Marty Mater and Phil Gersmehl Michigan Geographic Alliance Big Idea: REGIONS in the U. S. WHERE and WHY? Marty Mater and Phil Gersmehl Michigan Geographic Alliance

Big Idea: REGIONS in the U. S. Objectives: The student will Describe characteristics of natural regions Divide United States into major regions Explain relationship between physical characteristics and human activities

Big Idea: REGIONS in the U. S. National Geography Standards The World in Spatial Terms: Use maps…and spatial thinking to understand and communicate information. Places and Regions: That people create regions to interpret Earth’s complexity.

Big Idea: REGIONS in the U. S. Region A geographic “BIG IDEA” that can help us organize our knowledge about the United States

There are many kinds of regional maps Definition: a region is a group of places that are like each other and close to each other There are many kinds of regional maps Economic regions Voting regions Sports regions Forest regions Language regions

There is no such thing as “the” Definition: a region is a group of places that are like each other and close to each other There is no such thing as “the” regions of a state, country, or continent. The US has been divided into many regions. Click on the map to see a few different ways to “regionalize” the US

natural characteristics Definition: a region is a group of places that are like each other and close to each other We will use natural characteristics to regionalize the US

Canada Great Lakes Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Mexico Gulf of Mexico Work Map Canada Great Lakes Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Mexico Gulf of Mexico

Definition: a region is a group of places that are like each other and close to each other Natural characteristics can make it advantageous or disadvantageous to live in an area. TERRAIN: Mountains Plains WATER BALANCE: Enough water to grow trees GROWING SEASON: Number of frost-free days

Terrain: Mountains, Plains Great Plains Mountains. Rocky Mountains. Sierra Appalachian Mountains.

Growing Season: Number of frost-free days

Water balance: Enough water to grow trees

Definition: a region is a group of places that are like each other and close to each other If you draw a line around the places, the result is a regional map. Why do we make regional maps? Because it is usually easier to remember the general shape of a region, rather than the locations of many individual places. Let’s look at how to make a simple regional map to help us remember the environments in the United States.

Terrain: Mountains, Plains The Western Region of high mountains and deep valleys The Eastern Region of worn-down mountains and nearly flat plains

Terrain: Mountains, Plains

Consequences of the terrain Western Region or Eastern Region? Most of the land is more than a mile above sea level It is easier to build roads and railroads There are more big tunnels, steep slopes, and spectacular views Most valuable metal mines are here Most deposits of fossil fuels are here Most of the good food-producing land is here Most of the major earthquakes and all of the active volcanoes occur here

Earthquakes and volcanoes More than a mile above sea level Terrain: Mountains, Plains Valuable mines Earthquakes and volcanoes Fossil fuels More than a mile above sea level Roads and Railroads Tunnels, slopes, views Food producers

Definition: a region is a group of places that are like each other and close to each other Our first line was drawn based on terrain. Now we’ll use the idea of Growing SeasoN to divide the area into places with enough frost-free days to grow crops.

Growing Season: Number of frost-free days Very few farms Many farms Atlantic Ocean

Growing Season: Number of frost-free days Very few farms Many farms

Growing Season: Number of frost-free days Very few farms Many farms

Definition: a region is a group of places that are like each other and close to each other Our second line used Growing SeasoN Our first line was drawn based on terrain Now we’ll use WATER BALANCE to show the line that separates places that have more precipitation than trees need from places that have less

Semi-arid Great Plains Water balance: Enough water to grow trees Semi-arid Great Plains Rainy East

Semi-arid Great Plains Water balance: Enough water to grow trees Semi-arid Great Plains Rainy East

Consequences of water balance Semi-Arid or Rainy East?   People grow crops such as corn, soybeans, and vegetables. People grow short grasses like wheat and barley. People grow tree crops like apples, pears, cherries, and even oranges and grapefruit. People are more likely to need to irrigate, if they have a water source. There is always a danger of drought, which can kill the crops. Surplus water can make rivers or lakes. Rivers start in the mountains and actually get smaller as they flow. Rivers tend to get larger as they flow toward the ocean.

Water balance: Enough water to grow trees Rivers get smaller irrigate apples, pears drought short grasses Corn, soybeans rivers get larger rivers or lakes

Definition: a region is a group of places that are like each other and close to each other Our first line was drawn based on terrain Our second line used Growing SeasoN Our third line used water balance Now we’ll use GROWING SEASON again to show the line that separates places that have more than 7 months of frost-free days.

Growing Season: Number of frost-free days

Growing Season: Number of frost-free days

Terrain: Mountains, Plains

Terrain: Mountains, Plains

Growing Season: Number of frost-free days 4-7 Months 7+ months

Consequences of Frost-free months People spend more money for heating People spend more money for air-conditioning Dead leaves and roots decay slowly, making soil rich in nutrients Dead leaves and roots decay quickly, making soil red or orange in color, and unable to store water or fertilizer as well Trees grow faster, so there are many managed forests Glaciers left many scattered lakes and swamps

Scattered Lakes and swamps Expensive Air Conditioning Growing Season: Number of frost-free days Rich Soils High Heating Scattered Lakes and swamps Managed Forests Soil can’t hold water Expensive Air Conditioning

Look at the lines on your map. Let’s Review - and name our regions Look at the lines on your map.

Western Mountain Region Can you remember the lines and what they mean?.. Western Mountain Region

Western Mountain Region younger rocks, earthquakes, high mountains, dry lowlands, rainy slopes with forests, snow on the highest peaks, ski resorts, metal mines, scattered cities, national parks

Western Mountain Region Can you remember the lines and what they mean?.. Northern Cold Region Western Mountain Region

Northern cold region older rocks, low hills or plains, many lakes, dense forests of slow-growing needleleaf trees OR treeless tundra in places with really short summers, very few people, few roads, some mines, oil wells

Great Plains Grassland Region Western Mountain Region Can you remember the lines and what they mean?.. Northern Cold Region Great Plains Grassland Region Western Mountain Region

Great Plains Grassland Region young rocks, flat plains or low hills, dry creeks, grassland, bison (buffalo), cattle ranches, some wheat fields, some irrigated areas, scattered towns, oil wells, occasional tornadoes

Can you remember the lines and what they mean?.. Northern Cold Region Great Plains Grassland Region Great Lakes Farm/Forest Region Western Mountain Region

Great Lakes Forest/Farm/Factory Region warm summers, cold winters, plains or low hills, hardwood forest, corn fields, dairy cows, cities on rivers or next to Great Lakes, many small towns with factories

Can you remember the lines and what they mean?.. Northern Cold Region Great Plains Grassland Region Great Lakes Farm/Forest Retion Western Mountain Region Southern Plantation/Pine Region

Southern Plantation / Pine Region long summers, mild winters, fast-growing forest, red soil, cotton plantations, slavery, Civil War, sharecroppers, boll weevil, planted pines, paper mills, some new factories (e.g., cars)

Using regions to explain human characteristics Would knowing about the physical characteristics of our regions help you describe some requirements for growing cotton, corn or wheat? Using maps of the physical characteristics of our regions, can you explain why humans decided to use the land for growing certain crops?

Corn Production in the United States

REGIONS IN THE United States REGIONS IN THE US REGIONS IN THE United States Outline the “region” of crop production in the United States.

REGIONS IN THE United States Also use some place names. 2. Describe the area you outlined by using some of the following words: near, next to, inside, west, east, south, north, northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest Bodies of Water Countries States

REGIONS IN THE United States REGIONS IN THE US 3. Describe terrain of your crop region. 4. Describe the water balance in your crop region. 5. Describe the growing season of your crop region.

Rice Production in the United States

Wheat Production in the United States

Cotton Production in the United States

Putting it all together: So What? Putting it all together: Knowing the approximate location of these four lines can help us organize a lot of other knowledge about environments in North America…. If we remember:

They are generalizations based on measurements and human choices Regions can help us organize knowledge… Regional lines are not “real.” BUT They are generalizations based on measurements and human choices about what criteria are important..

Regionalization The process of dividing a large area into smaller areas that consist of groups of places that have important features in common. It can help us organize a lot of other useful information about our country.

Can you remember the lines and what they mean?.. Northern Cold Region Great Plains Grassland Region Great Lakes Farm/Forest Retion Western Mountain Region Southern Plantation/Pine Region

REGIONS IN THE United States REGIONS IN THE US REGIONS IN THE United States Choose at least one of the human characteristics on the following maps. 2. Write at least two questions relating your crop to a characteristic shown on these maps.

Markets for food crops: Symbols show largest urban areas. New York Chicago Los Angeles

Markets: Clusters of dots show large urban areas. Chicago New York Los Angeles

Interstate Highways and Markets (Largest urban areas)

Interstate Highways and Markets (Clusters of population)