8 Physical Regions of USA!

Coastal Plain

AppalachianMountains

Canadian Shield

Canadian Shield

Interior Lowlands

Great Plains

Rocky Mountains

Basin and Range

Coastal Ranges

___ Coastal Plain A. Rugged mountains along the Pacific Coast that stretch from California to Canada. Contains fertile valleys

___ Rocky Mountains B. Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Broad lowland providing many excellent harbors 

___ Basin & Ridge C. Located west of Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades. Area of varying elevations containing isolated mountain ranges and Death Valley, the lowest point in North America  

___ Coastal Range D. Located west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin and Range. Rugged mountains stretching from Alaska almost to Mexico; high elevations. Contains the Continental Divide, which determines the directional flow of rivers

___ Great Plains E. Wrapped around Hudson Bay in a horseshoe shape. Hills worn by erosion and hundreds of lakes carved by glaciers. Holds some of the oldest rock formations in North America

___ Appalachian Mountains F. Located west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Great Plains. Rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river valleys, and grassy hills

___ Canadian Shield G. Located west of Interior Lowlands and east of the Rocky Mountains. Flat land that gradually increases in elevation westward; grasslands 

___ Interior Lowlands H. Located west of Coastal Plain extending from eastern Canada to western Alabama; includes the Piedmont. Old, eroded mountains (oldest mountain range in North America)  

InnovationsSeveral innovations have helped to change

our country for the betterEisenhower Interstate SystemHoover DamErie Canal

System of Interstate and Defense Highways (Eisenhower Interstate System)

Developed by Dwight D. Eisenhower administration in 1956

Was first envisioned as a way to transport military equipment and evacuate cities

Later became important for national travel

Interstate FactsMost traveled

I-405 in L.A. with 390,000 vehicles/dayHighest elevation

I-70 at Continental Divide in Colorado (11,158 ft)Longest

I-90 is 3,024 miles from Seattle to BostonMost states served

I-95 serves 15 states from Maine to FloridaMost interstates in a state

New York has 29 different interstates

Hoover Dam

Erie Canal

InstructionsFind a partnerCome to the front to get your packetAnswer on YOUR OWN PAPER!!! (not

complete sentences)You only need to turn in 1 paper per group

InstructionsFind a partnerCome to the front to get your packetAnswer on YOUR OWN PAPER!!! (not complete

sentences)Each person should do 1 packet(either Hoover Dam or

Erie Canal).When finished, discuss with your partner and each

person will write a paragraph explaining which is a more beneficial example of human-environmental interaction to the development of the U.S.

Then staple your papers together before you leave to turn in

Columbian ExchangeExchange of goods, crops, cultures, and

diseases between the eastern and western hemisphere during the 17th century

American TemptationThe U.S. has long been a beacon for others to

followU.S. Constitution has been replicated many

timesIts abundance of resources and economic

potential has lured immigrants for centuries

Immigration boomsSeveral large influxes of immigrants have

occurred throughout our historyLarge Asian immigration during early and mid

19th century Many lured by gold rush and railroad construction

Large European immigration during late 19th century Coincided with industrial revolution

Large Hispanic immigration during late 20th century Civil wars and economic troubles pushed many out

Points of entryEllis Island (New York)

Angel Island (San Francisco)

UrbanizationMany of the immigrants moved to urban

areas such as New York and ChicagoMany jobs were there due to industrializationRoaring Twenties were the height of the urban

lifestyle

Roaring 20’s letterUsing 5-10 examples of twenties slang, write

a letter to your parents who live in the rural areas of Kansas. Tell them how different life is and how your life has changed. Underline or highlight the examples of 20’s slang. This should be at least ½ page.

UrbanizationDue to the large increase in population,

America became an urbanized society during the early 20th centuryToday, urban sprawl is a growing problem

Urbanization Journal EntryWith the growing urban areas in the U.S.,

what are some good and bad consequences of becoming a more urbanized country? Explain in a paragraph.

Population distributionMost Americans (80%) live in urban or

suburban areasRapid growth has led to urban sprawl in

many placesAlbuquerque, NM#32 – 545,852

Atlanta, GA#40 – 420,003

Sun BeltSouthern United States has seen a rapid increase over the past 50 years.Why???

1960 2010

1. New York New York

2. Chicago Los Angeles

3. Los Angeles Chicago

4. Philadelphia Houston

5. Detroit Philadelphia

6. Baltimore Phoenix

7. Houston San Antonio

8. Cleveland San Diego

9. Washington, D.C.

Dallas

10. St. Louis San Jose

St. Louis Dallas

Washington, D.C. Los Angeles

San Antonio New York

Baltimore Cleveland

San Jose Houston

Philadelphia Phoenix

San Diego Chicago

Detroit

Problems in U.S.Terrorism

Foreign and domesticPoverty

15.1% living in poverty (2010) Single individual - $11,344 Single Parent w/ 1 child - $15,030 Two adults w/ 1 child - $17,552

“Melting Pot” vs. “Mosaic”

For many years, U.S. was referred to as a “melting pot”Many different ingredients mixed into a large

potRecently, the term “mosaic” has begun to be

usedMany different “tiles” assembled together to

form one whole picture

U.S. mosaicCreate a list of 10 pictures you would put into

your U.S. mosaic. In other words, what 10 individual things

could you assemble to help create the U.S. as a whole?

Write an explanation for each.