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Social Studies
Chapter 1 – “Our Country’s Geography”
Lesson 1 – pg. 18-23
1. Landforms
are physical features on the Earth’s surface, such as plains,
mountains, hills and valleys. (18)
2. The two largest mountain ranges in the United States are the
Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. A Mountain Range is a
group of connected mountains. (19)
3. The Appalachian Mountains cover most of the eastern United States. The
Rocky Mountains cover much of the western United States. (19)
4. The area of high land on the eastern side of the Appalachians is called the
Piedmont. A piedmont is an area at or near the foot of a mountain. (19)
5. The two largest landform regions in the United States are plains- the
Coastal Plains and the Interior Plains. The Coastal Plain stretches inland from
The Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The Interior Plains extend across
Most of the center of the United States. (21)
6. Between the Rocky Mountains and the other mountain ranges farther west is a
Large area sometimes called the Intermountain Region. Part of this land is the
Great Basin. A low bowl-shaped land with higher ground all around it. (22)
Lesson 2 – pg. 26-32
1. Bodies of water are important to life in the United States because:
a. Oceans help connect the United States to other countries of the world.
b. Lakes and rivers provide fresh water for wildlife and for people.
c. Large lakes and rivers also provide transportation routes within the
United States. (26)
2. The largest bodies of water on Earth are the four oceans. Oceans move in the
Form of waves and currents. A current is that part of a body of water flowing
in a certain direction. Tides are the regular rise and fall of an ocean of the
bodies of water connected to it. (26-27)
3. An inlet is any area of water extending into the land from a larger body of
Water. The largest of these inlets are called gulfs. (27)
4. North America has more lakes than any other continent. The largest lakes in
North America are called the Great Lakes. (28)
5. Rivers are bodies of fresh, moving water. A stream or a river that flows into a
Larger stream or river is called a tributary. The land drained by a river system
is its drainage basin. (30)
6. The Rio Grande forms part of the border between the United States and
Mexico. (32)
Lesson 3 – pg. 33-39
1. Factors that affect climate:
a. distance from the equator
b. distance from oceans and other large bodies of water
c. Ocean currents
d. Elevation (33-34)
2. The continental climate region (northeast United States) has four very
Different seasons. The humid subtropical region (southeast United
States) also has four seasons, but its winters are mild and its summers are hot.
(35)
3. Because the western United States is much more mountainous than the eastern
Part of the country, the climate varies from place to place. (36)
4. The desert climate region covers a large part of the southwestern United
States. (37)
5. Most of the United States can be divided into four main vegetation regions:
a. forest
b. grassland
c. desert
d. tundra
Lesson 4 – pg. 40-43
1. A natural resource is something found in nature that people can use. (40)
2. Many people agree that water is one of the most important natural resources.
Soil is another important natural resource. Fertilizer is material added to the
soil to make it more fertile. (40-41)
3. Once nonrenewable resources are used up, there will be none left for future
use. Nonrenewable means that a resource cannot be made again by nature or
people. (41)
4. Renewable means that a resource can be made again by nature or by people.
Trees are a renewable resource. (42)
5. In every place on earth, landforms and climate influence land use, or how
most of the land in a place is used. (43)
Lesson 5 – pg. 44-49
1. The relative location of a place is where it is, compared to one or more other
Places on the Earth. (44)
2. Regions based on people’s activities are:
a. political region – people share a government and leaders.
b. Economic region – based on work people do or products made.
c. Cultural region – based on culture
d. Population region – based on where people live (45)
3. A large city and its surrounding suburbs make up a city’s metropolitan area.
(47)
4. Today, most of the largest cities in the United States continue to be found near
a coast, along rivers or on other major transportation routes. (49)