of trade
§ The locations of cities and towns
§ The westward (frontier) movement
§ Agricultural and fishing industries
Geographic Regions of the United States:
Going from East to West Sing:
“Co, Co Coastal Plains, Appalachian Highlands, Canadian Shield, Interior Lowlands,
and the Great Plains, Rock, Rock, Rocky Mountains, Basin and the Range, and now we
end our song with Coastal Range”
Region:
Location:
Description:
Coastal Plain (7)
Located along the Atlantic
Broad lowlands providing
Ocean and Gulf of Mexico
many excellent harbors
Appalachian
Located west of the Coastal
Old, eroded mountains
Highlands (6)
Plain; extending from eastern (oldest in the US)
Canada to western
Alabama; includes the
Piedmont
Canadian Shield (8)
Wrapped around the Hudson Hills worn by erosion and
Bay in a horseshoe shape
hundreds of lakes carved by
glaciers
Interior Lowlands (5)
Located west of
Rolling flatlands with many
Appalachian mountains and rivers, broad river valleys, and
east of the Great Plains
grassy hills
Great Plains (4)
Located west of Interior
Flat lands that gradually
Lowlands and east of the
increase in elevation
Rocky Mountains
westward; grasslands
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USI.2 Geography Study Guide
Rocky Mountains (3)
Located west of the Great
Plains and east of the Basin
and the Range
Basin and the Range (2)
Located west of the Rocky
Mountains and east of the
Sierra Nevadas and the
Cascades
Coastal Range (1)
Located along the Pacific
Coast; stretching from
California to Canada
Rugged mountains stretching
from Alaska almost to
Mexico; high elevation;
contains the Continental
Divide (determines the
directional flow of rivers)
Varying elevations
containing isolated mountain
ranges and Death Valley
(lowest point in North
America)
Rugged mountains and fertile
valleys
USI.2 Geography Study Guide
Water Features of the United States:
• Atlantic Ocean: served as the highway for explorers, early settlers, and later
immigrants
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Ohio River: gateway to the west
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Great Lakes: inland port cities grew in the Midwest on the shores of these lakes
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Mississippi and Missouri Rivers (M&M): used to transport farm and industrial products;
links to other US ports and parts of the world
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Columbia River: explored by Lewis and Clark
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Colorado River: explored by the Spanish
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Rio Grande: forms the border with Mexico
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Pacific Ocean: an early exploration destination
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Gulf of Mexico: provided the French and Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico
and other parts of America
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St. Lawrence River: forms the northeastern border with Canada and connects the
Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean