I N T E R A C T I V E
S T U D E N T
N O T E B O O K
P r e v i e w
Read the statements about the political map of the United States. Decide whether each
statement is true or false. Circle “T” or “F” on your handout.
Political Boundaries of the United States
110ºW
120ºW
100ºW
90ºW
80ºW
50ºN 70ºW
N
C A N A D A
Olympia
S
WASHINGTON
MONTANA
St. Paul
NEVADA
Cheyenne
COLORADO
Las
Vegas
ARIZONA
70ºN
SS
RU
IA
ALASKA
Anchorage
F
City
TEXAS
•
60N
Juneau
San
Antonio •
MEXICO
160ºW
•
PACIFIC
OCEAN
0 50 100 miles
Austin
Baton
Rouge
Houston •
•
Memphis
MARYLAND
VIRGINIA
Raleigh
Columbia
National border
National capital
Montgomery
State border
Tallahassee 30ºN
• New Orleans
State capital
0 100 kilometers
Major city
•
FLORIDA
•
Tampa
Gulf of Mexico
0
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
SOUTH CAROLINA
• Miami
HAWAII
20ºN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Richmond
Atlanta
Jackson
NEW JERSEY
Dover
MISSISSIPPI
ALABAMA GEORGIA
LOUISIANA
TENNESSEE
•
40ºN
Annapolis DELAWARE
NORTH CAROLINA
Nashville
Dallas
155ºW
Honolulu
600 miles
KENTUCKY
ARKANSAS
Charleston
Frankfort
•
Little
Rock
RI
CT
• New York
Trenton
Philadelphia
150
B
A
H
A
300 miles
M
A
S
300
CANADA
0 300 600 kilometers
T
Oklahoma
140ºW 120ºW
ARCTIC OCEAN
0
Harrisburg
• Pittsburgh
Columbus
ILLINOIS IndianapolisCincinnati WEST
VIRGINIA
•
Jefferson
City
OKLAHOMA
Fort •
Worth
160ºW
KANSAS
NEW
MEXICO
Phoenix
PACIFIC
OCEAN
180ºW
•
•
Cleveland
Kansas
Springfield
City St. Louis
Topeka
PENNSYLVANIA
INDIANA OHIO
MISSOURI
Los Angeles •
•
Moines
Lincoln
Detroit •
Chicago•
Des
•
Santa Fe
San Diego
IOWA
NEBRASKA
•
Lansing
Milwaukee
Denver
UTAH
Francisco
Minneapolis
Madison
City
• San Sacramento
CALIFORNIA
WYOMING
Salt Lake
Carson City
Pierre
MICHIGAN
• WISCONSIN
SOUTH DAKOTA
Boise
IDAHO
Concord NEW
HAMPSHIRE
Boston
Albany
MASS.
NEW
Providence
YORK Hartford
Montpelier
Bismarck
OREGON
MAINE
Augusta
VERMONT
NORTH DAKOTA MINNESOTA
Helena
Salem
E
W
• Seattle
CUBA
0 150 300 kilometers
Albers Conic Equal-Area projection
20ºN
1. You can use this map to count the number of states in the United States.
TCI5 122 GA_SE_02-2A
T Political
F
U.S.
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
Third Proof
T F
6/30/05
2. You can use this map to find the highest mountain ranges in the United States.
3. You can use this map to make an alphabetical list of state capitals.
T
F
4. You can use this map to find the distance between Austin, TX, and Salem, OR.
T
F
5. You can use this map to compare economic activity between Utah and Arizona.
T
F
6. You can use this map to compare Alaska’s vegetation to Florida’s.
T
F
7. You can use this map to see which states are on the 100°W meridian of longitude.
T
F
8. You can use this map to see which states have the highest population density.
T
F
9. You can use this map to find the areas of lowest elevation in the United States.
T
F
10. You can use this map to learn all 50 state capitals.
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Understanding Thematic Maps 1
I N T E R A C T I V E
S T U D E N T
N O T E B O O K
V o c a b u l a r y
Create a vocabulary cluster for each map title and map definition you see projected.
Title:
Title:
Definition:
Definition:
Title:
Definition:
Title:
Definition:
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Title:
Definition:
Understanding Thematic Maps 2
I N T E R A C T I V E
S T U D E N T
N O T E B O O K
P h y s i c a l
F e a t u r e s
Match the physical features in the Word Bank to their correct locations on the illustration.
An example is done for you.
Word Bank
basin
gulf
mountain range
plateau
bay
isthmus
peninsula
river
delta
lake
plain
strait
A
C
B
D
Physical Features
E
F
H
canyon
J
G
K
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
I
L
Understanding Thematic Maps 3
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Letter
B
Vegetation Type
A
C
Our Description
D
E
F
Definition
G
H
I
Match the correct letter with the vegetation type and write a description. Then copy the definition.
J
K
I N T E R A C T I V E
S T U D E N T
N O T E B O O K
V e g e t a t i o n
Z o n e s
Understanding Thematic Maps 4
I N T E R A C T I V E
S T U D E N T
N O T E B O O K
P o p u l a t i o n
D e n s i t y
Connect the dot by each image to its correct indicator dot on the map. Then, below
the “Population Density” label, note how many people per square mile live there.
Plateau of Tibet
35°N, 90°E
Population Density:
Lijiang, Yunnan
70°E
110°E
100°E
90°E
80°E
130°E 60°N 140°E
120°E
Population Density
Urban Population
Per sq. mi.
Number of People
Over 250
Over 8,000,000
125–250
4,000,000–8,000,000
25–125
1,000,000–4,000,000
2–25
Under 2
Per sq. km
Over 100
50–100
10–50
1–10
Under 1
E
W
RUSSIA
S
50°N
Qiqihar
Harbin
KAZAKHSTAN
MONGOLIA
Shenyang
e(
Ye
ll
R. )
Beijing
ow
Baotou
CHINA
g
Huan
Taiyuan
Tianjin
Lanzhou Zhengzhou
Xi’an
BHUTAN
Ch a
NEPAL
INDIA
BANGLADESH
MYANMAR
(BURMA)
0
250
500 miles
ng
gtze R.
an
(Y
)
Chengdu
g
Jian Chongqing
Guiyang
Anshan
40°N
Tangshan NORTH
KOREA
Dalian
Shijiazhuang
SOUTH
Qingdao KOREA
Jinan Yellow
NORTH
CHINA
PLAIN
Wuhan
0 250 500 kilometers
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection THAILAND
Sea
JAPAN
Shanghai
Hangzhou
Nanchang
East
30°N
China
Sea
Fuzhou
ncer
Tropic of Ca
Guangzhou
VIETNAM
Fushun
Changsha
Kunming
LAOS
Jilin
Changchun
Ürümqi
H
26°N, 100°E
Population Density:
N
Hong Kong
South
China
Sea
Taiwan
20°N
PHILIPPINES
Chongqing
29°N, 106°E
Population Density:
TCI17 01 China Population Density, 2009
GA_SE_02-6c.eps
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
First proof
Chang Jiang River Valley
Beijing
30°N, 100°E
40°N, 116°E
Population Density:
Population Density:
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Understanding Thematic Maps 5
I N T E R A C T I V E
S T U D E N T
N O T E B O O K
E c o n o m i c
A c t i v i t y
Watch each video that your teacher projects. Then write the video number and the land use
type in the appropriate cells of the table below. After the land use type is revealed, make sure
your answer is correct and copy the definition.
Video Number
Land Use Type
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Definition
Understanding Thematic Maps 6
1. Give your map a title, compass rose, one parallel of
latitude, and one meridian of longitude.
2. Color the map legend with at least four colors. Use the
colors to show vegetation zones on your continent.
3. Make sure the vegetation zones correspond with the
landforms and water bodies from your physical features
map. For example, put “Ice Cap” and “Tundra” only at
high elevations.
1. Give your map a title, compass rose, one parallel of
latitude, and one meridian of longitude.
2. Color the map legend with at least four colors. Use the
colors to show elevation on your continent.
3. You must include at least one example of the following
physical features: basin, bay, cape, delta, gulf, island,
mountain range, plain, plateau, sea, strait and valley.
Make sure you give each a fun name!
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Broadleaf evergreen forest
Coniferous forest
Mixed forest
(deciduous and coniferous)
Deciduous forest
Chaparral
Tropical grassland
Temperate grassland
Desert Scrub
Desert
Highlands
Tundra
Ice cap
S T U D E N T
Vegetation Zones
Create a Continent: Vegetation Zones Map
Create a Continent: Physical Features Map
I N T E R A C T I V E
N O T E B O O K
P r o c e s s i n g
Understanding Thematic Maps 7
Create a Continent: Economic Zones Map
1. Give your map a title, compass rose, one parallel of latitude,
and one meridian of longitude.
2. Color the map legend with at least four colors representing
different land uses. Use the colors to show how the land is
used.
3. Put at least six symbols for resources in appropriate spots on
your continent. Keep vegetation zones in mind as you do so.
Create a Continent: Population Density Map
1. Give your map a title, compass rose, one parallel of latitude,
and one meridian of longitude.
2. Color the map legend with at least four colors. Use the colors
to show population density on your continent.
3. You must include at least three cities with 1 to 4 million
people, two with 4 to 8 million, and one with over 8 million.
Make sure you give your cities fun names!
I N T E R A C T I V E
S T U D E N T
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
N O T E B O O K
Understanding Thematic Maps 8