Where in the World Do I Live?

1. Where in the World Do I Live? Continents, Countries, and other Geographic Features

2. “I live in North America.” If someone from another continent asks you where you live, you could say, “I live in North America.” There are seven continents and we live in the continent of North America. A continent is a large body of land. North America includes the countries of The United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and Greenland.

3. Our Borders The countries of Mexico and Canada border the United States of America, or USA for short. Take a moment to look at your map of North America. What oceans border the USA? Talk to your partner about what the word border means. Now look at the map again. With your partner, list two countries that “touch” in Central America.

4. What is that star on my map? The Compass Rose In ancient times people did not have a GPS in their cars. They needed to find a way to navigate, or move around the world on their own. They looked up at the sky. Some people noticed that one star, The North Star (Polaris) never moved in the sky. It was always in the same spot. They decided to create directions based on that star. Following the stars goes back thousands of years. If you were facing the direction of Polaris, you were facing North. If you were facing the opposite direction, you were facing South. If you were facing the direction to the right of Polaris, you were facing East, and if you were facing the direction left of Polaris, you were facing West.

5. So what does that have to do with the Compass Rose? Well, map makers thought that if they add a symbol, or key of the directions to a map, people would know how to find different locations. The Compass Rose got its name from the word compass, which means a navigation tool that locates directions, and the flower petals on a rose. Use the compass rose on your map to find a country south of the USA. Which ocean is east of the USA? What country is the most northern country in North America? Challenge: How would you describe where North America is on the globe?

6. Ok, so you live in North America. There are many countries in North America. What country do you live in?

7. “I live in the United States of America.” Look at your map of The United States of America or USA. Here’s what I know about the USA: • The USA is a body of land that has it’s own government.

8. The government of the USA is located in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. is our nation’s capital. Our government is a democracy because leaders are elected by the citizens of the country. Our President is Barack Obama. Our Vice President is Joe Biden.

9. In our nation’s capital, two other groups work with President Obama to make sure the country is running smoothly. The members of the Senate and Congress who make the laws The judges who make sure everyone is following the constitution

10. The USA in Focus • Look back at your map of the USA. Find the capital of our country and put an X on it. • The USA consists of 50 states. Most of the states border another state. Two states do not. Do you know which two states do not touch another US state?

11. State Riddles • Did you notice the Compass Rose on your map? Let’s have some fun with finding the states. Use your Compass Rose and listen to these clues: • I am south of Oklahoma and I begin with the letter T. • I am west of Utah and I begin with the letter N. • I am east of Connecticut and I am tiny!

12. Make you own riddles! • Now it’s your turn. Turn to your partner and together create a riddle for the rest of the class. Don’t forget to use the Compass Rose to help you with directions.

13. How does anyone ever learn all of the 50 states? That’s easy. They learn them by region.

14. The Northeast • Use your map to list the states in the Northeast. Start from the north and travel south. We should talk about our region first. Our region, or section of the country includes the largest city in the country. Can you guess what city that is?

15. Chapter 2 – U.S. Geography Let’s take a closer look at the geography of the U.S.A. and the individual states that make up our nation.

16. Physical Features If you traveled around the United States by car or by bus you would notice mountains, rivers, and flat plains. These are some physical features of the Earth. They are landforms or waterways made by nature, not by people. With a partner look at the Physical Map of the state of Minnesota. Then answer these questions: • What is the capital of Minnesota? • What physical feature borders Canada? • What physical feature is directly north of Bloomington. • Put an X over each lake. Why do you think Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 lakes?

17. Symbols of Physical Features On a map, physical features are indicated, or shown using symbols. Symbols are pictures that represent other real objects. The listing of the symbols and what they mean can be found in the map key. Look at the map key for the Map of Colorado. What symbols are used to indicate the physical features in that state? States are not flat they are three dimensional (3D). Colorado has many mountains that are very tall. At very high elevations, the air is thin and cold. Snow usually covers the peaks all year round. The plains are flat and perfect for farming. Look back at the map of Colorado. Circle all of the mountains. Why do you think many people travel to this state to ski? What might they grow in the Great Plains?

18. Are the physical features the same in every state?Physical features may be different depending on what region of the country you are in. Do you remember this map?

19. Climate and Natural Resources Climate Natural Resources People use many things from nature in their daily lives. These things are called natural resources. People use wood from trees to build houses. They use land and water to grow and gather food. Look back at your map of Minnesota. What might be one natural resource in that state? Remember, it has to come from nature. The geography of a place includes climate. Climate means what the weather in a place is like measured over time. Look back at the regional map. Which states would most likely have warmer temperatures, the Northeast or the South? Why do you think that?

20. Natural Resources and Jobs Is there a connection between a state’s natural resources and the jobs people have? Some states have physical features that support productsthat come from natural things. Farms can produce crops like corn. Farmers can also raise cows which provide milk or beef to eat. Farmers need to live and work in states where the land is fertile – good for farming. Look at the map of Wisconsin. What product provides work for people in that state. Natural resources are very valuable. They provide the people of the state and the country with things we need or use. To use these resources, we have to gather them. Gathering those resources takes time and a lot of hard work. Many people work in the industry of gathering natural resources. Look at the map of Alaska. What natural resources provide jobs for the people of that state?

21. Tourism and Attractions Tourism Man-Made Attractions Sometimes monuments or other buildings bring tourists to a state. People come to enjoy and learn from these monuments. Places like our nation’s capital and states like New York have many man-made attractions that bring in tourists from all over the world. Look at the map that shows the location of the Statue of Liberty. Many people visit the statue. How do you think they get there? What makes you say that? Now color the 3 boroughs of NYC red and color Liberty Island blue. People who travel for fun are called tourists. Tourists spend money to visit natural and man-made sights within a state. People work at these sights to make money. Look at the Tourist Map of California. What natural attractions draw, or bring tourists to this state?

22. Populations and Large Cities Where people live depends on if the place can provide what people need to live – a job, a home, and food. The amount of people living in one place is called its population. Look at the map of Wyoming. What large city is located nearest the state capital? The ten largest cities are listed alphabetically. Re-order the list by population with the city with the greatest population first. Many large cities were established hundreds of years ago. They began as little towns, usually near waterways, or later near railroad stations. Why do you think that is so? Look again at the map of Wyoming. What do you notice about most of the big cities?