CH 5 Sec 3 Human-Environment Interaction

• Students will understand– How North America was originally settled– How cities adapt to become suitable to the

surroundings– Identify methods of overcoming distances in

US and Canada– Identify one method that most impressed you

that people have created or built to allow them to live in a harsh area of US or Canada

• Early Settlement of North America- first settlers were nomads (move from place to place hunting and gathering)– Beringia- land bridge the first settlers (future Native Americans)

crossed over from Russia to Alaska 20000-10000 years ago– Agriculture- Native Americans began growing crops around 3000

years ago• Why do you feel that US and Canada among the largest exporters of

food today? (look at map P 125)– US and Canada grow lots of crops bc

» Terrain- lots of grassland, Weather- mild, humid (means rain), good soil, lots of land and space

• Cities- early cities needed to be by water, also important factors of settlement include landscape, climate, weather, and natural resources– Montreal- located along St. Lawrence River (on an island), really cold

(100* days a yr. below freezing)• What can a city do to avoid cold and make living in severe winters

more endurable?– City is (partially) underground- network of walkways shops,

restaurants

– Los Angeles- located on Pacific, nice climate and weather– BUT what natural resource is LA missing that it needs to

survive?• Railroad- hundreds of thousands of people began

moving to LA when the Southern Pacific completed in late 1800’s

• Aquaducts- brings water from Northern CA to LA• Problems- LA expanded into outlying areas, air

pollution, lack of water, earthquake threatened zones

• Overcoming Distances- large countries, enormous distances, obstacles, and harsh climates made it difficult for early settlers to move around

– Transcontinental Railroads- completed in late 1800’s connected East and West Coasts in both US and Canada

– Highways- today people travel by car

• Trans-Canadian Highway- 4,860 miles from Newfoundland to British Columbia

• US Interstate Highway System- 46,000 miles of freeways that crisscross the nation (Hwy 10 and 5)

– Analyze why Canada has one major highway near the US border and the US has highways all over?

• Overcoming Distances: inland water ways• St Lawrence Seaway-is a canal that connects Atlantic Ocean with

Great Lakes most important shipping route in N. AM, – Locks- allow ships to be lifted up by closing gigantic gates and fill

the area bt gates with water