Download Unit 1: GeoTrekkers in the Western Hemisphere

Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
The Western Hemisphere: Unit 1 Geography
Unit 1: GeoTrekkers in the Western Hemisphere Glossary
adapt
archipelago
bay
to change in order to fit new conditions
a group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean
an inlet of a body of water (as the sea) that is usually smaller than a
gulf
biome
bodies of water
a major type of ecological community
all the different sizes and shapes of water naturally found on the
Earth’s surface. Oceans, seas, bays, lakes, rivers, and ponds are
examples of bodies of water.
the location where one place touches another place at the boundary
north, south, east, and west.
southern part of North America extending from southern border of
Mexico to northwestern Colombia
local weather conditions of an area like temperature, precipitation,
humidity, sunshine, wind and other conditions.
the land next to the ocean
ways people send and receive messages thereby linking people and
places.
a symbol that shows the directions: north, south, east, and west
trees that always maintain either leaves or needles at all seasons of
the year
a very large body of land
the point on a map or globe where a line of latitude and longitude
cross.
trees whose leaves fall off at the end of a season
the unit of measurement used for lines of latitude and longitude
a low, watery land formed at the mouth of a river. It is formed from
the silt, sand and small rocks that flow downstream in the river and
are deposited in the delta. A delta is often (but not always) shaped
like a triangle (hence its name, delta, a Greek letter that is shaped
like a triangle).
an area with less than ten inches of rain per year and a rocky, sandy
surface
the half of Earth east of the Prime Meridian
the geographic characteristics that surround and affect the way
people live.
interests people have about the care of the natural environment.
an area where coniferous and deciduous trees are the most dominant
plant. Deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall. Coniferous trees
include trees that have pinecones, such as fir and spruce.
things that distinguish one place from another. These are divided into
two groups.
border
cardinal directions
Central America
climate
coast
communication
compass rose
coniferous trees
continent
coordinate
deciduous trees
degrees
delta
desert
eastern hemisphere
environment
environment concerns/issues
forest
geographic characteristics
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES:
Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
Page 1 Revised 7/19/2008
Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
The Western Hemisphere: Unit 1 Geography
geography
study of Earth and how people live on Earth and use its resources
grasslands
flat or rolling areas of land covered with grasses If located in North
America, they are called prairies. In South America they are called
pampas.
grid system
the pattern of lines that help locate places on a map or globe; for
example, latitude and longitude.
gulf
a large body of water that cuts deep into the land
hemisphere
half of the globe or half of Earth. The four hemispheres are
Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western.
human characteristics
describe the people of the place past or present, their human-made
features (buildings, etc.), languages, religions, economic activities,
and political systems.
human/environmental
explains how people live in their environment
interaction
human-made features
changes people have made to the land. These changes include
buildings, bridges, tunnels, railroad tracks, dams, monuments, piers,
farm fields.
intermediate directions
directions between the cardinal directions: northeast, southeast,
southwest, northwest.
island
an area of land surrounded by water and smaller than a continent
isthmus
a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses. An isthmus
has water on two sides.
lake
a large inland body of standing water; also: a pool of liquid (as oil or
pitch)
landform map
a map that shows the shape of the land, such as mountains and hills
landforms
the different shapes of Earth’s surface. Mountains, hills, plateaus,
plains, valleys, peninsulas, and islands are examples of landforms.
Latin America
the entire Western Hemisphere south of the United States.
latitude/longitude
imaginary lines on a map or globe that measure distance north and
south of the Equator and distance east and west of the prime
meridian.
legend/key
explains the meaning of the symbols on the map.
map
a graphic model of the earth or a part of the earth that is drawn on a
flat surface.
map author
the person or company that created the map
map date
the year in which the map was made.
map elements
the parts of a map that make it usable.
map title
the heading of the map that tells what the map shows.
marsh
an area of soft wet land usually overgrown by grasses
migrate/migration/immigration to move from one country or region to another with the intent of
staying at the place for a long period of time.
modify
to change to meet the wants of people.
mountains
a land form that is very high and steep. They usually are wide at the
bottom and rise to a narrow peak or ridge. Geographers classify a
mountain as land that rises at least 2000 feet above sea level. A
number of mountains next to each other make up a mountain range.
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES:
Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
Page 2 Revised 7/19/2008
Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
The Western Hemisphere: Unit 1 Geography
natural environment
the physical setting of a place including the land, air, water, plants,
and animals.
North America
continent comprising Greenland, United States, Mexico, Central
America
northern hemisphere
the half of Earth north of the Equator
ocean
a large body of saltwater
peninsula
a piece of land nearly surrounded by water or sticking out into the
water
physical characteristics
describe the natural environment of the place. They include physical
features (landforms and bodies of water), weather and climate, soil,
vegetation, and animal life.
physical map
a map that shows landforms
plains
large areas of flat lands
plateau
high, flat land
political map
a map that shows location and borders of countries, and communities
population growth
the increase in the number of people living in a place due to
migration, immigration and/or births.
Prime Meridian
the line of longitude from the South Pole to the North Pole measured
in degrees. It divides Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
province
an administrative district or division of a country
rainforest
a dense, either tropical or temperate forest that receives lots of rain
year round
region
an area that has one or more geographic characteristics in common,
such as the Amazon Rain Forest.
relative distance
the approximate distance of a place in relationship to other places
(i.e. near and far).
resources
things people can use, such as oil, lumber, and water that come from
nature
scale
the measurement on a map or globe that shows the distance between
places.
settlement
the arrangement of places where people live, including rural and
urban centers.
South America
continent comprising land from Panama to Cape Horn
southern hemisphere
the half of the Earth south of the Equator
strait
a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water
symbols
the pictures, shapes, or colors on a map that stand for objects, places,
or people.
technology
Skills, methods, tools, machines and other things used to perform
activities. Technology changes over time and affects the way we live,
work, and play.
transportation
way goods and people move from place to place thereby linking
communities.
tropics
the area on the earth between the 23 ½ degrees N and 23 ½ S lines
of latitude, where the climate is almost always hot.
tundra
a cold, dry region covered with snow for more than half the year; a
vast treeless plain where the subsoil is always frozen.
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES:
Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
Page 3 Revised 7/19/2008
Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
The Western Hemisphere: Unit 1 Geography
vegetation
all the plant life found in an area.
western hemisphere
the half of the earth comprising North and South America and their
surrounding waters west of the Prime Meridian.
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES:
Grade 5 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
Page 4 Revised 7/19/2008