1. Chapter 3
Regions Around You

2. Understanding Regions
Lesson 1
Understanding Regions
Objectives
Understand how and why people divide places into regions
Explain how transportation and communication connect regions

3. What are regions?
Because of all the different landforms, climates, countries, people, and industries that are part of the world, it is difficult to describe them all at the same time. This is why people divide the world into regions.
Regions: an area with at least one feature that makes it different from other areas.

4. Regions may be large or small
A Variety of Regions
There are many kinds of regions in the United States.
Urban
Coastal
Spanish speaking
Rural
Desert
Mining
Regions may be large or small

5. Regions Depend on One Another
Regions differ, but they still depend on one another.
Interdependence: people and places depending on one another for resources, products, and services
For example: animals in a desert region may
depend on rivers that flow out of a mountain
region.

6. Kinds of Regions 4 types of Regions Political Physical Economic
Cultural

7. Political Regions Physical Regions
A place where people share a government.
Physical Regions
Based on natural features.
Features include: landforms, rivers, climates.
May also be based on natural vegetation: plant life that grows in an area

8. Based on the way people in an area use resources to meet their needs.
Econoic Regions
Based on the way people in an area use resources to meet their needs.
Cultural Regions
Area where people share certain ways of life (religion, language, ethnic group)
Ethnic group: people from the same country or people with a shared way of life

9. Regions Change and Connect
Regions change and develop over time. Changes are caused by natural events or when people modify, or change the environment to meet their needs.
People change Regions
The United States started with 13 states now there are 50.
People Connect Regions
Technology: the way people use knowledge and tools to make or do something
Communication: the way people send and receive information.

10. Summary
Dividing places into political, physical, cultural, and economic regions makes it easier to understand the world. People change and connect regions. Homework: Social Studies workbook page 21

11. Compare and contrast the political regions in the United States
Lesson 2
United States Regions
Objectives
Compare and contrast the political regions in the United States
Understand the three levels of government and the services that each level provides

12. Our Country’s Regions
The United States is made up of 50 states. Each state is a political region with exact borders.
The five Regions
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
West

13. The National Capital Washington, D.C. is our nations capital.
It is called a federal district
It is not part of any state

14. Regions Within a State
Counties Every state is divided into political regions called counties. Louisiana: parishes Alaska: boroughs The town or city that is the center of a county's government is the county seat Cities Municipial: city government

15. The Federal Government
Government Services
The United States has 3 levels of government:
Federal
State
Local
Each level collects taxes to pay for services
that it provides to people.
The Federal Government
Oversees postal service
Makes treaties, agreements between groups or countries

16. Government Services State Government
Provide services for the people who live in their state
Take care of state roads and parks
Oversee public schools and state college and universities
Local Government
Provide services to people in their communities
Build and repair local streets
Provide police and fire protection
Oversee libraries and public schools
In charge of local elections

17. Government Services Special Districts Voting districts
School districts
Police districts

18. Lesson 3 United States Regions Objectives
Locate and describe political regions in North America
Compare and contrast the physical features of North America’s regions

19. Canada North America’s largest region
Divides nation into 13 political regions.
Ten are called province: a political region similar to a state in the United States
Three are territories: an area owned and governed by a county
Border we Share
Canada and the United States share the worlds
longest unprotected border.

20. Mexico Like the United States, Mexico is made up of states
More than 100 million people live in Mexico
Most Mexicans live in cities, such as Mexico City
Rio Grande: this river forms much of the border between Mexico and the United States

21. Central America and the Caribbean
Part of North America
Made up of a narrow strip of land that connects North and South America
Divided into 7 countries
The Caribbean
Made up of hundreds of islands
Island of Puerto Rico and U.S Virgin Island are both commonwealths; they are territories of the United States but governs itself.
People who are citizens of Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands are also US citizens

22. Land and Climate
Central America and the Caribbean are both located in the tropics, an area around the equator that has a warm climate all year.
Because of the warmth and large amounts of rain, much of the land is covered by rain forest, a wet area, usually warm, in which tall trees, vines, and other plants grow close together.

23. Greenland The last region of North America
Located off the Northeast coast of Canada
The world’s biggest island
Nearly all of it is a tundra, flat treeless plain that stays mostly frozen