Social Studies Unit 2 The United States in Spatial Terms Review Name: Directions: Use your social studies notes and handouts to answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1.
What are the five main questions that geographers ask? ­ Where is it? ­ What is it like there? ­ How do people interact with the environment? ­ How is the place connected to other places? ­ How might common geographic characteristics help us understand this place? 2.
Draw a compass rose to the right of the map below. Include cardinal and intermediate directions. a. If you were at Gord School, what direction would you have to travel to get to the Nature Museum? If you were at Gord School, you would have to travel southwest to get to the Nature Museum. b. What lies directly south of City Park? Gord School lies directly south of City Park. c. What direction would I have to travel to go from Jorge’s Restaurant to Lake Gord? You would have to travel northwest to go from Jorge’s Restaurant to Lake Gord. 3.
Why is the Northeast more densely populated than much of the rest of the country? The Northeast is more densely populated than much of the rest of the country because the region’s coastline provides a port of entry for people, raw materials, and finished products. 4.
Describe what this map is showing. This map is showing population density. The white dots represent large cities. a. The pattern of lights show that most people in the United States live by what physical feature? The pattern of lights show that most people in the United States live by large bodies of water. b. Near what Great Lake is Detroit located? Detroit is located near Lake Erie. 5.
What type of special purpose map is this? Why would a 4th grade students want to use this map? This is an elevation map (or landform map). A 4th grade student would want to use this map to identify areas of high elevation. Name the two major mountain ranges on this map and where they are located. The two major mountain ranges on this map are the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. The Rocky Mountains are in the west. The Appalachian Mountains are in the east. 6.
When discussing regions of the United States, sometimes we divide them into unique regions like the “Corn Belt” and the “Rust Belt”. How did these regions receive their names? Where are these two regions located? The “Corn Belt” received its name because corn is the main cash crop (there are similar economic activities in this region). The “Corn Belt” is located within the Midwest. The “Rust Belt” received its name because this region was a region with heavy manufacturing (similar economic activities) but it has since declined. The “Rust Belt” is located in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. (Some in the Midwest and then east) 7.
How can landforms divide the United States into regions? Landforms can divide the United States into regions based on similar land/terrain. 8.
Study the special purpose map above. What does this map tell you? Why would you want to know this information? This map tells me the annual average precipitation for the United States. I would want to know this information to learn about climates, decide where to farm, planning a trip, etc. Which part of our country receives the most precipitation? The part of our country that receives the most precipitation is the Northwest. The least? The part of our country that receives the least precipitation is the West/Southwest. About how much precipitation does MI receive annually? Michigan receives about 30­35 inches of precipitation annually. 9.
What is the physical feature that Michigan is best know for? The physical feature that Michigan is best known for the Great Lakes. 10.
Geographers often divide the United States into regions, each region having characteristics that make them different from the others. The map above shows one way that the United States could be divided into regions. Use the information from the map to answer the following with complete sentences. a. What is one characteristic that geographers could have used to divide this map into regions shown above? Support your answer by identifying a region and explaining how the characteristics are different from other regions. Sample characteristics: ­ climate ­ similar landforms (mountains, plains) ­ locations ­ natural resources ­ cultures b. According to this map. Michigan is located in the Midwest region. Name two characteristics that Michigan has in common with the other states that are located in this region. Support your answer with details. ­ similar natural resources (the Great Lakes, fertile soil) ­ similar climates (4 seasons, cold winters, humid summers) ­ similar economic activities (farming, corn as a cash crop) ­ industrial cities ­ similar landforms c. There are many ways that the United States could be divided into regions. Name another way the United States could be divided into regions. Examples: ­ times zones ­ 4 quadrants ­ population ­ history ­ precipitation ­ climate