1. Landforms and Bodies of Water
Social Studies Unit 1 Vocabulary

2. Mountains
Mountains are the tallest landforms. They are high and steep. Often, they are covered with snow or ice.

3. Hills
Hills are high and often rounded. Sometimes, hill have sides that are steep, but they are not as high or steep as mountains.

4. Plateau
A plateau is a large area with steep sides and a flat top.

5. Plains
Plains are large areas of mostly flat, dry land

6. Oceans (seas)
Oceans are large bodies of water. They cover most of Earth’s surface.

7. Lakes
Lakes are bodies of water that are surrounded by land.

8. Rivers
Rivers are moving bodies of water that flow into lakes, gulfs, or oceans.

9. Tributary
A tributary is a type of river that flows into another river instead of into a lake or ocean.

10. Delta
A delta is an area where a river flows into an ocean. A delta is formed with the dirt and small rocks carried by a river. The sediment piles up where the river meets the ocean.

11. Island
An island is a piece of land with water an all sides.

12. Peninsula
A peninsula is land with water on three sides.

13. Isthmus
An isthmus is a thin piece of land that connects two larger pieces of land. An isthmus has water on two sides.

14. Volcano
A volcano is a type of mountain that sometimes releases melted rock, gas, and ash from deep inside the earth.

15. Gulf
A gulf is a small body of water that is part of a bigger body of water.

16. Swamp
A swamp is a collection of water in an area of low land.

17. Marsh
A marsh is a collection of flood water in an area of low land.

18. Wetlands
Wetlands are larger areas made up of swamps and marshes.

19. Strait
A strait is a long, thin body of water between two pieces of land. A straight joins two other bodies of water.

20. Coast
The coast is land next to an ocean.

21. Desert
A desert has hot, dry land with little rain.

22. Valley
A valley is low land between mountains.

23. Canyon
A canyon is a deep, narrow valley, with steep sides.

24. Basin
A basin is low, bowl-shaped land, with higher ground all around it.

25. Fertile
Fertile land is rich, and the soil is suitable for growing things.

26. Gorge
A gorge is a deep, narrow valley with steep rocky sides. Often a gorge has a stream flowing through it.