1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. 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

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

11. Growing Season: Number of frost-free days

12. Water balance: Enough water to grow trees

13. 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.

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

15. Terrain: Mountains, Plains

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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.

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

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

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

22. 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

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

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

25. 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.

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

27. 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.

28. Growing Season: Number of frost-free days

29. Growing Season: Number of frost-free days

30. Terrain: Mountains, Plains

31. Terrain: Mountains, Plains

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

33. 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

34. 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

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

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

37. 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

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

39. 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

40. 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

41. 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

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

43. 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

44. 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

45. 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)

46. 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?

47. Corn Production in the United States

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

49. 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

50. 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.

51. Rice Production in the United States

52. Wheat Production in the United States

53. Cotton Production in the United States

54. 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:

55. 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..

56. 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.

57. 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

58. 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.

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

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

61. Interstate Highways and Markets (Largest urban areas)

62. Interstate Highways and Markets (Clusters of population)