United States in Spatial Terms Where is the United States Located United States in Spatial Terms Where is the United States Located? Unit 2 Lesson 1

Content Expectations 4 - G1.0.2: Use cardinal and intermediate directions to describe the relative location of significant places in the United States. 4 - G1.0.3: Identify and describe the characteristics and purposes (e.g., measure distance, determine relative location, classify a region) of a variety of geographic tools and technologies (e.g., globe, map, satellite image). Integrated GLCE’s W.PR.04.02: Apply a variety of pre-writing strategies for both narrative and informational writing (e.g., graphic organizers such as maps, webs, Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and structure ideas (e.g., plot, setting, conflicts/resolutions, definition/description, or chronological sequence).

E nvironment Interaction L ocation P lace Think like a Geographer What questions might a geographer might ask about the United States? M ovement R egions H uman/ E nvironment Interaction L ocation P lace

the five themes of geography 1 the five themes of geography five big ideas that help people understand geography Example: Location is one of the five themes of geography.

political boundaries lines that define the border of a country or state Example: There is a political boundary between the and countries.

Label the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Describe the relative location of the United States using political boundaries.

where a place is located in relation to other places location the geographic theme that answers the question “Where is it?” Example: Maps can be used to find out the location of a place. relative location where a place is located in relation to other places Example: The United Stated is located north of the country of Mexico.

Possible answers include: • The United States borders Mexico and Canada. • The United States is located mostly north of Mexico. • The United States is located mostly south of Canada. • The United States is located between Canada and Mexico.

continent one of the seven large landmasses of the Earth Example: The United States is part of the continent of North America .

a region created when the Earth is divided in half hemisphere a region created when the Earth is divided in half Example: The Earth can be divided into the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere. It can also be divided into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The Northern Hemisphere The Western Hémisphère

Look at map of globe in social studies book. Make inferences about the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemispheres. (What do you notice?)

• All of North America is in the Northern hemisphere. • More countries are in the Northern hemisphere than the Southern hemisphere. • The North Pole is in the Northern hemisphere and the South Pole is in the Southern hemisphere. • All of North America is in the Northern hemisphere. • Most of South America is in the Southern hemisphere. • There are some countries that are partly in the Northern hemisphere and partly in the Southern hemisphere.

Outline Map of North America

Equator an imaginary line that divides the Earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres Example: The is located north of the equator.

Prime Meridian an imaginary line that divides the Earth into Western and Eastern Hemispheres Example: The United States is located west of the Prime Meridian

Describe the relative location of the United States using the Prime Meridian and the concept of hemisphere. Example: The United States is located west of the Prime Meridian

Using the globe or map of “The Western Hemisphere,” make inferences about the Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemispheres. What do you notice?

Possible answers include: • Fewer countries are in the Western Hemisphere than the Eastern Hemisphere. • All of North America is in the Western Hemisphere. • A section of the western part of Africa is in the Western Hemisphere. • All of Asia is in the Eastern Hemisphere.

9 absolute location the location of a point on the Earth by use of a grid system Example: We can find the absolute location of a place by using a globe.

We use imaginary lines called longitude and latitude to find absolute location.

Where is the United States Graphic Organizer Where is the United States located? Continent Political Boundaries Hemisphere Equator Prime Meridian Northern Western North America Mostly North of Mexico Mostly South of Canada

Using political boundaries Describing the Relative Location of the United States By continent   Using political boundaries By hemisphere Using the equator Using the Prime Meridian Think of one more way to describe the relative location of the U.S. 

Describing the Relative Location of the United States – Sample Answers By continent The is located on the continent of North America. Using political boundaries The is north of Mexico. The is south of Canada. By hemisphere The is located in the Northern Hemisphere. The is located in the . Using the equator The is north of the equator. Using the Prime Meridian The is west of the Prime Meridian. Think of one more way to describe the relative location of the   The United States is located west of Europe and Africa.

Questions Geographers Ask Theme Questions Location Where is it? What is its absolute location? What is its relative location? Place What is it like there? What are its natural characteristics? What are its human characteristics?

Human/Environment Interaction How do people interact with the environment? How have people used the environment? How have people adapted to the environment? How have people modified or changed the environment?

Movement How is the place connected to other places? How and why have people, goods, and ideas moved in and out of the place? Regions How might common geographic characteristics help us understand this place? How can the place be divided into regions? To what regions does the place belong?

Big Ideas of Lesson 1, Unit 2 Big Ideas Card Big Ideas of Lesson 1, Unit 2 Location is where a place is on the Earth’s surface. Geographers investigate both the absolute and relative location of places. A variety of geographic representations including maps and globes can help answer the question: Where is the located? The United States is located on the continent of North America. The United States is located on the planet of the Earth. It is also located in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. The equator and the Prime Meridian are used to define the hemispheres of Earth.

References Egbo, Carol. Supplemental Materials (Unit 2, Lesson 1). Teacher-made material. Michigan Citizenship Collaborative, 2008. The Northern Hemisphere. Wikimedia Commons. 7 October 2008 <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Northern_Hemisphere_LamAz.png>. Outline Map of North America. About.com. 7 October 2008 <http://geography.about.com/library/blank/namerica.jpg>. The Western Hemisphere. Wikimedia Commons. 7 October 2008 <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Western_Hemisphere_LamAz.png>.