“The” Regions of the United States
Basic idea:
A region is an area on a map - it is made up of a bunch of places
that are like each other in some way and close to each other.
We make maps of regions to save us time and effort. It is easier to remember
the general shape and position of a region than to remember all the places separately.
A big problem is hidden in three little words: “in some way.” If you look at different
features, you get different regions. Regions based on population or temperature
are different from regions based on soil or language. It‛s like we get different groups
if we sort students according to height, shirt color, or first letter of their last names.
Want proof? Here are the regions of the United States according to different agencies
in the government (and this is just the first one-third of the entire list we found!).
1. Choose any state except Alaska, Hawai‛i, Delaware, or the six small states of New England.
2. Do an internet image search using the keywords “United States region map.”
3. Make a list of all the different regions that your state “belongs in” according to the maps.
4. Compare your list with your classmates who did research on different states.
Which state had the most different regional “memberships?” ________________
©2012 P Gersmehl Teachers may copy for use in their classrooms. Contact [email protected] regarding permission for any other use.