2d geographic features

USI.2d: Geographic Features

Lisa PenningtonSocial Studies Instructional Specialist

Portsmouth Public Schools

Essential Knowledge

• Key geographical features are important to recognize when they appear on maps, diagrams, and photographs.

• Land and water features set the stage for and influence the course of events in United States history.

Essential Questions

• What are some important categories of geographic features?

• What do these important geographic features look like when they appear on maps, globes, and diagrams?

• What do these important geographic features look like when they appear in pictures and photographs?

• Why are geographic features important in United States history?

Key Words

• Tributary: a stream that flows into a larger body of water.

Key Geographic Features: Water Related

• Lakes• Rivers• Tributaries• Gulfs and bays


• Which key geographic feature is represented on this map?

• Rivers-the James and York Rivers are shown here.

James River

York River

Key Geographic Features: Water Related• Which geographic

feature is displayed on this map?

• Tributaries-this map shows the tributaries of the Columbia River.

Tributary

Tributary

What else do you know aboutthe Columbia River?


• Three geographic features can be found on this map. What are they?

• Gulfs (Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Alaska), bays (Hudson Bay), and lakes (Great Lakes.)

Gulf

Gulf

Bay

Lakes

You learned about the Hudson Bay when studying thegeographic regions of North America. Which region wraps around the bay?

Key Geographic Features: Land Related

• Mountains• Hills• Plains• Plateaus• Islands• Peninsulas

A map of the Appalachian Mountains. What other keygeographic feature is shown on the map? (Hint: it’s waterrelated.)

Key Geographic Features: Land Related • This map shows five

land related geographic features. What are they?

• Hills (Black Hills), Plains (Great Plains, Coastal Plains), Plateaus (Columbia Plateau), Peninsula (Florida, Baja) and Mountains (Rocky and Appalachian Mountains)


PeninsulaPeninsula

Hills

Plains

MountainsMountains

Plains

Plateau


• This map of Hawaii is an example of which geographic feature?

• Islands

Geographic Features are related to:

• Patterns of trade

Many of these North American trade routes are located near what geographic feature?Rivers.


• Locations of cities and towns

Many of the cities shown on the map are located around which geographic feature?

Lakes. These cities developedaround the Great Lakes.

Why did so many cities (and traderoutes) develop around water bodies?

Geographic Features are related to: • Westward

(frontier) movement

Follow Lewis and Clark’sroute. What geographic feature did they follow?

Lewis and Clark followedthe Missouri River for a great part of their journey.

What feature did they try to avoid as much as possible by taking a Northern route?

The Rocky Mountains.


• Agriculture and fishing industries

Notice the blank places on the map where no farms were located. Whydo you think this is? What geographicfeature is located there?

The blank part of the map is wherethe Rocky Mountains are located,meaning no farming can be done. Most of the large farms are located in what area? What geographic featureis located in that region?

The large farms are located in the South, in the Plains.

Education

2d geographic features