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AVi ewoftUnited Stat

66 The sheer size of the United States

has been an important influence onhow Americans think and act. ))

-Elizabeth Berg, Countries of the World: USA,1999

Preview the ContentScan the titles and headings in this unit. Use them to fill in aK-W-L chart like the one below. List what you know and whatyou want to find out about the geography and regions of theUnited States. As you read the unit, note what you learned.

Preview the VocabularyMultiple Meanings Words often have multiple, or several,

meanings. Write each vocabulary word below in a sentence toshow a meaning you know. Then look up each word in theGlossary and record its social studies meaning.

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One of the longest rivers in the-

Mississippi Rive?' stretcttes from Minnesota to th-e

Gulf of Mexico' Ás tne river makes its long journt

through the center of the United States' it passes

through many different landscapes' The "Mighty

Mississippi," uu iiis often called' helped shape tt

land it flows ttrrough' and people all over the cot

depend on it in mul^y *uy'' OTl the following 1

that descrif"' tft"-fvfississippi River's iourney frc

. Mrrlrr",ota to the Gulf of Mexico'

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Rock Island, Davenport, N{oline;Past maples, oaks, and hickories-The forests of the hardwood trees;

And past the farms and fields tl'rat lieBeneath the broad midwestern skv.

Then dreaming dreams of long ago,

On down to Hannibal I flow,Where h"ppy memories remainOf sieamboats, and a man cailed Twain.

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=e1 the great Missouri bring-.,. to the song I sing.- er, Rocky Mountain-born,

. -lo\\,n past farms and fields of corn,-=ar St. Louis, where we meet,J.t1\. rhythms, swift and sweet,

. ,.. rth mine, and on we run-,-:ghty rivers, joined as one.

- lom the east, from high plateaus,--:aritiful Ohio flows

trnto rne, all along my length,They give to me their gathered strengthAnd tellme tales of historyWhile whispering their names to me:

The Wyaconda and the Crow.The \Arolf, the Bear, the Buffalo.The lllinois, the Arkansas.The Rock, the Red, the Chippewa.

I know them all and where they've been,And faithfully I take them in, jl

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-:- rhr-thms wild and rhythms tame.:-; \Iississippi is my name.

AnaEyze the Literature,', -,,' 6o you think the author had the river: =s:ribe its journey?

i:npare the landforms found near the',1 ssissippi River to landforms found near a*:,or river near you. What are the similarities

="d differences?

READ A FOOK

START THEUruIT PROJECT

A Travel Guide With your

classmates, begin publishing a travel

guide to the United States. ln the travel

guide describe the geography of the

United States. Also write articles

about the country's climate, natural

resources, and economy. As you read

Unit 1, write down topics that could go

in your travel guide. You can use these

notes as you publish the guide.

USE TEC}INOLOGVVisit The Learning Site at

www.harcourtschool.com

for additional activities, primary

sources, and other resources to

use in this unit.

Unit 1 19

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Located in California's Sierra

N evada, Yosemite National

Park is f amous for its beautiful

mountaln scenery.Tourists first started

visiting the area in the

1850s, and Yosemite

was made a nationalpark ln 1890. TodaY more

than 4 million PeoPlevisit the park each Year.

ffimffiffiñ.ffipfuW66 The rnountains and hills

and plains . . " so beautiful

and rich, . . . great rivers¡ . . .

trees and fruits, and plants 99

Christopher Columbus,February 15, 1493

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The main idea is the most important idea in a

passage. The details give more information thatsupports the main idea.

As you read this chapter, be sure to do the following.. List the main ideas.. Under each main idea, list the supporting details.

Chapter 1 21

MAIN IDEAAND DETAILS

As you read, look for main

ideas and details about

describing your global

address.

BIG IDEAThere are manY waYS to

describe the location

of the United States

on Earth.

VOCABULARYhemisphere

equatorprime meridian

continentrelative location

gulfstrait

isthmusancestor

Where on E,arth Isthe United States?

\rvn"" christopher cotumbus reached tand after saiting

acoss the Atlantic Ocean from Spain, he thought he was

in Asia! Columbus described the land he found, but he could

not accurately describe where on Earth he was. could you?

Do you know where the united States is? You know that it is

where you live. suppose you had a triend in another country.

Could you tell your friend where on Earth you live?

Our Global AddressToshowwhereonEarthyoulive,youcoulduseaglobe'

A globe is a model of Earth. Like Earth, it has the shape of a

sphere, or ball. By describing where you live on Earth, you can

give your global address.

To describe your global address, you might tell your friend on

which half of Earth you live. Earth is a sphere; therefore, half of

it is called a hemisphere. Hemi means "hal{." Halfway between

the North Pole and the South Pole on a globe is a line called the

equator. Every place north of the equator is in the Northern

Hemisphere, Every place south of the equator is in the

Southern Hemisphere. Since the United States

is north of the equator, you could say toyour friend that you live in the Northern

Hemisphere.

"V fn.9 world's largest globe is

fitr- in Yarmouth, Maine. At its

equator, this globe measures

about 130 feet (40 m) around. That is

about 60 times the size of your waist!

You can look at a globe to findwhere the United States is on Earth'

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Amcytfier line on the globe, called themhe nreridian, divides Earth into ther\|)Mhs,üerrn Hemisphere and the EasternItlillllllMm¡nspthere.rThe United States lies westrffi ttü-e prime meridian. Therefore, youilllíÍrnÍnurtr! ailso tell your friend that you live inillltlle ulil''estern He m isphere.

llllb further describe your global address,ttqmruu could tell your friend that you live{@rÍtm tfre continent of North Ameríca.fuinents are the largest land areas onffirffir- The seven continents, from theilmttqest to the smallest, are Asia, Africa,ilmffinlitrli America, South America, Antarctica,MuurÍ@ee, and Australia.

rAil'ili-lough the continents are large, theylffiue up just a small part of Earth,s surface.\lffiüffiir covers about three-fourths of the

planet's surface. Most of Earth's water is

in the oceans, and all of the oceans areconnected. Together they make up onehuge world ocean. The continents separatethis world ocean into four parts-thePacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, theIndian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean.

ififffil What details can you use todescribe the location of North America?

@ unlru IDEA AND DETATLS ,

A North American CountryNorth America is made up of several

countries, but three large countries coverrnost of the continent. You could tell yourfriend that the United States is one ofthese large ccuntries in North America.rth.

Chapter 1 23

Á

-

*/>-1,

You could then compare the location

of the United States to the locations of

the two other large countries on the

continent-Canada and Mexico'

When you describe where a place is in

relation to other places, you are describing

its relative location' You could say that

Canada forms the northern boundary of

the United States, and Mexico makes up

the southwestern boundarY'

You can also use bodies of water to

describe relative location.Llhe Pacific

Ocean forms the western boundary of the

United States, and the Atlantic Ocean

shapes the country's eastern boundaryfiIf

you live in Louisiana, you might tell your

friend that you live near the Gulf of

Mexico. A gulf is a part of an ocean or

sea extending into the land' The Gulf of

Mexico, which is a part of the Atlantic

Ocean, makes uP much of the southern

boundarY of the United States'

What else could you tell your friend

about where You live? You could name

your state and describe its relative

location. Most likely you live in one ',ee*4"ñ:

of the 48 states that lie between Canada

and Mexico. If you live in Alaska, you

live to the northwest of Canada' People

in Hawaii live in the middle of the

Pacific Ocean, far west of North America'

üHrol Where are 48 of the 50 American

states located?

People from ManY PlacesPeople have been living in North

America for thousands of years' The first

people to live here were the American

Indians, or Native Americans'

Today the Bering Strait separates North

America and Asia. A strait is a narrow

channel of water that connects two larger

bodies of water' Thousands of years ago

great sheets of ice covered much of Earth

So much water turned to ice that the

water level in the oceans dropped' This

caused an isthmus (ts'muhs) to appear

between North America and Asia, where

the Bering Strait is today' An isthmus is

a narrow piece of land that conneqts twc

larger land areas.

k*tThe United States-Canada border extends

5,526 miles (8,893 km). making it the

longest border in the world between

two countries. This monument marks

the border between Washington in the

United States and British Columbia

in Canada.4i¡ii' iilFíit¡if' ¡"'ü-r"iüii*" r'ir'rx rt

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.ir!rüfrE Se pte oeileve Inat tneflMsü@ü"s or early family members, of

ii,,lfiltiiu.{lr iil* r m erica n s wa I ked across th i s

Ítlrltj:lll,,n.n*: on Iand bridge, from Asia. Onceiln' llriünr:r:- America, they moved south and,illfl[sll$lii]". t,,¡gn :[-rousands of years, settling thei{ililrrl]i tÍrn? ::. ti nent.

mq'tr : i'eached North Americar*¡mmi'lt I-"ope much later. For

,ffiltlli((grT3 -i€dt"s columbus and:iltr1finri8,': r{.'ro CátTt€ after himtiiim -i:: r'ealize it was a newmmflntrÉ.1. Finally, an Italian

r{llilriililildlr: [er r.lam ed Amef i gO

ifuelitiiilr*r:: {veh.SPOO.Chee)

ü1ffi,'i: :Fr :hat Columbus must have',ir!iulrr.üj'*rt 3 new.continent. In 1507 a map-"lffiltllter lrew a map of the continent. He

illluffi'il&,r3,1 : America, fotW*lll'"lltt[

'rr'*3s the firSt time the name America

ililmme¡"ed on a map.

I'r,1" :lme people came from all overffi& rrr¡q¡ d to live in what is now the

MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS What detailsare used to describe a global address? a

relative location?

0l tslG IDEA Where is the United States located:- Earth?

I ffigngULARy Use the term retative location- ¡rder to describe where y0ur community is in': at¡0n to another community. another state, ort- ocean. I r

o e rocnRpHv which two states are not: -i,'sically connected to the other 48 states in_- = United States?

O CUtfURe Who were the first people to live inn,:nth America?

United States of America. People fromso many places came that, in the 1850s,

writer Herman Melville wrote, "We are

not a nation so much as a world."

üfffil How do some people believe thefirst people came to North America?

G) nlSf0RY Who is North America named for?

@ cR¡ncnt THINKING-Anatyze Why doyou think geographers divide Earth intohemispheres?

ffiffi PERF0RMANCE-Make a Globe Use

fu%tl-{l a blown-up balloon to make a modellf,\*:r of Earth, sirowing where the United Statesis. 0n the balloon, draw and labelthe equator,the prime meridian, the four hemispheres,North America, the United States, and itssurrounding bodies of water. lnclude Alaskaand Hawaii. Draw a star to show where yourcommunity is on the globe. Share your modelwith your classmates.

The CompassA compass is the main tool used for

finding directions on Earth. During the1100s, people rn both China and Europe

discovered that when a metal calledlodestone was floated on a stick in

water, the stick tended to pointnorth. Once people could findnorth, they could find any other

: direction. Today, sailors andairplane pilots use compassesto help them guide ships and

planes around the world.

fi**{t¡iilnFtr"p{rjffi"*

D WHY IT MATTERS

Long ago, mapmakers develoPed a

system of lines that could be used to

describe absolute location, or an exact

position on Earth's surface' Using this

system, you can give the global address

for anY Place on Earth'

D WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

On a globe or a map, one set of lines

runs east and west. These lines are called

lines of tatitude (tR'tuh'tood)'

Use Latitude and Longitude

VOCABULARYabsolute location lines of longitude

lines of latitudeparallel

Because alt the lines of latitude are the

same distance apart, they are also called

parallels (pRtR'uh'letz)' The equator itself

is a tine of latitude that divides Earth

in half.

Find the equator on Map A' It is marked

0'. Lines of latitude are measured in

degrees north and south of the equator'

Another set of lines runs north and

south. They are called lines of longitude

(tRutrt'juh'tood)' These lines are also

called meridians (muh'RID'ee'uhnz)'

Lines of longitude meet at the North and

meridianffi

26 Unit I

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1d

iifu@lrrürrilll* 3 es and are farthest apart at thelmuqüü!ñlmlr.. The prime meridian is a line ofltltlüllllmmm r-de.

rinr: ilr-re prime meridian on Map A.iliiililllM:e equator, it is marked 0". Lines offimtrlllrrrnmr r;,o€ are measured in degrees eastumnnd uln¡est of the prime meridian.

It¡.,e Enid formed by lines of latitudep¡1¡¡¡¡16 6nqitude can help you describe theüiluurucr --ie location of any place on Earth.'\lhmur, :¡n give the location by naming thellliliinmnm :' btitude and the line of longitudeinlillrmuwq: rc it. Name its latitude first andffllnm¡ :s fongitude. For example, theutMmm-:¡e location of Houston, Texas, is

ffillqttrh 95"W

D PRACTICE THE SKITL

Use Map B to answer these questions.

{f) Wnat city is located at 40.N, 75"W?

@ Setween which lines of latitude doesmost of the United States lie?

@ Wfricfr lines of latitude and longitudebest give the absolute location ofDe¡ver, Colorado?

) APPTY WHAT YOU TEARNED

Use a map of your region to find theabsolute location of your community.

"*o&"r- Practice your map and

jl&*ry'* srobe skiils with the- ff" GeoSkills cD-RoM.

Chapter 1 27

MAIN IDEAAND DETAILS

As you read, identify the

different kinds of landforms

in the United States.

BIG IDEAThere are a varlety of land-

forms across the United

States.

VOCABULARYlandform

mountain range

sea levelpiedmontplateau

coastal plainpeninsula

basin

canyon

The Rocky

Mountain Range

is so long that itcould stretch allthe wayacross the AtlanticOcean from New York

City to Paris, Francel

y' ",=

The Landhe united states is the fourth-largest country in the world.

It covers almost 4 million square miles (10 million square km)

of land. In fact, the continent of Europe could fit inside the

United States with plenty of room to-spare!

Mountains, valleys, and rolling, grassy plains cover the

United States and the rest of North America. To better study the

land of the united states, geographers divide it into landform

regions. A landform is one of the shapes, such as mountains,

hills, valleys, or plains, that make up Earth's surface'

Our Gountry's Largest MountainsLarge mountain ranges cover much of the eastern and west-

ern United states. A mountain range is a group of connected

mountains. In the eastern united states, the Appalachian

(a.puh.LAY.chee'uhn) Mountains stretch about 1,500 miles

(2,400 km) from Alabama to Canada. In the western united

States, the Rocky Mountains extend more than 3,000 miles

(4,830 km) from Mexico all the way to Alaska.

MourÉai**,are'th!!:::;rl:F::i:r r:;:rg irfi:ll

ffi:#Fr19'

'td.

,,f,\* The Appalachian National'HlF ' 'scenic Trail

\rqiñqr,L" Understanding Environment and Society

- -= ' ". io see all of the Appalachian Mountains is to'i * --= ::calachian National Scenic Trail, the longest''- m:: ir ',. <ing path in the United States. lt runs from

Georgia to Maine.Most people usethe trail for day-hikes. Every yeara few hundredpeople hike theentire 2,167-mile(3,488-km) trail.It can take themfive to sevenmonths tocomplete the trip.

-tr Áopalachian Mountains are them ümr "nountains on our continent. Theyrmflilnnei about 250 million years ago.

rr¡irrts' -- me. their peaks have worn away,\1"iiiiiñllilÍ rtl the mOuntains appear rOunded.firmilffñ,n .¡ost of the mountains in the,tumre;achians are less than 6,000 feetrl[ ff: r-n) tall. Even the tallest peak,rtrrilllltrulnu-- Mitchell in North Carolina, rises

llulnu;r i 684 feet (2,037 m) above sea level.Snm ievel is the level at the surface oflllimm :,:eans, It is used as a starting pointmn reas¡¡ring the height and depth of

liiitllf]iliüt-3 t'[-ns.

lr :he eastern side of the AppalachiansutL ñ- ai'ea of high land that is called the

Piedmont (erro.mahnt). A piedmontis an area at or near the foot of a moun-tain. The Piedmont stretches from NewJersey to Alabama.

The Rocky Mountains formqd about90 million years ago. These móuntainsare much taller and more rugged thanthe Appalachians. More than 50 peaks

in Colorado alone are higher than14,000 feet (4,267 m).Unlike the roundedpeaks of the Appalachians, the peaks ofthe Rocky Mountains are sharp andjagged.

In 1893 poet Katharine Lee Bates trav-eled up one of the peaks of the RockyMountains in Colorado. Upon reachingthe top, she wrote, 'All the wonderof America seemed displayed there."The view led Bates to write her poem'America the Beautiful."

ffirot How do the Appalachians and theRocky Mountains differ from each other?

theI

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Chapter 1 29

The Largest PlainsFrom the Rocky Mountains,

Bates described seeing "amber

waves of grain." She was looking atAmerica's largest plains-theInterior Plains. These low, grassy

lands cover much of the middlepart of the United States. They

extend north from Mexico,

across the middle of the UnitedStates, and into Canada.

In the eastern part of theInterior Plains, known as theCentral Plains, wide rivers, grassy

hills, and some forests cover

the land. The Great Lakes lie

in the northern part of theCentral Plains. These five connected

lakes-Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie,

and Ontario-are the largest group offreshwater lakes in the world.

Farther west, the Interior Plains become

much flatter in what geographers call theGreat Plains. Here the land has almost no

trees and fewer rivers. ln 1,847 a womantraveling by wagon across the Great Plains

described the land in her journal. She

wrote, "There is nothing to see but thesky and ground. Not a tree or bush orhouse as far as you can see and as level

as a floor."

So much wheat and other grains grow on the Great Plains that this area issometimes called America's "breadbasket."

' Most of the Interior Plain

, : are flat, but there are some

lo hills there. In a few" places, such as the Black

Hills of South Dakota and

. the Ozark Plateau (pla.roH)

,' in Missouri and Arkansas, thr

land rises sharply. A plateaumostly flat land that rises abov

the surrounding land. Many partt

of the Ozark Plateau and the Black

Hills are covered with low mountains

and forests.Another large area of plains, called the

Coastal Plain, stretches inland from the

Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Acoastal plain is low land that lies along

ocean or other large body of water.

Along the Atlantic Coast in

Massachusetts, the Coastal Plain is a

narrow strip of land only 10 miles (16 kr

wide. From there it becomes hundreds cmiles wide as it stretches south to includ

the Florida peninsula (puh.trtlN.suh.luh).

Land that is almost entirely surrounded I

water is a peninsula. From Florida theCoastal Plain extends west along theGulf of Mexico into Texas and Mexico.

{f[ffi[[) What details would you use to

describe the Goastal and lnterior Plains?

@ rvrnrru IDEA AND DETAILs

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, Place Four major landforms in the United States are mountains,i plateaus, hills, and plains.

g Wnat kind of landform covers most of the middle of thecountry?

The Land Between theMountains

M@[l'ueen the Rocky Mountains andlange mountain ranges farther west

llllllllülm m area that geographers sometimeslüine Intermountain Region, or "the

lilMmndl hetween the mountains." This partlmqffiffifle [Jnited States is dry and mosfly1mt*Fmprt.

Wecause the Intermountain Region"isi0trMünered mostly with mountains, valleys,

Gulf of Mexico

plateaus, and basins, it is often called theBasin and Range Region. A basin is low,bowl-shaped land with higher groundaround it. An area called the Great Basincovers the middle of the IntermountainRegion. The Great Basin stretches acrossNevada and parts of five neighboringstates. It is the largest desert area in theUnited States.

At the basin's western edge, inCalifornia, lies Death Valley. This is thelowest and driest place in North America.

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Chapter I 31

The bottom of this valley sits more than280 feet (85 m) below sea level andreceives only about 2 inches (5 cm) of rain

each year-A _g_lgyp_o_l ¡g!-!19.¡s_in_ |p!9 _

named the valley Death Valley because itseemed that almost nothing could live

there. Actually, foxes, rats, reptiles, coy-

otes, and other animals thrive in the valley.

Some desert bushes grow there, too. The

valley is too hot and dry, however, formost people to live there.

North of the Great Basin, the ColumbiaPlateau covers parts of Washington,Oregon, and ldaho. Mostly shrubs andgrasses grow among the plateau's cliffsand gorges. The plateau also offerssome good farming and grazing land.

Southeast of the Great Basin, theColorado Plateau covers large areas

of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and

New Mexico. Much of the ColoradoPlateau is carved into a maze of canyons.

A canyon is a deep, narrow valley withsteep sides. One of the deepest is theGrand Canyon. It stretches 280 miles(451 km) across the Colorado Plateau innorthern Arizona.

The Pacific Mountainsand Valleys

The basins, plateaus, and canyons of theIntermountain Region give way to more

mountain ranges farther west. Lying justinside California is the Sierra Nevada(see.AIR.¿h neh.vAH.dah). Sierra Nevada isSpanish for "snowy mountain range." This

mountain range runs almost the entirelength of California. North of the Sierra

Nevada, the Cascade Range stretches

across parts of northern California,Oregon, and Washington.

Farther north, in Alaska, is the Alaska

Range. This range has the highest moun-tain peak in North America, MountMcKinley. At 20,320 feet (6,194 m) ittowers above the land. Some people call

the peak by its Native American name,

Denali (duh.NAH.lee), which means "The

Great One" or "The High One."

Other mountains-the Coast Ranges-border the Pacific Ocean in California,

Oregon, and Washington. At many places

these mountains drop sharply into theocean. Unlike the Atlantic Coast, much

of the Pacific Coast is rocky and rugged,with very little flat land.

{fifrol What kind of land is found west of

the Rocky Mountains?

Native Americans who once lived near Cedar Breaks Canyon in Utah called it the"circle of painted cliffs."

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Read an Elevation MaP

VOCABULARYelevation

relief

D WHY IT MATTERS

Some parts of our countrY are flat'Other parts are mountainous' How

would you know which parts are low or

high by looking at a maP? How would

you know how high the mountainous

areas are or how low the valleYs are?

To answer these questions and others,

you need a map that shows elevation(eh.luh.vnv'shuhn). Elevation is the

height of the land.

L WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

,All elevations are measured from sea

level, usually in feet or meters' The ele-

vation of land at sea level is zero feet(0 m). For example, Mt. Rainier has an

elevation of 14,470 feet (4,392 m) above

sea level. In other words, the toP ofMt. Rainier is 74,4'!'0 feet (4,392 m) abovt

the surface of the ocean'

The elevation map of the United State:

on page 35 uses shading and color to

show relief (rih'lerr), or differences in

elevation. Shaded areas on the map help

you see where hills and mountains are

located, but they do not give you eleva-

tions. To find elevations, you must use

the map keY to learn what each color

stands for.Notice that the map key does not give

exact elevations. Instead, each color rep-

resents a particular area's highest and

lowest elevations and all elevations in

between. New Orleans, Louisiana, is in

an area colored green. According to the

key, this means that the elevation there i

Mt. Rainier is the tallestmountain in Washington.

A Highest point

V Lowest point

Feet

Above 13,'1206,560'1.640

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f ¡fiACTICE THE SKILT

JE€ the elevation map to answer thesetwlL]|rw{: ns.

@ Wfricfr state has two large areas withelevations below sea level?

D APPTY WHAT YOU LEARNED

Imagine that you are planning a tripbetween any two cities on the mapabove.. Lay a ruler across the map toconnect the two cities. Then write thename and elevation of each city and tellthe elevations of the highest and lowestland you will cross on your trip.

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'|' nn¡hrt is the elevation of Santa Fe,xmr,,¡ Mexico? Is the land there higherrr ow€r than the land around.L,ianta, Georgia?

Q rfinat is the elevation of Minneapolis,hr :rnesota? How does its elevation::qlpare with those of Miami andSanta Fe? i@

Practice your map andglobe skills with theGeoSkills CD-R0M.

Chapter 1 35

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Geu gr?)[)ItyG"orruphy has been called "the art of the mappable."

People study different kinds of maps to gather different

kinds of information. Pictures taken from airplanes and from

satellites in space also help people to better understand

Earth and the places where they iive. Look now at four

different kinds of maps of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

@ FRoM rHE UNITED STATEs GeorcclcR¡- Sunvrv

A road map shows some ofthe human and physicalfeatures of a place.

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A topographic mapshows the elevation andthe shape of a place.

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-:al map shows what a- r€d like in the past." :-.ring historical maps

"- :==ent-day maps, people,, . -'¡\\- places have-. -: tler time.

Analyze thePrimary Souree

uqdhat features of Philadelphia arerisEble in all the maps?

!ñdhat does each map show that the¡thers do not?

\ñdhich map would you choose if1_r'ou wanted to get from one placero another?

A Landsat image isa photograph of Earthtaken from space.

Find Maps Look in atlases andother reference books to find threedifferent kinds of maps of yourcommunity. ln a short report, writeabout the different kinds of maps youfound and what you learned aboutyour community by looking at themaps together. Compare yourfindings with those of a classmate.

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Visit The Learning Site atwww.harcourtschool.comto research other primarys0 u rc es.

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Chapter 1 37

MAIN IDEAAND DETAILS

As you read, look for details

that describe how rivers

have helped shape the

United States.

BIG IDEARivers can change the land

and affect people's lives.

VOCABULARYgroundwater

sourcechannel

mouthtributary

river systemdrainage basin

erosionfloodplain

delta

Looking atRiversR,u"rr, bodies of fresh moving water, cross the land in all

parts of the United States, even in deserts. Some of these rivers

are wide and deep and are always full of water. Others are

narrow, shallow streams that may be dry for much of the year'

Many rivers rush down mountains. Some wind slowly across flatland for hundreds of miles. Yet all rivers change the land.

Across the LandImagine that you are on your way home from school in west-

ern Pennsylvania. Large drops of rain begin to fall. Soon rain

pours down on the streets and houses in your neighborhood.Where does all this water go?

Some water dries up. Some sinks into the soil and becomes

groundwater, or the water beneath Earth's surfacel The rest

of the water runs down the land's surface and becomes part ofthe Ohio River or some other river or stream.

The place where a river begins is called its source. Sorne

rivers, like the Ohio River, begin where two rivers meetiOther rivers begin high in the mountains or where lakes

overflow. Some rivers begin as water bubbling out ofunderground sprinEs.

No matter where or how they begin, all rivers flow fromhigher to lower ground. Along the way, each river carves a path,

or channel, through the lanel. A channel is the deepest part ofa river or another body of water. The bottom of a river is called

the riverbed. The land along the sides forms its banks.

Pittsburgh has over720"bridges. more thanany other pity in theUnited States.

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il[NXMr' :'-r:- as lakes, oceans, or otherrilffllllrllltlüüflil,|ll],,, -*€ p ace where a river emptiesiililnltlfl'Ímm ñ iffi*te' body of water is called itsillÍlitt¡lmrnthÍT. :' end. The mouth of the Ohio

iffiflfrllttlurruu-qll' tE :*€ F,4 i ss iss i ppi R iver in Il li no is.

I'lllllilur* rir¡:ieI from most rivers eventually,rtlnwffrllrjmlms sn ocean. The Mississippi River,

Illffiflilr, elr;arn e. flows into the Gulf offiilllfilffillr''lrt:: *'-lr'-rlch in turn empties into the.Mlltlill]iiummr 3rean. Some rivers, however, dorrnrilnllültltr

llJl,Irlru rnto larger bodies of water. They'liiiillCIlillrrrw¡ ^n: rt're low-lying land in basins.

|"utumm r :-e Great Basin has mountains all

diltilnmllllLrLi: - llhe rivers that flow down fromtlilillllfinmlm *{:Jr'ttains into the Great Basinrllltlltüllliil,rflts ''r: n ace else to go. some of thelrlrr1lür(ll{irJIf'1

-iil- -'"' lnto the desert lands and dry,lillilim", Iq*Ér- rivers end there as shallowiiltmlmilmllrn :- muddy water or empty into

Braining the Landar$ *'*€n's cross the land, tributaries

iÍfiilllllllllltllilft*-:,,¡'¡ hn . t a i r. ee z) may jo i n the m .

ffi mnüur¡"üary is a stream or river that flows

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Analyze Graphs This bar graph shows the lengthsof the longest rivers in the United States.

Q About how much longer is the Rio Grande than the

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argest of these lakes is theGimnrnr !¿: l-ake in Utah.

@tr1 What are the three main parts ofi|llÍitnlürmr'

Arkansas River?

'1., l; , it,

tributaries make up a river system.The Ohio River system is one of ournation's largest river systems\Two rivers,the Allegheny (a.luh.Gny.neb) and theMonongahela (muh.nu¡¡.guh.HEE. I uh),meet in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to formthe Ohio River. From there, the OhioRiver flows almost 1,000 miles (1,609 km)southwest to Cairo,Il{nois. Along itsroute many tributaries jgin the OhioRiver. Amonq these are the Kentucky,Wabash, pnd Tennessee Rivers.

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&8ffiK8*$ Gulf of Mexico

,.oGs¡¡, Place The Mississippi River forms borders for 10 states in the

%' .ffi United States. 0ther rivers form borders of other states'

tr 0 wnat river forms most of the border of Georgia and South Carolina?

ALake 2

drainage basin. When a river gr r¡ver

system is long, its drainage basin can be

very largq\, The Mississippi River system

drains mo& of the land between the

Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. Its

huge drainage basin covers l',200,000

square miles (3,108,000 square km)-about a third of the land in the United

States. This area includes all or parts of3L states. Nine-tenths of the fresh water

that flows into the Gulf of Mexico comes

from the Mississippi River system.

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The Ohio River is itself a tributaryof an even larger river system-theMississippi River system. From its source

in Lake ltasca (ih.tRs'kuh), in Minnesota,

the Mississippi River flows south for2,348 miles (3,779 km). Before empty¡ng

into the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi

is joined by more than 250 tributaries,including the Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas,

and Red Rivers.

All river systems drain, or carry water

away from, the land around them. The

land drained by a river system ¡s its

40 Unit 1

(f[fi[[) What is a river sYstem?

ffiearing Down the Landlffiffillltumm -a,'E et'€dt power to shape

of Earth. The erosionr.lr-rn) caused by flowing water-as formed many of Earth's

-a1Lures. Erosion is the wearinglln lar"lLl-l's surface.

iffillllllimulvr,rrq ',,'"nater erodes, or wears down,liiiimmm ln a river, the current, or con-

p' r*ro,,','Ing water, sweeps rocks, sand,$mni llol¡'nJn the river. As these mate-

'ilulu.trr*$E along in the current, theyanflg the bed of the river and its*-rs

hrelps the river cut an even¡rd lvider path.

l4mnr rriliiolrrs of years, the Coloradollffitiliüurffi,flr lr¡es been carving the walls oflllillllüMr 6mmu¡ Canyon in northern/mmwmmrñ tT'ne river has slowly cut its'|riflffiilfi LtBs,cen'and deeper through thelllllh¡lttlllrq,s :- "ock1 Parts of the canyon aremltttlruw I * e (more than L km) deep andlMl nrm'rilires ,29 km) wide.

More than 4 million people ayear visit the Grand Canyon tosee its spectacular beauty.To travel to the bottom of thecanyon and back, on foot orby mule, takes two days.

In 1869 John Wesley Powell traveled thechurning, swirling Colorado River for277 miles (aa6 km) through the GrandCanyon. At times during the three-monthtrip, he was surrounded by high canyonwalls that almost blocked out the sun.

ffil How do rivers wear down the land?

@ rvrruru IDEA AND DETAILs

John Wesley Powell1834-1902

Gharacter Traif: Gourage

John Wesley Powellwas always looking foradventure. Before he was25 years old, he had roweddown the Mississippi,Ohio, and lllinois Rivers. ln

[, 1869 Powell and a group1 of others set off on a

F:':

1,000-mile (1,609-km) riverjourney. The group's goal was to

paddle down the Colorado River andto explore the Grand Canyon.

After braving miles of dangerous water,Powell and his group ¡rvére the f¡rst peo-ple to reach the canyon by boat. Powellbecame a national hero. Two years later,he repeated the journey, mapping theGrand Canyon for the first time.

MULTIMEDIA BIOGNAPHIESVisit The:l-earning Site at

.i '., , www.harcaurtschoril,com'to learn about other famous people.

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Building Up the LandThe same river materials that erode the

land can also build up the land. Once a

river reaches flat land, its current slows'

The river begins to drop the sand and soil

it has been carrying' Some of this material

forms sandbars, or islands, in the river'

As sandbars grow, theY can block a

river, forcing it to carve a new channel'

A river can also add new soil to itsfloodplain. A floodplain is the low, flat

land along a river. If too much rain falls

or too much snow melts at one time,

the river may overflow its banks' Then,

when a river floods, water spreads out

over the floodplain. As the floodwaters

flow back into the river's channel, they

leave silt, or fine sand and soil, behind'

Silt makes the soil in floodplains fertile,

or good for farming.A river can leave silt at its mouth, too'

If there is no strong current to carry the

silt away, it begins to build up. Over time

the silt can form a delta. A delta is the

triangle-shaped land at a river's mouth'

The layers of silt that form a delta make

the soil there verY fertile.

ffil How can rivers build uP the land?

Floods !

People who live near rivers have tried

to control floods to protect themselves

and their property. Since the 1700s, peo-

ple have built levees along the banks of

the Mississippi River to control flooding'

A levee is a high wall made of earth'

People have also built several dams on

the Mississippi River. Dams can protect

against flooding by not letting too much

water flow through a river at one time'

Sometimes, however, the dams and lev-

ees are not enough to stop the power of

the river water, and floods still occur'

The silt deposited by the Mississippi River is constantly forming new land in the

Gulf of Mei¡co. ln fáct, the Mississippi Delta grows about 1 mile (more than 1 km)

longer every 16 yearc.

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'illllrlmu llllilil:rs ss ppi River system flood of 1993 caused major damage in nine states.ilM mllrlliun:m *n, ¡ter flooded across lowa that some people called the state "the sixthiüllmrlNum ;q ¡ -

-1"'rÉ r',orst flood in recent years in therümmllllllle: States occurred in the summer ofi'W:: :rn weeks, heavy rains fell across

lt¡!ilrilüuür* :f the Interior Plains. Water levels

tlrtn' lfre r'.f Ississippi River and in many ofrffi' lli*:¡;l[aries began to rise.

ilillii,ll'*,ü3"'t people saw the water rising,ill,lrnrunr u*orked day and night piling bags-riilllllllllmr; n'* ith sand onto the levees. EngineerMruui'ie 'l',¡1g"ller was one of the people{ililryrm:rrg the rapidly rising waters. He

remembered, "lt just became like a mon-ster that you couldn't catch up to. And itjust kept comingl"

Up and down the river, people's worstfears came true. Many of the levees

broke. The rivers spread out, floodingabout 8 million acres of land. Almost70,000 people were forced to leave

their homes.

sfffil How do people try to prevent riversfrom flooding?

GIOGRAPHY How did the Colorado River formthe Grand Canyon?

CRITICAI THINKING-Analyze Many citiesaie located on rivers. Why do you think thisis so?

PERF0RMANCE-Make a MapResearch a major river in your state. Find

its solrce, channel, and mouth. Then drawa map showing the route of the river. Also showsome of its tributaries. Display your map in theclassroom.

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MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS What detailsdescribe how rivers wear down and buildup the land?

EIG IDEA How do rivers change the land andr-ect people's lives?

nd0CABULARY Explain the difference:::iveen a river's source and its rpouth.

6E0GRAPHY Where does the Ohio River begin::d end?

MAIN IDEAAND DETAILS

As you read, look for how

climate can affect peoPIe

differently in various parts

of the country.

B¡G IDEAThere are large differences

in climate across the

United States.

VOCABULARYprecipitation

climatehumiditytornadohurricanedrought

Climate Acrossthe United States

H.* would you describe this morning's weather where you

live? You could talk about how hot or cold it is by mentioning

the temperature. If it is raining or snowing, you might mention

precipitation (prih.sih.pih.tRY.shuhn). Precipitation is water

in the form of rain, sleet, or snow that falls to Earth's surface.

You might also describe how windy it is¡ The temperature,

precipitation, and wind in a place on a particular day make up

the weather.

A Land of ManY ClimatesNow how would you describe the climate where you live?

ctimate is the kind of weather a place has over a long time.

For example; last winter Phoenix, Arizona, may have had rainy

weather. However, the climate there is usually warm and dry.

The climate varies greatly across the united states. while

people in Marquette, Michigan, are in the middle of a January

snowstorm, people in Miami, Florida, might be playing on

a beach. At the same time, rain might be falling in seattle,

washington, while Las Vegas, Nevada, might be warm and dry.

ln colder temperatures, water falling to Earth freezes, turning

into snow or sleet. South Dakota, seen here, receives about

40 inches {102 cm} of snow each year'

#Frrn

Spearf ish,

South Dakota,holds the

record for the mostextreme temperatureincrease in United Stateshistory. 0n January 22,'1943, the temperaturethere rose from -4oF

(-20'c) to 45'F (7'C)

in just two minutesl

Unit 144

you

I

rn

'llliilm :p'ryr¡ [e temperature in Maui, Hawaii, is 75'F (about 24'C). The mountain areasrttltlr itililttffi ls ¡ i j often receive 300 inches (762 cm) of rain each year.

v.

-"'"rE I rnate varies greatly across theJülltilm'ilrilflp- S:ates for several different rea-iffimilrnm :irst. the United States covers anr$lrlnfllmr,rr"*É'l..Js area of land. Second, some

tilltfliürxs n the country are closer to their,frWulhtrl[:r ilhan others. Third, some places

'\ruI))i,rirts *roher elevations than others. Fourth,

lmilÍntr,rr p'Eces are located near particulariltuütnilllrffilrr:r-qrs or large bodies of water.

@l How is climate different fromrymilimr?

Mistance from the Equator**€

,: Imate of a place depends partlyMltlrtr t;s stance from the equator. Thellllr¡[murp States is located between thelqlm:sr and the North Pole. This meansil,lri'úñrfl:ermperatures in the United States aregusrtr'r{Era y moderate, with warm summersillln¡tm :¡o[ winters. However, because theü,¡nrrttc States is so large, t"rperatures{iiffif]r' il,3.}f greatly, depending on how far,s r),a:e !s from the equator.

I Usually, the closer a place is to theequator the warmer it is. That is becausethe sun's warming rays hit the equatordirectly throughout the year. Places far-ther away from the equator receive less

heat from the sun, so they usually havecooler temperatures. This explains whyAlaska, the state farthest from the equa-tor, has a much colder climate thanHawaii, the state closest to the cquator.

{f,ffiD How does distance from the equatoraffect climate?

ElevationThe climate in Hawaii is generally

warm, but some mountain areas there arecold. These differences happen becauseelevation also affects temperature. Places

at higher elevations are usually coolerthan places at lower elevations. For thisreason, the temperature in the mountainsis usually much lower than the tempera-ture in nearby valleys.

Chapter 1 45

!1

r*¡,iSS¡:.*!..i' .:-

**-:,r,:-{ieAclFrd "@ffii;OCEAN

-1,. . .ri .!:r!=

' j-:,l

d¿il1'l]&=:1.

r

.,:, l.l

o ibo- i¿odtr¡ites

rf-ñoIÜo rlümeters

At be 6 E q u al Are a P rolect¡ on

: ':

"F

oc

40' 60'70' 80' 90'1000

4" 16" 21" 27" 32" 38"

TLANTICOCEAN

rrda'L,¡Gulf of Mexico

oF -20' oo 2oo 40" 60'80'i, ,i*ijiÉ{;l-..l.--l

oc -29'-18'-70 4" 16"27"

Place This maP shows the avetage

January temperatures in the United States'

O Wnat is the average temperature in

Cleveland in JanuarY?

Albuquerque (AL'buh'kerkee), New

Mexico, and MemPhis, Tennessee, are

about the same distance north of the

equator. The two cities have very differ-

ent elevations, however. Albuquerque

is nearly L mile (more than 1 km)

above sea level' Because it is so high,

Albuquerque is much cooler in both

summer and winter.

{fffit How does elevation affect climate?

($ rvlntru IDEA AND DETAILS

Land and WaterDistance from oceans and other large

bodies of water also affects climate'

Because water heats and cools more

slowly than land, places along coasts

usually have warmer winters and cooler

. l_:,.- '-' -, - '-

;! ¡J

,:,i'l

- -xry.Lw-*3É*.

!

€Éff¡ti¡Ñ

6GR4¡, Place This map shows the average Julyq- -p*"

tttp.ratures in the United States'

%# O wn¡cn ci$ is generally warmer in Julv'

ffit Denver or MemPhis?

summers than places farther inland'

The ocean often helPs warm the land

in winter and cool it in summer' Juneau'

Alaska, sits farther north th'an Kansas City'

Missouri. This Alaskan c¡ty is often warmer

in the winter because it lies along the

Pacific Coast. The winds that blow over

the Pacific bring warmer air to Juneau'

In addition, the ocean adds humidity

(hyoo.wln'dih'tee) to the air' Humidity

is the amount of rqoisture in the air'

Humid places receive more rainfall than

drier places. Surrounded by the Pacific'

Hawaii gets more rain than any other

state. Our nations rainiest Place

is on Hawaii's Mount Waialeale

(wy'ah'lay'AH'lay). It receives an aver-

age of 460 inches (1,168 cm) of rain a year'

:'.:i

iil-: . -.4i¡ri \ 'Idi: .-: .rr

;lri]'-'-i;¡*'l

46 Unit 1

sfiffiD What is humiditY?

MAIN IDEAAND DETAILS

As you read, look for how

climate can affect people

differently in various parts

of the country.

BIG IDEAThere are large differences

in climate across the

United States.

VOCABULARYprecipitation

climatehumiditytornado

hurricanedrought

Spearf ish,South Dakota,holds the

record for the mostextreme temperatureincrease in United Stateshistory. 0n January 22,

1943, the temperaturethere rose from -4"F

(-20"c) to 45"F (7"C)

in justtwo minutesl

b-trsir*

Climate Acrossthe lJnited StatesIJI low would you describe this morning's weather where you

tive? You could tatk about how hot or cold ¡t is by mentioningthe temperature. If it is raining or snowing, you might mentionprecipitation (prih.sih.pih.rny.shuhn). precipitation is waterin the form of rain, sleet, or snow that falls to Earth's surface.You might also describe how windy it is¡ The temperature,precipitation, and wind in a place on a particular day make upthe weather.

A Land of Many ClimatesNow how would you describe the climate where you live?

Climate is the kind of weather a place has over a long time.For example,'last winter Phoenix, Arizona, may have had rainyweather. However, the climate there is usually warm and dry.

The climate varies greatly across the United States. Whilepeople in Marquette, Michigan, are in the middle of a Januarysnowstorm, people in Miami, Florida, might be playing ona beach. At the same time, rain might be falling in Seatfle,Washington, while Las Vegas, Nevada, might be warm and dry.

ln colder temperatures, water falling to Earth freezes, turninginto snow or sleet. South Dakota, seen here. receives about¡10 inches (102 cml of snow each year.

;f,.;il'.¡:'#

l-,9::'

.f

i-..é

r fl'i "i.:'r:t-.'1..-.

' 't

44 Unit 1

I you

Ion

e.

rp

ny

*lliilnr, r,, ',r

"i i: iemperature in Maui, Hawaii, is 75'F (about 24'C). The mountain areasnfir illlll¡¡1 '; ¡ -i often receive 300 inches (762 cm)of rain each year.

try

lry.

'l''fl" : r-'late varies greatly across theüllnmrit*-: Silates for several different rea-iñmlrirrrllt-,

: rst. the United States covers an'rl|lluu'rillmtf"*i:,".15 area of land. second, some

ilirfliiüllfitps 'r the country are cl'oser to the,,illrw.ülrü,,rilrnl,r than others. Third, some places

\iiNniiiíE - gner elevatiOns than others. Fgurth,itmmrtttlq¡rÉ n,aces are located near particulariluililmnu::lf,r:nrns or large bodies of water.

@l How is climate different from,wm1limer?

Distance from the Equator"''e i Imate of a place depends partly

mtllr [s nistance from the equator. Theüun hea States is located between theirory*E:3r and the North Pole. This means

'ilirmr :emperatures in the United States are

mmrffi y moderate, with warm summersrurnm :¡ol winters. However, because theül1m r:s States is so large, temperatures:iiffi]tfif ¿r3-.\r greatly, depending on how far* ;ier:e is from the equator.

I Usually, the closer a place is to theequator the warmer it is. That is because

the sun's warming rays hit the equatordirectly throughout the year. Places far-ther away from the equator receive less

heat from the sun, so they usually have

cooler temperatures. This explains whyAlaska, the state farthest from the equa-tor, has a much colder climate thanHawaii, the state closest to the cquator.

GruHl How does distance from the equatoraffect climate?

ElevationThe climate in Hawaii is generally

warm, but some mountain areas there are

cold. These differences happen because

elevation also affects temperature. Places

at higher elevations are usually coolerthan places at lower elevations. For thisreason, the temperature in the mountainsis usually much lower than the tempera-ture in nearby valleys.

Chapter 1 45

n 200 400 l\,liles-L---i-+fl6ño diiórneiers

Al be re E qu al - Are a P rci e cti a n

rAUlFrUi. \.'i::iri:j.:¡OCEAN :. :":''--*b*ti:.+':'..i 1

I

Ii

I

I

I

*á***A

i'::ii

oF -200 0' 20" 40" 600 80'rlt^l -1 I I

oc -29'-18' '7" 4" 160 27"

'ffi Place This maP shows the average

January temperatures in the United States'

O Wnat is the average temperature in

Cleveland in JanuarY?

OF

oc

40" 60'70' B0' 90" 100'

4" 16" 21" 27" 32' 38'

asRA.o, Place This map shows the average Jul'.: *g-*

rcrp"tatures in ihe United states'

ffi o yffl,?lrJ:fl,,ffi:l,ry warmer in Ju

summers than places farther inland'

The ocean often helPs warm the land

in winter and cool it in summer' Juneau

Alaska, sits farther north th'an Kansas Ci

Missouri. This Alaskan city is often warr

in the winter because it lies along the

Pacific Coast. The winds that blow over

the Pacific bring warmer air to Juneau'

In addition, the ocean adds humidity

(hyoo.uru"dih'tee) to the air' Humidity

is the amount of r4oisture in the air'

Humid places receive more rainfall than

drier places. Surrounded by the Pacific,

Hawaii gets more rain than any other

state. Our nations rainiest Place

is on Hawaii's Mount Waialeale

(wy.ah'lay'AH'lay). It receives an aver-

age of 460 inches (1,168 cm) of rain a ¡

sfiffil What is humiditY?

Albuquerque (Rt'buh'kerkee), New

Mexico, and MemPhis, Tennessee, are

about the same distance north of the

equator. The two cities have very differ-

ent elevations, however. Albuquerque

is nearly L mile (more than 1 km)

above sea level' Because it is so high,

Albuquerque is much cooler in both

summer and winter'

(f[ff[!D How does elevation affect climate?

@ nnlru IDEA AND DETAILS

Land and WaterDistance from oceans and other large

bodies of water also affects climate'

Because water heats and cools more

slowly than land, places along coasts

usually have warmer winters and cooler

46 Unit I

-affi:

4.. .,

l-

a:a:"tFt't'._'

-'..N

F'July

Ju ly,

ldtu,

City.

rmer

:r

ly

ty

n

lrocation on the Gontinentlllilllflttnrw ff,c=orms that surround a place can

ar+ec [ts climate. Mountain ranges inirtums:*rn United States act like huge

**e, block the moist air from the

miilr *':"Tr reaching places on the eastern

:'-:1le mountains. Portland, Oregon,ies near the Pacific Ocean,

IttuUruu,,iimili|¡ *eceives about 37 inches

i{{{IWWl rm :f precipitation each year.

lffiMltrr'rrnd Oregon, on,the easternqmrüM rr:e Cascades, receives less

Í1ffiilfiiintrrrm¡ i r,ches (about 23 cm) a year.,tllr :-e nnterior Plains there are

mtlnttur lfrnl-rrains to block the large

dflilfl mrilñss€s that sometimes blowItrIlilill:ltis'r.- ¡ io d air southward fromfiüililnli,-,r;¡ These cold air masses,

ruullllllllmt -,,3[-the[s, can cause freezingfiMflmruuer:trlres in places as far southro lsq;s nn the summer, warmrlttltltlullril :j' blows from the Gulf oflllMllllmm r: -his air often carrjes highwliÍT,trüÉfetLires and heavy rains tonlllllllmsil :'the eastern United States.

@ Why does the lntermountainmhmorn meceive less precipitation thanfiüllilm ¡aciffic Coast?

ililllillltiiiIlll'ur"r ¡ s Death Valley is one of the hottest, driest places in the Unitedl$ftltrrfirms ie mperatures there often soar above 100"F (about 38"C).

Extreme WeatherWeather and climate play an important

role in people's lives. They can affectwhere people live, what clothes they wear,

how they earn a living, and what they dofor fun. Most of the time, our country'smoderate climate allows people to live

comfortably throughout the year.

Yet sometimes weather can be

extreme. Over the years, tempera-tures in the United States have

ranged from -80'F (-62"C) in

Prospect Creek, Alaska, to 134"F(57'C) in Death Valley, California.People cannot easily survive in

such extreme temperatures.Extreme weather can cause ter-

rible damage to people and toproperty. The wind, for example,can blow so hard that it damages

or destroys whatever is in its path.

Winds this strong can happen intornadoes. A tornado is a funnel-shaped, spinning windstorm. Thewind inside tornadoes can reach

speeds of more than 300 miles(a83 km) per hour. Tornadoes,oftenform over the Interior Plains.

year.

.i '['

Jq1

Hurricanes can cause millions of dollars' worth of damage.

Fierce winds occur in hurricanes, too.A hurricane is a huge tropical storm withheavy rains and winds that can reach up

to 175 miles (282 km) per hour. Most hur-

ricanes strike the southern Coastal Plain

between June and November.

Blizz.ards, or strong snowstorms, can

knock down trees, pewer lines, and roofs,

and block roads. Winds blowing across

the Great Lakes often bring blizzards to

places like Buffalo, New York. In a typicalyear, Buffalo receives 90 inches (229 cm)

of snow.Too little precipitation can also cause

problems. A time of little or no rain is

called a drought (DRowr). During a

drought, water supplies run low, and

trees and crops sometimes die. A droughtcan last for months or even years.

ffiHl What happens during a drought?

/9 BIG IDEA Why are there large differences in-"/ climate across the United States?

€) vocnguLAgv How are humidity andprecipitation related?

C) e gOgnnpnY What state receives the most

rain? Why?

MA¡N IDEA AND DETAILS What arethe main factors that affect weather?What are the main factors that affectclimate?

@ cRr¡cRL THINKING-Analyze How does the

climate where you live affect the way you live?

p-pnmCnL THINKING-Evaluate How do you\-/think extreme weather can affect a farmer's

. earnings?

PERFORMANCE-Create a Weather Ghart

Over a period of one week, chart the dailyhigh temperature and precipitation level in

y0ur c0mmunity. Do the same for a city in anotherpart of the country. Based on the data, whatconclusions can you draw about the climates inthe two places? Compare your findings with those

of classmates.

l

I

l

¡l

l+

lilllr

iiil:

t;

cal

n)

e

ght

?

Natural Resourcesne united States is a large country and is rich in natural

rnnrslmüürles. A natural resource is something found in nature thatroMme lan use. Some natural resources are soil, water, and trees.l0lllllw¡e depend on these and other natural resources to grow orntrltmulrue :he things they need or want.

ñw'q, nations in the world have as many natural resources as

llllllfilr *'r-'ted States. However, these resources are not distributed,¡ml roa¡:e"d out, evenly. Some places have more resources than.llfilll|1llrr+ r€€d while other places do not have enough. For thisnrrrmmúr* people in different parts of the nation must depend on¡tllllllllF inF,olther for natural resources.

A R¡ch, Fertile Land-"-,É .j-d itself is one of our most important natural

r*r,ril, ,,' ::s. Many years ago, Abraham Lincoln recognized howilnilrr*]|.,'-.:e Americans were to have such good land. He wrote:

ur urtrÍ,¿ find ourselves in the peaceful possession

nr tihe fairest portion of the earth, as regards*r¡e¡nt oi territory, fertility of soil. . . .),

MAIN IDEAAND DETAILS

As you read, Iook for details

that expla n why people

should use natural

resources wisely

BIG IDEAMany natural resources are

found in the United States

and people use some of

them

VOCABULARYnatural resource

productscarcemineral

' fuel'- oonservation

renewable -

recycle

nonrenewablepollutiontrJ

r$

Il¡

.t

neo/

U

rartrilyrl insr

SE

n,\1ilf'

ffi',7U

m

Farmland covers about half the area of theUnited States. Fertile soil, generally mild cli-

mates, and plenty of fresh water help Americar

farmers grow huge amounts of food. They grot,

enough food to feed the people in the United

States as well as to sell to other countries. Som<

important food crops include wheat, corn, soy-

beans, fruits, and vegetables.

The land in many parts of the United State:

is also good for raising cattle, chickens,

turkeys, hogs, and sheep. The grasslands in

other parts of the country are ideal for dairy

farming, which provides the nation's milk,

butter, and cheese.

Forests, which cover nearly one-third ofthe land, are another important natural

resource. Wood from trees can be used tomake many products. A product is some

thing people make or grow, usually tosell. Trees from some forests supply tt^re

lumber needed for building houses c'r

making furniture, fences, and toys. r;¡\lel

are used to make many other products.

too, including the paper in this textbo<

and the pencil you use.

Like all natural resources, trees are

scarce, or limited, and need to be

used wisely. After trees are cut dowrto make products, many years are

needed for new trees to grow. Todt

thousands of trees in the UnitedStates are protected in nationalparks and forests. Most of these

trees cannot be cut down, and

many new trees are Planted in tparks every year.

ffit Why are fertile soil and

forests important natural resourc(

@ rmnrru ¡DFA ANm DETA,ILs

i_ ¡6iffi";1,; '. ,.*:iiu:,..:,i

¡#.:'i'i', ;::*il:F*,, .;lir:: ri:':

l,"i':jl:,: riji::

t:,

::

t

.n,ililür

rii

lh

ry

an

o!1,ü

d

ne

v-

les

3

¡e5

ts,¡ook

:e

WN

,day.

eI

r the

rnd

rces?.s

an

I feei

ftt$fui""5{f

Waterrull]il/,{iütiure' s perhaps our most important

riflltfilüÍfü,lllllluim'Eso li.l rce-we ca n n of s u r v i veururilffilmmurr : People need water for drink-illlillftlfimi frllill]I4É p*astring, watering crops, andwmtumtrilrrl tF i s'or..¡rce of power. Lakes, rivers,smwffiilfirT's and groundwater supply almostdlllllill ftilm ili$i:teil' people use in their homes,l'lllfilNll i:iñlfili'll*s and in faCtOrieS.

illllllifilitgsr Eaces in the United States havelfltül,llllfimlilliüütrr* '-esh water to meet people'srllilmmuml!^ -t,,n!,ever, people have modified,llllilllf 1iii)]r,,ñürr3€o" their environment to get{luuüMmf rilirl''cr''l water supplies are low. OftentrllllüttttnIlllll ;r--rp r"'vater from rivers, make newltmntillmt a-i'c dig wells. Sometimes peopleilmw mnil:s and dig ditches across the land

iMM flilElil,E ,,n,rdt€[ to dry areas.rilllJtlliüffiflEr s an important resource for

llyruh,."lirfiBrr' -Ea50ns, too. Power plants create{fliltililrm'fii:4r:',,, from the energy of moving

water. That electricity.i..: is then used to

light homes, run

i,;* machines, andpower factories.

Our water resources also makefishing an important industry in theUnited States. American fishers catchabout 10 billion pounds of fish eachyear. Among their catches are tuna,salmon, oysters, shrimp, lobsters, andother kinds of shellfish from the saltwaters off the nation's coasts, and manykinds of freshwater fish from lakes

and rivers.

üHfm How do people modify theenvironment when water supplies are low?

Underground ResourcesMany minerals (MIN.uh.ruhlz) lie buried

under our nation's land. A mineral is anatural substance found in rocks. Copper,gold, silver, and other metals are minerals.People use metals from mineral resourcesfor a variety of purposes. For example,copper is used to make wire, pots, pans,

and coins. Many minerals, such as iron,marble, limestone, and sand and gravel,are used as construction materials forbuildings and roads

to1e-

[ake Superior is the world's largestfreshwater lake. lt is 350 miles (563 kmllong-almost as long as Flo¡ida. .9 r:,u^:'"11ÍÍ",É*:iffi?iilil

fresh water. ln fact,allthe water in theGreat Lakes could filla swimming pool

9 feet (3 m) deep andthe size of the entireUnited States!

Lying under the land in the UnitedStates are also fuels (rvoo.uhlz). A fuelis a natural resource, such as coal, oil, ornatural gas, that is used to make heator energy. People use fuels to cook food,heat buildings, and make machines work.

Coal, from mines mostly in Wyoming,West Virginia, and Kentucky, is one ofthe country's most abundant fuels. Today,one of its main uses is to create electricity.Oil, large amounts of which are found in

Alaska, Oklahoma, and Texas, is anotherfuel that has many uses. It can be turnedinto gasoline, diesel fuel, or kerosene. Oilcan also be used to heat homes and tomake products such as nylon, shampoo,and plastic.

{$[|ED How do people today use mineralsand fuels?

Using Resources WiselyAs people use natural resources, they

bring about change. In the past, manypeople believed that forests, clean water,fertile land, and other natural resourceswould last forever. Over time people

Goal is called a fossilfuel because it wasformed from deadplants that lay buriedfor millions of years,This plant fossil was

'fsund in a coal mine,

Unit 1

have come to see that all resourcesare limited. People today under-stand the importance of conservation(kahn.ser.vAy.shuhn), or protectingnatural resources and using them wisely.

Some natural resources are renewable.They can be replaced as they are used up.For example, forests can be renewed overtime if people use them carefully. Work-ers can plant trees to replace the ones thathave been cut down. People can recyclepaper products, or use them again, toconserve wood. Recycling just one ton ofpaper saves L7 trees!

Other natural resources, such as mineralsand fuels, cannot be replaced. Theyare nonrenewable. Once they are usedup, they are gone forever. But there aremany ways to conserve minerals andfuels. People can put insulation in theirhouses so they will lose less heat duringthe winter and stay cooler in the summer.They can conserve gasoline by drivingtheir cars less or walking more often.They can recycle glass, metal, plastic,

and products made from oil.

52

Solar Powerr$Mmr n¿^els built in parts of the Mojave

ay) Desert in the southwesternS:::es produce more solar energy than:ed in any other place in the world.

Wffi-€ s cover more than 1,000 acres of land.ttte sun, they collect heat energy. which

-sed to create electricity. The Mojavecerels provide enough electricity for a

:y of more than 150,000 people.

v-

le.up"

Me['

k-

thatde

of

erails

d

re

ir"

ETter.

@prue can also conserve fuels byaternative sources of energy.

lhave already found ways tolfmornes by using energy from the

mm to make electricity from windruüffiter power.

Mm mdiitlon to saving and replacingpeople need to protect the

,um@,ter. and air from pollution.is anything that makes a nat-

Íttesource dirty or unsafe to use.people and government in the

MAIN IDEA AND DETAITS How dopeople change their environment whenthey use natural resources?

rf mUe |OEA What are some of the mostllTnD0rtant natural resourees in the UnitedStates?

I WCASUUnV Use the terms scarceand natural resources to explain whysrservation is important.

O gf0CRnpHy What are some states wheremrEe deposits of coal and oil are found?

United States are aware of the dangersof pollution and are working hard toreduce it.

Natural resources have helped makethe United States one of the richestcountries in the world. As you read thistextbook, you will learn about the naturalresources found in different parts of theUnited States and how people throughoutthe nation use their resources wisely.

ü!if[!D Why is it important to conserveminerals and fuels?

@ HlSfORy What did many people in the pastthink about natural resources?

G) cn¡ncAt THINKING-synrhesize How do thenatural resources found in your communityaffect the way you live?

@ cnmcntTHtNKtNc-Hypothesize whatdo you think might happen if people do notconserve natural resources?

PERFORMANCE-Wr|te a RiddleMake up a riddle about naturalresources. Share your riddle with therest of the class.

Use Tables to Grouplnformation

VOCABULARYclassify

I WHY IT MATTERS

How many different waYs can You

describe the natural resources in the

United States? You can describe where

resources are found, how PeoPle use

them, or whether they are renewable or

nonrenewable.You can organize the same information

in different ways to help you find the

information you want. One waY to do

this is to classify, or group, informationin a table. Using a table allows you tocompare numbers, facts, and other

information quickly.

il WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

All tables have columns and rows'

Each column contains a certain kind ofinformation. In Table A, for example, the

first column lists the names of some

national forests in the United States in

alphabetical order. The middle column

shows their locations. The total number

of acres of land that each forest covers i:

listed in the third column.Table B has the same information abou

national forests. In this table, however,

the forests are organized by size instead

of alphabetically.

About 191 million acres of land in the United States

are protected as national forests. The Black HillsNational Forest, below covers parts of South Dakol

and Wyoming.

é&

3,000,000 t,Pennsylvania:a

South Dakota:and Wyoming:

New Yorl< l

lndiana i

California ','

a

Minnesota ¡

Oregon i

513,161

1,000,000

16,032

197,000

1,192,320

3,000,000

1,100,000

1,192,320

1 ,1 00,000

1,000,000

513,161

1 97,000

r 6,032

Minnesota

California

0regon

South Dakotaand Wyoming

Pen nsylva n ia

lndiana

New York

Su perior

Seq uoia

Winema

Black Hills

Allegheny

H oosie r

Finger Lal<es

,ü

- - L-rE TFIE SKgtg_

: :t cs to answer the following

":st listed in the tables is

:::? In which table was ¡t= nd this information?

s.ate is Hoosier National:eted? In which table was it

ind this information?

Sequoia National Forest?

"-cle d¡d you use to find this,. cn? Explain why you used

:::,

# Wtricn fonest is smaller, Blaek Hillsor Winema? Which table nnade iteasier to answer this quest¡on?

In which table would it be easiest tofind all the information on FingerLakes Nationai Forest and HoosierNational Forest?

g APFLY WfHAT YSIJ tEARruEN

Make a table listing these nationalforests in alphabetical order of location.Explain how this table would be usefulin comparing the information.

Review andTest PreParation

@ Use Your Reading Skills

Copy the following graphic organizer onto a separate sheet of

paper. Use the intát"maiion you have learned to show that you

understand how tñ" .f,rptei's main ideas are connected'

Our Counrr{o GeograPhy

and

Main

1.

Write a Poem Write a Poem that

describes the major landforms of the

United States. Then use pictures or photos

to illustrate Your Poem'

Write a Letter to the Editor Write i

letter to the editor of your local newspapt

explaining why you think it is important fc

your community to recycle products'

ri¡*' ,,i

1i

i

::i a

L*4:

ili$

u

56 Unit 1

pm'rlffilllnlffi

mirrmr

iqe termtmmnmffiries each

ittle or no

* ai [and

ffiilkt rses above the:mrummrurlurling land

mr iarthjffilry3:t['xg away

)

hemisphere (p.22!.

continent 1p. 23)

plateau (p.30)

canyon (p.32)

erosion 1p. al)

delta (p.42)

climate (p.44)

drought (p. 48) /rffiEnrm"s surface :T:**_*_ i

til"lese questions.

andform covers the Atlantic Coast ofMüim L. ted States?

lo f{oods help make soil fertile?

are three kinds of precipitation?

s rt rmportant to conserve naturallltmml-'ces?

ilrm :ne letter of the best choice.

lllllllürm ¡ountain range that covers much ofüllnrw *astern United States is the-* {,¡salachian Mountains.I ¡rcky Mountains.C S erra Nevada.t iascade Range.

,'w

@ Wnicfr of the following is nof part of a river?s0urce /reliefchannel r"

mouth

F

G

H

J

@ Whictr of the following is a renewableresource?A natural gasB oilG treesD coal

@ Wt'rV do you think there are fewer large

the absolute location ofSpringfield, lllinois,

Use an Elevation Map

@ Using the map on page 35, tracethe route of the Mississippi Riverand explain the change inelevations from the river'sqource to its mouth.

Use Tables to Group-Hormation

research the Great Lakes. Maketables that list the five Great Lakesby their area and by their depth.

fturrl nf weatherm tphrra has over a cities in the mountains than on the

Coastal Plain?Mnn4 ttne

ttunanqle-shaped land at a river's mouth @ How do you think climate and landforms

rrmmüu."a{ substance found in rocksaffect the activities people do for fun?

ül¡meffi, narrow valley with steep sides

Use Latitude and Longitude

,"w@ Use the map on page 27 to give

@' Use the lnternet or the library to

á,9?ál \w#s##.9

sKlL'

Chapter 1