BELLRINGERJanuary 17, 2013

Vocabulary: Section 4ElevationPlainPlateauIsthmusPeninsulaIslandContinental shelfTrenchesStraitChannelDelta

Geography – 7th Grade

Chapter 1: Section 4

Chapter One: Looking at the EarthSection Four: Landforms and Waterways

I. Types of LandformsA. Mountains and hills differ in that mountains have high peaks and steep, rugged slopes. Hills are lower and more rounded.

B. Between mountains and hills lie valleys. A valley is a long stretch of land lower than the land on either side. Canyons are steep-sided lowlands that rivers have cut through a plateau.

C. Plains and plateaus are mostly different in elevation, or their height above sea level. Plains are low-lying stretches of flat or gently rolling land. Plateaus are also flat, but they have a higher elevation.

D. A narrow piece of land that connects two larger pieces of land is known as anisthmus. A peninsula is a piece of land with water on three sides. A body of land completely surrounded by water is known as an island.

isthmus island

E. A plateau that stretches for several miles underwater is called a continentalshelf. Valleys on the ocean floor, the lowest spots in the earth’s crust, are calledtrenches.

F. Humans have settled on all types of landforms. Climate and availability ofresources are two reasons people might choose to live in a particular area.

II. Bodies of WaterA. About 70 percent of the earth’s surface is water. Of that, most is salt water. Oceans, seas, gulfs, and bays are made up of salt water. Humans can drinkonly freshwater, found in lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams.

B. A strait and a channel are similar in that they are both bodies of water between two pieces of land, and they connect two larger bodies of water. A channel is wider than a strait.

C. A river’s source is where it originates, usually high in mountains. The mouth ofa river is where it empties into another body of water.

D. Deltas are deposits of soil, which build up over time at the mouth of the river.