The Southeast Region of the United States West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida

Everglades National Park, Florida A vast covers the southern tip of Florida. It is known as the Everglades. A swamp is a low area of land that is covered by water at least part of the year. Click to start the ride

More than 300 kinds of birds live in the Everglades. Alligators, crocodiles, turtles, snakes, and otters live in the park as well. Manatees also live in the Everglades

Everglades National Park, Florida Swamp: Low area of land that is covered by water at least part of the year Hurricane: A dangerous storm with heavy rains and high winds Click the swamp to see a video of the beautiful Everglades

Florida’s climate Florida is in a part of the United States call the Sun Belt. The Sun Belt stretches across the country from Florida to California. States in the Sun Belt have a mild climate all year long. A mild climate means that it is usually warm and sunny there.

Florida’s sunny climate makes it a popular place to visit. People from all over the world travel to Florida for vacations. People who travel for fun are called tourists. About 40 million tourists visit Florida every year. Some come to enjoy the sunshine and beach. Others come to visit places like Disney World.

John F. Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida Home of the space shuttle Alan Shepard was launched into space from Cape Canaveral. He was the first American in space. Click the space shuttle to see the launch

Virginia West Virginia

Map of the Southeast region

Jamestown, Virginia: England’s First American Colony Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in America. In 1607, 13 years before the pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement of the banks of Virginia's James River.. Ancestor: a relative who lived long ago

Jamestown, Virginia: England’s First American Colony They chose this spot because they could get the boast right up to land.

Jamestown, Virginia John Smith thought that this would be a good place to start a colony. He was WRONG! Land was swampy. Too many mosquitos. Colonists did not know how to find food in the forests. Every winter people died.

Jamestown, Virginia: England’s First American Colony Tobacco helped the colony make money. Other items in their economy – Copper, glass beads, timber. Click on the tobacco to view a video on the Economy of Jamestown

Jamestown, Virginia: England’s First American Colony Dutch trading ship came from Africa with 20 Africans, they were sold to the colonists as servants and slaves. This was the beginning of slavery. Ancestor: a relative who lived long ago C

Map of the Southeast region

A Coal Mine in Appalachia Minerals: Natural substances found in rocks Strip mines: Places where minerals are scraped from the surface of the ground.

Bluegrass Music Festival It is the traditional music of Appalachia. It is played on banjos, guitars, and fiddles. Click the instruments to hear some bluegrass music

Mississippi River Mississippi River longest river in North America

Tennessee Nashville is the Capital of Tennessee Nashville is a great musical place.

Mississippi River Boats Memphis is the center of the Mississippi

Musical Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is the center of the Mississippi Delta region Stretches from Kentucky and Arkansas to the mouth of the Mississippi River

Musical Memphis, Tennessee The soil is very fertile and good for farming. Slaves worked the farms and much of the land was used for cotton farming. Slave led a hard life and they would sing about their sorrows. These songs are known as the blues. Click the music to hear the song.

Louisiana New Orleans is the largest city in Louisiana

Louisiana Hurricane Katrina

The French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana It is an important port, where ships load and unload their goods. Birthplace of jazz and cajun food. Bayou: a stream that flows through a swamp. Click to hear a Brass Band Jazz

Dixieland Jazz Dixieland Jazz has brass instruments like the trumpet and trombone. Louis Armstrong is probably one of the best known trumpet players of Jazz. Click to hear a Dixieland Jazz

The French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana Louisiana’s nickname is the Bayou State Cajun food is hot and spicy Cajun Music is very popular too. Click to hear Cajun Music Cajun

Mississippi River The Mississippi river effects our economy Delta: a triangle- shaped area of land at the end of a river.

Mississippi River The Mississippi river flows from north western Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

An Oil Rig in the Gulf of Mexico Petroleum: A thick, black, oily liquid found underground Petrochemicals: Chemicals made from oil, used to make plastics and medicines. Oil spills can be very serious to our earth

An Oil Rig in the Gulf of Mexico Maps of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico

A Cotton Plantation in Natchez, Mississippi Plantation: A large farm Slaves worked the the land, and had no rights. President Abraham Lincoln believed slavery was wrong.

Civil War More than 600,000 people died in the Civil War. Many plantations were burned and many lost their lives, yet Slavery was ended forever.

Montgomery, Alabama: Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement Segregation: Separation of people because of race. Civil Rights Memorial honors 40 American soldiers who were killed during the civil rights movement

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement began as a struggle to end segregation. It started in Montgomery in That year, a preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr. led a protest against segregation on buses, and blacks refused to ride buses until they were treated the same as whites.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Was an important American who fought with is words and ideas against segregation. He wanted equal rights for all people. Click the picture to hear “I have a dream speech”