Unit 2 Lesson 5

Crops  The first settlers leaving St. Louis headed west across the Great Plains. They began to farm the land and raise chickens, hogs, and cows.  Crops are plants used by people for food or other needs.

Natural Resource  A natural resource is something found in nature that people can use.  Trees, water, animals, and soil are natural resources.

Growing Season  The months in which crops can grow are called the growing season.  Growing seasons depend on the climate of a place.  The growing season is short in places with long and cold winters. The growing season is long in places with short and warm winters.

Omaha, Nebraska  Omaha, Nebraska is in the Great Plains.  The city grew because there were many resources for farming.

Minerals  A mineral is a resource found inside the Earth.  Some examples are: silver, gold, or iron.  Minerals can be used to make metal tools, glass, or jewelry.

Fuels  Fuels are also found inside the Earth.  Some examples are: coal and oil.  Fuels can be burned for heat and power to make machines work.

Mines and Oil Wells  People dug mines and drilled oil wells to get the resources from the Earth.  They sold minerals and fuels to make money.  They built communities near these resources. Towns near places with underground resources grew fast.

Ghost Towns  When the minerals and fuels ran out in towns, people left and the towns turned into ghost towns.  Ghost towns had buildings but no people.

Agriculture  Agriculture is the raising of crops and farm animals.  Many people make their living in agriculture.