challenge 1: learning about the physical geography …...... learning about the physical geography...

G u i d e t o S t u d e n t H a n d o u t

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Canada and the united States 1

Challenge 1: Learning About the Physical Geography of Canada and the United States

GreatBasin

Rocky Mountains

Colorado River

Canadian Shield

HudsonBay

GreatLakes

GreatPlains

Mississippi River

Arctic Ocean

Great Basin

Great Plains

Sierra Nevada

Great Lakes

Hudson Bay

Mount McKinley

Vancouver Island

AppalachianMountains

30°N

40°N

50°N

20°N

Tropic of Cancer

50°W

40°W

60°W

70°W

30°W

20°W

10°W

10°N

60°N

Arc

tic

Cir

cle

70°N

80°W

70°W

90°W100°W110°W130°W 120°W

140°W

150°W

160°W

170°W

170°E

180°

10°N

Tropic of Cancer

30°N

20°N

40°N

50°N

60°N

Arctic C

ircle

70°N

80°N

80°N

N

S

EW

0 1,000 kilometers

0 1,000 miles

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection500

500

AtlanticOcean

PacificOcean



Alaska(U.S.)

Washington

YukonTerritory

Northwest Territories

Nunavut

BritishColumbia

AlbertaSaskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

Newfoundlandand Labrador

PrinceEdwardIslandNew

Brunswick

Nova Scotia

Oregon

California

Nevada

Idaho

Montana NorthDakota

SouthDakota

Nebraska

Kansas

Oklahoma

Texas

Minnesota

Iowa

Wisconsin

Michigan

IllinoisIndiana Ohio

Pennsylvania

New York

Maine

New Hampshire

Vermont

MassachusettsConnecticut

Rhode Island

MarylandWashington, D.C.

DelawareNew Jersey

Kentucky

Tennessee

Mississippi

AlabamaGeorgia

SouthCarolina

NorthCarolina

Virginia

WestVirginia

Florida

Missouri

Arkansas

Louisiana

Wyoming

Utah Colorado

Arizona NewMexico

U N I T E D S T A T E S

C A N A D A

AT L A N T I C

O C E A N

AT L A N T I C

O C E A N

P A C I F I C

O C E A N

A R C T I C O C E A N

U N I T E D S T A T E S

C A N A D A

Alaska(U.S.)

Washington

YukonTerritory

Northwest Territories

Nunavut

BritishColumbia

AlbertaSaskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

Newfoundlandand Labrador

PrinceEdwardIslandNew

Brunswick

Nova Scotia

Oregon

California

Nevada

Idaho

Montana NorthDakota

SouthDakota

Nebraska

Kansas

Oklahoma

Texas

Minnesota

Iowa

Wisconsin

Michigan

IllinoisIndiana Ohio

Pennsylvania

New York

Maine

New Hampshire

Vermont

MassachusettsConnecticut

Rhode Island

MarylandWashington, D.C.

DelawareNew Jersey

Kentucky

Tennessee

Mississippi

AlabamaGeorgia

SouthCarolina

NorthCarolina

Virginia

WestVirginia

Florida

Missouri

Arkansas

Louisiana

Wyoming

Utah Colorado

Arizona NewMexico

N

S

EW

0 1,000 kilometers

0 1,000 miles

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection500

500

30°N

40°N

50°N

20°N

Tropic of Cancer

50°W

40°W

60°W

70°W

30°W

20°W

10°W

10°N

60°N

Arc

tic

Cir

cle

70°N

140°W

150°W

160°W

170°W

170°E

180°

10°N

Tropic of Cancer

30°N

20°N

40°N

50°N

60°N

Arctic C

ircle

70°N

80°N

80°N

80°W

70°W

90°W100°W110°W130°W 120°W

TCI5 424GA_ML_LG_02-GCH-2.epsThird proof

Challenge 2: Learning About the Human Geography of Canada and the United States



Challenge 3: Using Geography Skills to Answer “Where?”

Question Circle the thematic map you used. Then answer the question in complete sentences.

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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.

California is the state that has arid, semiarid, Mediterranean, highlands, and marine west coast climates.

Petroleum (oil) is the resource that is most abundant in Texas, Alaska, and Alberta. Texas appears to have the most of this resource.

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.

Temperate grassland is the most common type of vegetation in the central area of southernCanada and the United States. The United States has more land with temperate grasslands.

Forestry, trade and manufacturing, commercial farming, and commercial fishing occur along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Canada and the United States.

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.

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.

Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island are entirely covered in forests. They have deciduous forests, mixed forests, and coniferous forests.

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).



Challenge 4: Using Geography Skills to Answer “Why There?”

Question Circle the thematic map you used. Then answer the question in complete sentences.

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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 vegeta-tion zone is chaparral.

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.

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.

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.

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 rais-ing). 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.

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.



Challenge 5: Using Maps to Analyze a Field Photograph

Thematic Map

Location A(40° north, 74° west)

Location B(76° north, 80° west)

Location C(60° north, 147° west)

Physical Features

Climate Zones

Vegetation Zones

Population Density

Economic Activity

• located in humid subtropical climate zone

• 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

• 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 in tundra climate zone

• located in subarctic climate zone

• located in coniferous forest vegetation zone, surround-ed by ice cap zone

• located in ice cap vegetation zone

• located in coniferous forest vegetation zone

• 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

• trade and manufacturing

• commercial fishing along the coast

• little or no economic activity • hunting and gathering

• petroleum nearby

• forestry nearby



Challenge 5: Using Maps to Analyze a Field Photograph

We think the field photograph best matches Location _______ .

Supporting-evidence statements:

1. From the _______________________ map, we learned that this location

In the field photograph, we see







is in a subarctic climate zone.

vegetation zones

economic activity

population density

C

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.

climate zones

is near an island with coniferous

forests, but surrounded by ice cap.

mountains with trees, but also with snow.

is near petroleum resources.

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.

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.

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.

challenge 1: learning about the physical geography …...... learning about the physical geography...

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