Download Social study guide – unit 2 – The United States: Its Land and People

Social study guide – unit 2 – The United States: Its Land and People
Lesson 1 - From Sea to Sea p70-76
Landforms in the US include mountains, hills, valleys, and plains.
The Atlantic Ocean is on the east; the Pacific Ocean is on the west.
MINERALS - a natural resource found in nature such as iron, silver, copper, or gold
The Appalachian Mountains are in the east. They are old so their sharp peaks have eroded. They are rich in coal.
EROSION – the wearing away of the Earth’s surface by wind, water, or ice
The Interior Plains have rich soil to make it one of the best places for farming in the US.
TRIBUTARY – a smaller river that flows into a larger one
The Great Plains are drier and have fewer trees than the Interior Plains.
The Rocky Mountains are younger, higher, and sharper than the Appalachian Mountains.
PLATEAU – a high flat area that rises steeply from the land around it
BASIN – a low landform shaped like a bowl that is surrounded by higher land. It’s the opposite of a plateau.
Elevation maps – p77
ELEVATION – the height of land above or below sea level
SEA LEVEL – the level at the surface of the sea
Lesson 2 - Our Country’s Regions p78-83
REGIONS – a group of states with common features
Some types of regions include geographical (sharing similar landforms and climates) and cultural (based on human
features such as history, language, food, music, holidays or customs).
ECONOMY – the way a region uses its resources to provide the things people need; Examples include farming and
mining.
AGRICULTURE – farming
INTERDEPENDENT – when two or more things are dependent on each other; People from Illinois buy oranges from
Florida, and people in Colorado may rely on coal from Kentucky.
Lesson 3 - Our Country’s Climate – p84-91
Climate is a pattern of weather over time, or the type of weather a place usually has at a certain time of year.
Elevation affects temperature.
PRECIPITATION – the amount of moisture that falls to the ground as rain, sleet, snow, or hail
RAIN SHADOW – the area around the side of a mountain that faces away from the ocean; it gets a lot less rain
than the side of the mountain closest to the ocean
LAKE EFFECT – when large bodies of water affect the climate of the land near them; Southern Michigan can grow
peaches because Lake Michigan keeps it warm in winter.
TORNADO – a strong wind that forms a funnel shape and moves over ground
HURRICANE – a storm with strong winds and heavy rain
Lesson 4 - Running a Business p92-97
A free-enterprise system allows people to make their own economic decisions such as starting their own
businesses. It also allows people to decide what they want to buy. Everyone makes his/her own economic
decisions in a free-enterprise system.
Entrepreneurs are people who set up and run their own businesses. They take risks.
PROFIT – the money left over after a business pays for the costs of running it
Specialization is when in a group of people, each person is responsible for a different thing such as sales,
advertising, production, and finance.
INVESTOR – a person or company that puts money into a business and expects to get some profit in return; This is
a risk because if the company doesn’t make money, the investor won’t get their money back.
SUPPLY - the goods sold by businesses
DEMAND – the rate at which consumers buy the supplies or goods from a business
OPPORTUNITY COST – the choice to buy one thing at the expense of the chance to buy other things; The class
could go on a field trip or buy kites but not both. Their decision was the opportunity cost.
Lesson 5 - Our Economy p98-104
Scarcity is when there isn’t enough of what you need or want such as a super popular toy at Christmas time. When
there is a scarcity, the price usually goes up because people will usually pay more for something they really want.
PRODUCER – people who make goods
CAPITAL RESOURCES – all the things that businesses use to make, produce, or transport a good or service;
examples include computers, printers, machinery, and factories
NATURAL RESOURCES – things businesses use that come from nature; examples include soil, metal, and oil
HUMAN RESOURCES – people who work for a business; examples include mail carriers, doctors, and teachers
INTEREST – a fee charged for a loan
CREDIT – allows businesses and people to buy goods and pay for them later
Line graphs p105
GRAPH – diagrams that show information in a clear way
LINE GRAPHS – graphs that show change over time
Lesson 6 - State and Local Governments p106-111
Government – the people and laws that run a town, county, state, or country
CONSTITUTION – a written plan of government and its laws
It divides government into three branches that work together so that no branch has total control. This system of
sharing power is called checks and balances.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH – the branch of government that makes laws; usually broken into two parts: assembly and
senate
EXECUTIVE BRANCH – the branch of government that carries out laws
JUDICIAL BRANCH – the branch of government that interprets laws
VETO – to choose not to sign something
MUNICIPAL – local
Map and Globe Skills p112-113
GRID – lines that cross each other
LATITUDE – measures how far north or south of the equator a place is; Lines are parallel to each other and
measure from 0 to 90 degrees.
LONGITUDE – measures how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian; Lines measure from 0 to 180
degrees.
Lesson 7 - Our Nation’s Government p114-119
FEDERAL – national
The US federal government is in charge of the military (army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard), prints
money and postage stamps, issues passports, and makes sure food and drugs are safe for people to use.
DEMOCRACY – a government that is run by its people
CITIZENS – people who are born in a country or earn the right to become a member of that country by law
National government:
Executive Branch: the President is the head and is elected to a four-year term; He/She carries out laws, leads the
military, plans the national budget, meets with the leaders of other countries, and appoints a group of advisors.
Legislative Branch: Congress has two parts: the Senate which has 100 senators (2 from each state) and the House
of Representatives which has a number of representatives based on the state’s population. Congress makes laws
and decides how much money our country will spend.
Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and includes all federal courts. The
Supreme Court interprets the laws of our country.
RESERVATION – land set aside for use by Native Americans
SOVEREIGN – independent
Lesson 8 - Our Democratic Values p120 – 125
Three rights of American citizens: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Responsibilities of American citizens: to vote, to pay taxes, to follow laws, to serve on jury duty when called
JURY – a group of citizens in a court of law who decide whether a person is guilty or innocent
The common good is what is good for everyone.
PATRIOTISM – the love and loyal support of one’s own country
RULE OF LAW – the belief that laws are the highest form of government in society
JUSTICE – fair treatment