Describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location. SS8G1 Georgia’s Geography Describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location. SS8G1

Where are we? Take a moment and make a list of ways you can describe Georgia’s location locally, nationally, and globally. List on the board student responses.

Georgia’s location Southeast region of America. Northern and Western Hemisphere Latitude 30 ° 31’ and 35° N Longitude – 81° W to 85 ° 53’ W Instruct students to write this in their notes.

Earth is divided in half, along the equator, in to the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere

Earth is divided in half, along the Prime Meridian, into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Earth is divided in half, along the Prime Meridian, into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Western Eastern

Georgia is located in the southeastern region of the United States.

Georgia is surrounded by five states (Tennessee and North Carolina to the North, South Carolina to the East, Florida to the South, and Alabama to the West) as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

Relative location is Georgia’s location in relationship to the surrounding states.

To understand relative location, you simply need to know the four cardinal directions.

Between each cardinal direction is an intermediate direction:

What do you remember about… Quick Quiz!! Lesson One (SS8G1a) – Locate Georgia in relation to region, nation, continent, and hemispheres. What do you remember about… Georgia’s location??? 1.Is Georgia in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? _______________________ 2. Is Georgia in the Eastern or Western Hemisphere? _________________________ 3. On which continent is Georgia located? __________________________________ 4. Georgia is part of what nation? _________________________________________ 5. In what region of the nation (northwestern, northeastern, southwestern, southeastern) would you find Georgia? _____________________________________ 6. Which five states border Georgia? _______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Project 1. In your groups you will need to draw an outline of Georgia on a poster. 2. Label Atlanta with a star. 3. Label the following cities with a dot – Savannah, Augusta, Milledgeville, Buford, Lake Lanier, and Columbus Keep it neat because you will be adding more to your poster as the week goes by!

Cool physical features in Georgia!

Physical Feature - Fall Line The fall line stretches across Georgia. North of the fall line you will find red clay soil and people get their water from man made lakes. South of the fall line you will find sandy soil and people get their water from aquifers/wells.

Physical Feature - Okefenokee Swamp Second largest freshwater swamp in the US. Name means land of “trembling water.” Why do you think it was named this? Home to more than 1,OOO types of plants and animals.

Physical Feature - Appalachian Mountains Southern end of this mountain chains lies within Georgia’s Blue Ridge region. Gold mining is important to this region.

Physical Feature - Chattahoochee River Important river in the development of Georgia! Forms border between GA and AL. Major transportation artery used to transport cotton, textiles, and other goods. Provides hydroelectric power. Forms Lake Lanier!

Chattahoochee River Lake Lanier

Physical Features - Savannah River Forms border between GA and SC. Savannah provides an important deep water ocean port at the mouth of the river emptying into the Atlantic. Where colonization of GA began.

Savannah River

Physical Features - Barrier Islands Provides a natural boundary between the Atlantic Ocean and Georgia’s coast. Early home to the French. Today a popular tourist destination. Forts were built here to defend Georgia from the Spanish.

Barrier Islands

Quick Quiz What do you remember about… Georgia’s physical features??? ____ 1. This feature flows along GA’s eastern border. ____ 2. Gold was found in this area in the early 1800s. ____ 3. Forts were built here to defend GA’s early settlers. ____ 4. This area is a wildlife refuge for over 1000 species. ____ 5. This geographical boundary separates the Coastal Plain from the Piedmont. ____ 6. This major river provides drinking water and forms part of the state’s western border with Alabama. Fall Line B. Okefenokee Swamp C. Savannah River Chattahoochee River E. Appalachian Mtns. F. Barrier Islands

Project Label each of the important physical features in Georgia. Illustrate it in a way that it will help the you understand its importance. For example, swamp = alligator, River = boat for transportation, etc. You can also bring in yarn, fabric, items from nature etc. to help create you map.

7 Natural Wonders of Georgia

Amicalola Falls Video Highest waterfall east of the Mississippi. 729 feet tall Name means tumbling water.

Amicalola Falls

Okefenokee Swamp Video Notes already taken : )

Okefenokee Swamp

Providence Canyon Video Man made in the past 150 years due to erosion and poor farming techniques. Called Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon”

Providence Canyon

Radium Springs http://www.gpb.org/georgiatraveler/111-springs Constant 68 degrees 70,000 gallons a water a minute gush from this spring. Traces of radium Sacred to Native Americans.

Radium Springs

Stone Mountain Video 650 feet tall and 2 miles long. Largest Confederate Memorial. Made of granite.

Stone Mountain

Tallulah Gorge Video Deep gorge carved into rock with a series of waterfalls. Popular tourist attraction Sacred to the Native Americans.

Tallulah Gorge

Warm Springs Video Warm, mineral water was known as healing water. Made famous by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Water stays a constant 88 degrees.

Warm Springs

Project Label and illustrate each of the 7 natural wonders of Georgia on your map.

Georgia’s 5 Geographic Regions Appalachian Plateau Valley and Ridge Blue Ridge Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain Pass out individual copies of the maps of GA.

1. Geographic Regions – Appalachian Plateau Smallest region in Georgia. Located in northwest corner. Region is made up of narrow valleys and wooded ridges. Only source of fossil fuel (coal) in Georgia.

2. Geographic Region – Valley and Ridge This area consists of several mountain ridges and valleys created between them. Mining and farming are the main industries in this region.

3. Geographic Region – Blue Ridge Mountains Southernmost point of the Appalachian Mountains. Brasstown Bald (highest point in GA) is located in this region. First US gold rush took place here in 1828.

4. Geographic Region - Piedmont Most populated region. Used to be home to many cotton plantations but today industry leads the economy. Buford is in this region!

5. Geographic Region – Coastal Plain Peanut, cotton, and vegetable farming takes place in this region. Largest region in Georgia.

Quick Quiz What do you remember about… Georgia’s physiographic regions??? _____ 1. Contains GA’s highest peak, Brasstown Bald A. Piedmont _____ 2. Contains most of GA’s peanut and cotton farms B. Valley & Ridge _____ 3. The smallest physiographic region C. Coastal Plain _____ 4. Has GA’s highest amount of annual rainfall D. Blue Ridge _____ 5. The most populated of GA’s regions. E. Appalachian Plateau _____ 6. Contains mountain ridges with valleys between _____ 7. Contains GA’s only source of a fossil fuel (coal) _____ 8. The location of GA’s capital and largest city _____ 9. The largest of GA’s regions, in terms of land area

Georgia’s Climate Georgia’s mild climate effects the state in many ways: 1. Because of the mild temperatures, Georgia has a longer growing season than most northern states. It also has the perfect amount of annual rainfall to support tobacco, peanut, cotton, and lumber farming. FOR MOST OF ITS HISTORY, GEORGIA’S ECONOMY WAS BUILT ON FARMING (also called agriculture)!!!

Georgia’s mild climate effects the state in many ways: 2. The cool summers and cold winters in the mountains attract hikers and skiers. (money/tourism)

Georgia’s mild climate effects the state in many ways: 3. Beach-goers and people escaping cold northern winters will often come to Georgia’s coastal plains. (money/tourism)

Georgia’s mild climate effects the state in many ways: 4. Georgia and it’s neighbor states in the South are part of a warm region of the United States called the Sun Belt. The warm climate has attracted many major corporations to relocate to Georgia.

Show what you know. Based off of what you know regarding Georgia’s location, physiographic regions, physical features and climate, how has Georgia’s LOCATION affected Georgia’s culture, economy, and development???

Project In your groups creatively label each region of Georgia. You can use symbols, craft supplies, illustrations etc. to help you to do this.