Atlas.Here is a map of the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. that you can use all year. It shows international and state boundaries, capitals and other major cities, bodies of water, and national parks This is a list of national parks ordered by nation. Africa
The map is color-coded to show land elevation [in feet above sea level]. It also shows lines of latitude and longitude latitude and longitude Coordinate system by which the position or location of any place on the Earth's surface can be determined and described. Latitude is a measurement of location north or south of the Equator. . Study the map, then answer the following questions. Questions 1. Which state is located farthest south? 2. Which states border Mexico? 3. What is the capital of Virginia? 4. What is the approximate distance in miles between Chicago and Charleston, West Virginia Not to be confused with Charles Town, West Virginia. Charleston is the capital of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 53,421. ? 5. What does the red dotted line represent? 6. Which mountains are higher, the Appalachians or the Rockies? 7. Which state has the highest average elevation? 8. What are the latitude and longitude of New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded , Louisiana? 9. The Ohio River Ohio River Major river, eastern central U.S. Formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, it flows northwest out of Pennsylvania, and west and southwest to form the state boundaries of Ohio–West Virginia, Ohio-Kentucky, Indiana-Kentucky, and flows into which larger river? 10. Which mountain chain crosses the Eastern states Eastern States can refer to several locations:
* Bonus question: Which of the Great Lakes Great Lakes, group of five freshwater lakes, central North America, creating a natural border between the United States and Canada and forming the largest body of freshwater in the world, with a combined surface area of c.95,000 sq mi (246,050 sq km). does not border Canada? 1. Hawaii 2. California, Arizona, New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). , Texas 3. Richmond 4. 400 miles 5. Continental Divide 6. Rockies 7. Colorado 8. 30[degrees]N, 90[degrees]W 9. Mississippi River 10. Appalachian Mountains Bonus: Lake Michigan * Objectives Students should be able to: * read and understand a land-elevation map. * Words to Know * Continental Divide: a continent's "backbone" (highest region), which divides the direction of waterways. In North America, rivers flow into the Pacific Ocean on the Divide's west side, and into the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico Noun 1. Gulf of Mexico - an arm of the Atlantic to the south of the United States and to the east of Mexico Golfo de Mexico Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east on its east side. * Llano Estacado: Spanish for "Staked Plains"; a large, flat, dry expanse of land in the Southwest. (The name comes from the stakes set down by early Spanish explorers to keep from getting lost.) * Background This map combines the features of political and topographical maps. Referring to it all year will expand and reinforce students' geographic knowledge of the U.S. * Critical Thinking USING A MAP KEY: What is the general land elevation in the state where the Mississippi River begins? (1,001 to 5,000 ft, in Minnesota) MAKING CONNECTIONS: Is your hometown in an area of relatively high or low elevation? How might that have affected early settlers' livelihoods and lifestyles? (Answers will vary.) * Activity "VISIT" A NATIONAL PARK: Have students pick a National Park from the map, then learn more about it. (The National Park Service Web site, at nps.gov, is a good place to start.) Have them imagine visiting that park, and create a display showing what they "saw" there. STANDARD SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 * People, places, and environments: A land-elevation map gives users a broader perspective on a place and the physical conditions that affect the people who live there. RESOURCES * Craughwell, Thomas J., 50 States: Fandex Family Field Guide [Workman Publishing, 1998]. Grades 5-12. * SparkNotes Editors, U.S. Map [Spark Publishing, 2004]. Grades 6-12. WEB SITES * Google Maps maps.google.com * U.S. Map Library infoplease.com/statemaps.html * Decide whether each sentence is true, false, or an opinion. Write your answer on the blank line provided. --11. The Bitterroot Range is part of the Appalachian Mountains. --12. Oklahoma's Panhandle borders four states. --13. Utah has too many national parks. --14. The Arkansas River is north of the Canadian River. --15. The Ozark Plateau is higher in elevation than the Colorado Plateau. |
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