THE M

IDW

EST UNIT

ED

STATE

S

F RO

M T

HE

GR

EA

T L

AK

ES

TO

TH

E G

RE

AT

PL A

I NS

LET’

S REVIE

W T

HE STA

TES

IN T

HE MID

WEST

!

Outline

the

Great

Pla

in s

tate

s in

RED

, Outli

ne th

e Gre

at

Lake

s st

ates

in G

REEN, a

nd col

or th

e Gre

at L

akes

in

Blue

!

The Great Plains

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

The Great Lakes

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

CAN YOU NAME THE MIDWEST STATES IN….

MATCH THE CORRECT GEOGRAPHY TERM TO THE DEFINITION

T E R M

Prairie

Badlands

Plains

D E F I N I T I O N

A large area of nearly flat land

Land in or predominantly in grass

A heavily eroded arid region with colorful, sculptured rock formation

LAB

EL T

HE W

ATER

FE

ATU

RES IN

TH

E

MID

WEST

Great LakesOhio RiverMississippi RiverMissouri RiverIllinois River

CLIMATE IN THE MIDWEST

Climate

Winters- cold and harsh, ‘Lake Effect’ snow (a phenomenon created when cold dry air passes over a large warmer lake, such as one of the Great Lakes, and picks up moisture and heat)

Summers- hot, humid with adequate rainfall and occasional droughts

The region is susceptible to strong thunderstorms and tornadoes during the summer months.

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THESE NATURAL RESOURCES FOUND IN THE MIDWEST?

• Fertile soil• Minerals- coal, granite, iron ore, limestone, gold, lead, • Oil• Natural Gas• Forests

MIDW

EST ECONOMIC

S

TO

P C

AR

EE

RS

IN

TH

E M

I DW

ES

T

EARLY SETTLEMENT

Lakota, Cheyenne, Pawnee, Shawnee (examples of native peoples in this region)

French trading posts and missions established along the Mississippi River system and the Great Lakes (1600s-1700s)

HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AND PLACES

Louisiana Purchase (1803)Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)Homestead Act of 1862 Transcontinental Railroad completed (1869)

CULTURAL

CHARACTERIS

TICS

THE M

IDW

EST IS

A L

ARGE FARMIN

G AND A

GRICULT

URAL

REGION D

UE TO W

IDE O

PEN S

PACES A

ND FERT

ILE S

OIL. IT

IS

OFTEN C

ALLED “A

MERICA’S

BREADBASKET.”

URBAN C

ENTERS G

REW U

P ALO

NG WAT

ERWAY

S AND

RAILROAD C

ENTERS.

IF YOU PLAN A TRIP TO THE MIDWEST, DON’T MISS….

Cleveland, OH

Bloomington, MN

Badlands - Black Hills SD

St. Louis , MO

Steamboatson the Mississippi River