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rcle
Arctic Ci
Arctic Ocean
70°N
80°N
70°N
rcle
Arctic Ci
170°E
80°N
Challenge 1: Learning About the Physical Geography
of Canada and the United States
10°W
60°N
20°W
180°
60°
N
30°W
170°W
Mount McKinley
40°W
160°W
50
°N
Hudson
Hudson
Bay
Bay
50°W
°N
50
150°W
Canadian Shield
Vancouver Island
40
°N
Great
Great
Lakes
Lakes
Rocky Mountains
Pacific
Ocean
140°W
Great
Basin
Basin
Sierra Nevada
30°
N
Colorado River
60°W
°N
40
Great
Plains
Plains
Appalachian
Mountains
Atlantic
Ocean
N
30°
Mississippi River
N
Tro
pic
W
of C
anc
er
E
pic
S
Tro
20°
N
er
anc
of C
N
20°
70°W
0
500
1,000 miles
70°W
0
500
1,000 kilometers
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection
10°N
130°W
120°W
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
10°N
110°W
100°W
90°W
80°W
Canada and the United States 1
G u i d e
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Arctic Ci
70°N
80°N
80°N
70°N
Arctic Ci
rcle
Challenge 2: Learning About the Human Geography
of Canada and the United States
170°E
60°N
A R C T I C
10°W
O C E A N
20°W
180°
60°
N
30°W
170°W
Alaska
(U.S.)
40°W
Yukon
Territory
160°W
Nunavut
Northwest Territories
Newfoundland
and Labrador
50
°N
British
Columbia
150°W
50°W
°N
50
CANADA
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Quebec
Manitoba
Ontario
40
Vermont Maine
Washington
°N
Montana
Oregon
Idaho
Wyoming
140°W
P A C I F I C
North
Dakota
Utah
California
30°
Wisconsin
New York
Michigan
South
Dakota
Pennsylvania
Iowa
UNITED STATES
Nevada
Colorado
Kansas
N
Arizona
pic
W
of C
Missouri
Texas
Ohio
Kentucky
Tennessee
Arkansas
Alabama
Louisiana
West
Virginia
Virginia
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New Jersey
Delaware
Maryland
Washington, D.C.
North
Carolina
South
Carolina
N
30°
Georgia
AT L A N T I C
OCEAN
Florida
E
anc
er
Oklahoma
Indiana
Illinois
Mississippi
N
Tro
New
Mexico
60°W
Nova Scotia
N
0°
New Hampshire 4
Minnesota
Nebraska
O C E A N
Prince
Edward
Island
New
Brunswick
pic
S
Tro
20°
N
er
anc
of C
N
20°
70°W
0
10°
N
500
1,000 miles
70°W
0
500
1,000 kilometers
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection
130°W
120°W
10°N
110°W
100°W
90°W
80°W
TCI5 424
GA_ML_LG_02-GCH-2.eps
Third proof
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
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Challenge 3: Using Geography Skills to Answer “Where?”
Question
1
Circle the thematic map you used. Then answer the question in complete sentences.
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
The northeastern coast of the United States is the largest densely populated area in this
region. It includes Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
2
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
California is the state that has arid, semiarid, Mediterranean, highlands, and marine west
coast climates.
3
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
Petroleum (oil) is the resource that is most abundant in Texas, Alaska, and Alberta. Texas
appears to have the most of this resource.
4
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
Alaska, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut all have subarctic and tundra
climates and include land that is both north and south of the Arctic Circle.
5
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
Temperate grassland is the most common type of vegetation in the central area of southern
Canada and the United States. The United States has more land with temperate grasslands.
6
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
Forestry, trade and manufacturing, commercial farming, and commercial fishing occur along
both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Canada and the United States.
7
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast has a population density that ranges from under
2 to as many as 250 people per square mile.
8
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
The Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario) make
up the largest body of fresh water in North America.
9
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island are entirely covered in forests.
They have deciduous forests, mixed forests, and coniferous forests.
10
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
The Rocky Mountains run through Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, British Columbia,
Alberta, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas
(students may list any ten of these).
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
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Challenge 4: Using Geography Skills to Answer “Why There?”
Question
1
Circle the thematic map you used. Then answer the question in complete sentences.
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
Most hydroelectric power in Canada and the United States is produced in Washington,
British Columbia, and Quebec. All three states and provinces have rivers where dams can
be built to produce power.
2
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
California has several mild climate zones, so it is mostly warm year-round. California also has a
variety of economic activities (trade and manufacturing, farming, fishing, and livestock raising). Both factors might attract a large population. Nunavut, on the other hand, is very cold, with
subarctic and tundra climates. There is little work for people, since the land is used mainly for
hunting and gathering.
3
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
The least populated area of the continental United States is the Rocky Mountains and
Great Basin. This area has a very high elevation, generally over 5,000 feet and sometimes
over 10,000 feet. The areas of lower elevation are in a desert scrub vegetation zone, which
might not be very habitable.
4
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
Toronto, with a population of over 4 million people, is Canada’s largest city. The city has a fairly
mild humid continental climate, which is warmer than much of the rest of Canada. The city
is located within a trade and manufacturing area of Canada, which would provide a lot of jobs
for people.
5
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
The farmer likely lives near New Orleans, which has a humid subtropical climate and tropical
grassland for growing warm-weather crops like sugarcane. New Orleans is a densely populated
city on the Mississippi River, near the Gulf of Mexico, where a person can sail year-round.
6
Physical Features
Climate Zones
Vegetation Zones
Population Density
Economic Activity
The person might live in Los Angeles, which matches the description: an urban area of more
than 4 million people, and a major trade and manufacturing center, with commercial fishing
offshore. The city is surrounded by the Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada, with beaches on
the Pacific Ocean. The Mediterranean climate makes the area mild with some rain. The vegetation zone is chaparral.
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
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Challenge 5: Using Maps to Analyze a Field Photograph
Thematic
Map
Location A
Location B
Location C
(40° north, 74° west)
(76° north, 80° west)
(60° north, 147° west)
Physical
Features
• located on New Jersey
coast
• located on flat coastal plain
along the Atlantic Ocean
• elevation between 0 and
1,000 feet above sea level
• located on Ellesmere Island
• located on Baffin Bay, inside
the Arctic Circle
• mountainous area, with
elevation between 2,001
and 5,000 feet above
sea level
• located near an island in the
Gulf of Alaska
• surrounded by the Alaska
Range
• elevation between 0 and
1,000 feet above sea level
Climate
Zones
• located in humid subtropical
climate zone
• located in tundra
climate zone
• located in subarctic
climate zone
Vegetation
Zones
• located in coniferous forest
vegetation zone
• located in ice cap
vegetation zone
• located in coniferous forest
vegetation zone, surrounded by ice cap zone
Population
Density
• population density over
250 people per square mile
• large urban centers nearby
(New York, Philadelphia,
Washington, D.C.)
• population density under
2 people per square mile
• no urban centers nearby
• population density under
2 people per square mile
• no urban centers nearby
Economic
Activity
• trade and manufacturing
• commercial fishing along
the coast
• little or no economic activity
• hunting and gathering
• petroleum nearby
• forestry nearby
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
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Challenge 5: Using Maps to Analyze a Field Photograph
C .
We think the field photograph best matches Location _______
Supporting-evidence statements:
climate zones
1.From the _______________________
map, we learned that this location is in a subarctic climate zone.
In the field photograph, we see that even though it seems to be a nice day, the man is wearing a sweater,
scarf, hat, and gloves. Also there is snow on the mountains.
vegetation zones
2.From the _______________________
map, we learned that this location is near an island with coniferous
forests, but surrounded by ice cap.
In the field photograph, we see mountains with trees, but also with snow.
economic activity
3.From the _______________________
map, we learned that this location is near petroleum resources.
In the field photograph, we see a man holding an oar covered in oil. He appears to be cleaning up an oil spill.
The red float is containing the oil-covered water. Outside the float, the water looks clean.
population density
4.From the _______________________
map, we learned that this location has a population density of under
2 people per square mile. Another possible answer: From the physical features map, we learned that this
location is near an island with an elevation between 0 and 1,000 feet, surrounded by mountains, near the
Gulf of Alaska.
In the field photograph, we see no buildings or houses on the land beyond the boat, suggesting that not
many people live in this area. Another possible answer: In the field photograph, we see a man in a boat on a
large body of water, with low mountains behind him.
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Canada and the United States 6