1. Human Characteristics of United States Unit 2 Lesson 3

2. 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).
4 - G1.0.4: Use geographic tools and technologies, stories, songs, and pictures to answer geographic questions about the United States.

3. Networks Special Purpose Maps Cities Places
Graphic Organizer
Human Characteristics of the United States
Transportation
Networks
Special Purpose Maps
Cities
Specific
Places
Example:
Interstate Highway System
Examples:
· Cities map
· Highway map
· Tourist map
· Size of cities
· Reasons for location
· Buildings
· Monuments
· Tourist Sites
Connections between human characteristics and physical characteristics

4. Make inferences about this map. (Think about what you notice.)

5. • Tourist areas often are built near unique physical characteristics like the Grand Canyon.
• These areas include places to shop, stay, eat and view the physical feature.
• A transportation system into the area is created. This can include roads, railways and trails.

6. human characteristics geographic features that were made by people
Word Cards
Word Cards from previous lessons needed for this lesson:
Fundamental Themes of Geography – Word Card #1 from Lesson 1
Place – Word Card #1 from Lesson 2 1
human characteristics
geographic features that were made by people
Example: Roads, bridges, and cities are human characteristics. 2
transportation network
a system of roads, rail lines, ferry service, and other methods of connecting places
Example: The system is part of the transportation network in the .

7. Physical Characteristic Related Human Characteristic
Connecting Physical and Human Characteristics
Physical Characteristic
Related Human Characteristic
Mountain range
Plain
Coastal plain
River
Valley
Ocean

8. Physical Characteristic Related Human Characteristic
Connecting Physical and Human Characteristics – Sample Answers
Physical Characteristic
Related Human Characteristic
Mountain range
mine
ski resort
tunnel
Plain
farms
towns
highways
Coastal plain
beach resort
amusement park
port cities

9. River
cities
dams
bridges
levees
locks
Valley
farms
highways
Ocean
amusement park
port cities
lighthouses

10. City Search
Directions: Use the map at the following website to help you answer these questions:
1. According to the map how many U.S. cities have over 1,000,000 people?
2. What are these cities?
3. What are four states that have no major cities according to this map?
4. Why do you think this is true?
5. Directions: Click on a variety of cities and find 4 examples of a physical characteristic that influenced the location and/or growth of the city.

11. City Search – Sample Answers
Directions: Use the map at the following website to help you answer these questions:
1. According to the map how many U.S. cities have over 1,000,000 people? 9
2. What are these cities?
Los Angeles San Diego Phoenix
Dallas Houston San Antonio
New York Philadelphia Chicago
3. What are four states that have no major cities according to this map?
Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Vermont, New Hampshire
4. Why do you think this is true?
Answers will vary.
5. Directions: Click on a variety of cities and find 4 examples of a physical characteristic that influenced its founding and/or growth of the city.

12. Physical characteristic
City
Physical characteristic
Located where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains
Located on the
Where the Mississippi River meets the gulf of Mexico
Along a beach in the coastal plain
Located where three rivers meet
In a mountain area
Along a river

13. Make inferences about the highway system.

14. • Interstate 80 goes across most of the United States.
• Many interstate highways run north/south or east/west.
• There are more interstate highways in the eastern part of the United States than in the western part.
• Often the interstate highways do not run along coastal areas. An exception is Highway 95 in Florida.
• Interstate 80 goes across most of the United States.
• Interstate 75 goes from Michigan to southern Florida.
• No Interstate highway connects Alaska with the rest of the states.

15. Human Characteristics of the United States
Mt. Rushmore
Gateway Arch
Disney World
Statue of Liberty
Golden Gate Bridge
Washington Monument
The White House
Crazy Horse Memorial
Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial
Sears Tower
Empire State Building
Hoover Dam
Washington National Cathedral
New Orleans

16. Trans Alaskan Pipeline The Alamo John F. Kennedy International Airport
Black Thunder Mine
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel
Mesa Verde National Park
California Highway One
Aspen Ski Resort
Seattle Space Needle
Yankee Stadium
Lombard Street, San Francisco
Arlington National Cemetery
The Mall of America
National Observatory
Grand Central Station,

17. Human Characteristic Location Date Constructed Purpose
Research Chart
Human Characteristic
Location
Date Constructed
Purpose
Other Information
Illustration

18. Big Ideas of Lesson 3, Unit 2
Big Ideas Card
Big Ideas of Lesson 3, Unit 2
Geographers use physical and human characteristics to describe what a place is like.
Human characteristics of a place are man-made features.
Human characteristics of a place can include cities, highways, bridges, and buildings.
Human characteristics are often closely connected to physical characteristics. For example, cities are often located near bodies of water and farms are often located in prairies.

19. References
Disney World. 7 October 2008 <
The Gateway Arch. 7 October 2008 <
Golden Gate Bridge. 7 October 2008 <
Mount Rushmore. 7 October 2008 <
Trans Alaska Pipeline. 7 October 2008 <
U.S. Cities Interactive Map. 7 October 2008 <
Teacher Resource
Egbo, Carol. Supplemental Materials (Unit 2, Lesson 3).Teacher-made material. Michigan Citizenship Collaborative, 2008.
Grand Canyon South Rim Village Map. 7 October 2008 <
United States Interstate Highways Map. 7 October 2008 <