United States Physical Political - Lesson 1

Maps, Symbols and Legends


Objectives: To interpret maps by using symbols found in the map legend. Symbols are the dots, lines and patterns used to represent natural and people-made features on maps.
 
 
Materials Needed: A pencil and your map.



Lesson

Maps Represent the World

A map is a drawing created to represent the world or a part of the world's surface. Maps show where physical or natural features, such as lakes and mountains, are found. They also show where human or political features, such as cities and country boundaries, are located.

Symbols are used to represent the features shown on maps.

Map makers do not want people to guess about the meaning of symbols used on maps. For this reason most maps include a key or legend. The map legend lists the symbols used on the map and tells us what the symbols represent. Examining the map legend will help you understand the meaning of the symbols used on that map.

Look at the map of the United States. Find the legend. The legend lists some of the symbols used on the map. It also explains what these symbols mean.

Dot Symbols

The United States map legend shows that six dot-like symbols are used to represent the locations and population of cities.

Use the six dot population symbols found in the United States map legend to answer the following questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

  1. Are there any cities in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, or Oklahoma with a population of over 1,000,000? ________________________________________

  2. What is the largest city in Arizona? ______________________________________

  3. What Texas cities have more than 1,000,000 people? ____________________________________________________________

    What Texas city has a population of 500,000 to 1,000,000 people? _____________________

  4. What are the two largest cities in Arkansas? ____________________ and ____________________

  5. What are the three largest cities in New Mexico? ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

  6. What are the two largest cities in Idaho? ____________________ and ____________________

  7. List the four cities in Washington with populations of more that 50,000 people? ____________________ __________________ __________________ __________________
    Which of these cities is the largest? __________________

Line Symbols

The United States legend shows that several different line symbols are used to represent canals, dams, country boundaries and state boundaries. For example, country boundaries are represented by red lines made up of one long dash and two short dashes. State boundaries are represented by red lines made up of one long dash and one short dash.

Use the state boundary symbol in the United States map legend to answer the following questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

  1. What eight states share a common boundary with Tennessee? List them in alphabetical order. __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

  2. Six states share a common boundary with Iowa. List them in alphabetical order. __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

  3. List in alphabetical order the six states that share a common boundary with Idaho. __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

  4. What two states do not touch any other state? __________________ __________________

State Capitals

The United States map legend shows that a city with its name underlined and a star in the population symbol. The example used in the legend is shown below.

*Indianapolis
Use the state capital symbol found in the United States desk map legend to answer the following questions. Write the name of the state capital in the space next to the name of the state.
12. North Dakota___________________17. Illinois___________________
13. South Dakota___________________18. Kansas___________________
14. Georgia___________________19. Oregon___________________
15. Pennsylvania___________________20. Hawaii___________________
16. Vermont___________________21. California___________________

Area Symbols

The legend on the United States maps shows that different colors are used to represent water and land areas. Bodies of water are all colored blue. Land areas are shown in shades of green, yellow, and brown. Shades of the colors are used to represent differences in land elevation.

Land Elevation

Shades of green, yellow and brown are used on maps to represent elevation. The elevation of a place refers to its heights above the level of the sea. The legend on the United States map shows that dark green is used to represent places from sea level to 500 feet above sea level. Light green is used to represent land areas that are between 500 and 1,000 feet above the level of the sea. Bright yellow is used for place with elevation of 1,000 to 2,000 feet. Places with elevations 2,000 to 5,000 feet are represented by a yellow-brown pattern. Places 5,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level are represented by brown. Places over 10,000 feet above sea level are represented by a darker brown.
Answer the following statements about elevation in the United States. Use the six land elevation symbols in the map legend to help you. Circle T if the statement is true and F it the statement is false.

  1. Most of Florida has land elevation of 500 to 1,200 feet above sea level.
TF
  1. Most of Louisiana is 500 to 1,200 feet above sea level.
TF
  1. Most of Michigan is 500 to 1,200 feet above sea level.
TF
  1. One way to describe North Carolina would be that the land elevation becomes higher as you travel from east to west.
TF

Note: Particular symbols are not used to represent the same things on all maps. For example, on the United States map various circles and squares are used to represent the population of a city. On another map the same symbol might represent a furniture store or a factory. This is way examining a map's level is so important. The legend will help you understand the meaning of the symbols used on that map.



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United States Physical Political - Lesson 2

Direction Mixers


Materials Needed A pencil and your map.


Use the United States map to help you identify each state picture in the direction mixer shown below. Label each state, then draw an arrow indicating north. Finally, label each bordering state or country. Use the sample completed for the state of Minnesota as an example.

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United States Physical Political - Lesson 3

Water Features


Objectives To identify and locate various water features on a United States map
 
 
Materials Needed A pencil and your map.



Lesson

Water, Water Everywhere

Over 70 percent of the Earth's surface is water. Many different water features can be shown on maps. On your map all water feature names appear in a lettering style called italics. Italic lettering slants to the right. Here are three examples of italic lettering. On your desk map the italic lettering is printed with blue ink.

LAKE ERIE Gulf of California Missouri River

Rivers

A river is a large stream of water. The river source is its beginning. The river mouth is where the river empties into a larger body of water.

The largest river system in the United States is the Mississippi River. Look at the United States map. Locate the Mississippi River. Trace the Mississippi River from its source in Minnesota to its mouth in Louisiana. Use the United States map to help answer the following questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

  1. The Mississippi River forms boundaries for which states? List them in order from north to south.
______________ ______________ ______________
______________ ______________ ______________
______________ ______________  
______________ ______________
 

The Mississippi River has many important tributaries. A tributary is a smaller river that empties into a larger one.

  1. Two important tributaries empty into the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri. What are the names of these two rivers?
    ______________ _______________

  2. What important Mississippi River tributary's mouth is located at the Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri borders?

  3. Trace the Ohio River from its source to its mouth. The Ohio River forms boundaries for which states?
    ______________ ________________ ________________ ______________ ________________

  4. What is the name of the Mississippi River tributary that has its source near Amarillo, Texas?
    _____________________________________________

  5. Trace the Missouri River from its source near the Montana/Idaho state line to its mouth near St. Louis. What states does the Missouri River flow through. Include the states where the Missouri River forms the state boundaries.

    ______________ _______________ ________________ ______________ _______________ ________________

Other Rivers

Use your United States map to help you answer the following questions about some other rivers.
Write your answers in the spaces provided.

  1. The source of the Colorado River is in what state? ____________________

  2. Where is the mouth of the Colorado River? __________________________

  3. The Columbia River is found in the northwest part of the United States. Locate the Columbia River on the United States map. Answer the following questions about the Columbia River.

    Where is the source of the Columbia River? _________________________

    Where is the mouth of the Columbia River? _________________________

  4. What two important rivers in California are located in the valley between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Coast Ranges?

  5. What is the name of the river that forms the boundary between the state of Texas and the country of Mexico?

Lakes

A lake is a body of water that is completely surrounded by land. The largest lakes in the United States are the Great Lakes. Use the United States desk map to locate the Great Lakes.

  1. List the names of the Great Lakes in order from east to west
    ______________ _______________ ________________ ______________ _______________

  2. What is the name of the big lake in Utah? ________________

  3. What is the name of the large lake in Florida? ________________

Gulfs

A gulf is a body of water that extends from the ocean or sea into a large indentation of the coastline. The Gulf of Mexico is an example. The Gulf of Mexico is south of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Use your United States map to locate and name the following gulfs. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

  1. What is the name of the gulf located in the mouth of the St. Lawrence River? ________________

  2. What is the name of the gulf located south of Anchorage, Alaska? ________________

  3. What is the name of the gulf located south of California? ________________

Bays

A bay is an arm of an ocean, sea or lake usually smaller than a gulf. An example is Appalachia Bay. Look at your United States map. You will find that Appalachia Bay is located south of Tallahassee, Florida. Use your United States map to help you answer the following questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

  1. This bay is the home of a large naval shipyard. Its coastline is Virginia and Maryland. What is the name of this bay? ________________

  2. Locate Lake Huron. What two bays are found there?
    ________________ ________________

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United States Physical Political - Lesson 4

States and Capitals


Materials Needed A pencil and your map.


Use the United States map to help answer these questions. The latitude and longitude of each state capital is listed in column one. In column two write the name of the capital city. In column three write the name of the state.

LATITUDE & LONGITUDE
CAPITAL CITY
STATE
  1. 44° N, 70° W
________________________________________________
  1. 43° N, 71° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 33° N, 84° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 38° N, 121° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 21° N, 158° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 41° N, 97° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 58° N, 134° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 33° N, 112° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 45° N, 123° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 47° N, 123° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 31° N, 98° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 38° N, 85° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 40° N, 83° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 40° N, 86° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 36° N, 79° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 39° N, 89° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 45° N, 93° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 43° N, 89° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 32° N, 86° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 38° N, 77° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 41° N, 112° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 36° N, 106° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 34° N, 81° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 36° N, 87° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 31° N, 91°W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 43° N, 72° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 43° N, 116° W
_________________________ ______________________
  1. 40° N, 105° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 42° N, 93° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 47° N, 112° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 39° N, 120° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 41° N, 105° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 47° N, 101° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 44° N, 100° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 39° N, 96° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 35° N, 96° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 38° N, 92° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 36° N, 97° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 31° N, 84° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 32° N, 91° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 43° N, 84° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 39° N, 76° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 41° N, 74° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 42° N, 73° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 39° N, 76° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 43° N. 74° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 41° N, 76° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 38° N, 82° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 42° N, 71° W
__________________________ ______________________
  1. 44° N, 73° W
__________________________ ______________________
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United States Physical Political - Lesson 5

Center of Population



Materials Needed A pencil and your map.


After each census the center of population for the United States is calculated. The center of population is the point, which may be considered as the center of population gravity of the United States. The center of population can be used to help us examine the history of settlement in the United States. Shown below is a chart listing the latitude and longitude of the location for selected years. Use the United States desk map to determine the approximate location of the center of population for each census year listed. Enter your answer in the spaces provided.

Census Year
United States
North
Latitude
West
Longitude
 
1790
39°
76°
____________________________
1800
39°
77°
____________________________
1840
39°
80°
____________________________
1850
38°
81°
____________________________
1870
39°
83°
____________________________
1880
39°
84°
____________________________
1910
39°
86°
____________________________
1920
39°
87°
____________________________
1950
39°
88°
____________________________
1970
38°
90°
____________________________
1980
38°
91°
____________________________
1990
38°
91°
____________________________
2000
(Information Not Yet Available)


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United States Physical Political - Lesson 6

Zip Codes



Materials Needed A pencil and the ZIP CODE map, which accompanies this lesson.

The United States Postal Service distributes over 100 billion pieces of mail each year. To help speed the delivery of the mail, a special location system was introduced July 1, 1963. This system is called the ZIP Code. ZIP Code means Zone Improvement Plan.

Look at the Zip Code map, which accompanies this lesson. The United States is divided into ten national areas. Each national area is given a number from 0 to 9. This is the first of the five numbers in a ZIP Code.

Important post offices in each national area are designated as sectional centers. These sectional centers are assigned the next two digits. Many major cities have their own large central post office. These large cities would not be served by the sectional centers. In those cases, the second and third digits identify the city.

Each sectional center serves several associate post offices. The associate post offices use the last two digits in the ZIP Code.

Let's follow a letter that is mailed in Seattle, Washington to someone in Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310. The postal worker has never heard of Alamogordo, New Mexico. The worker does know that New Mexico is part of national area 8. She also knows that 883 refers to the Carrizozo, New Mexico sectional center. She puts the letter in the 883 slot and it is sent directly to the Carrizozo, New Mexico sectional center.

Once the letter reaches the sectional center, it is then sent to Alamogordo, the local post office whose last two digits are 10.

Below is an illustration showing how the ZIP Code for Alamogordo, New Mexico is established

Write your ZIP Code in the boxes shown below.

Find the first digit of the ZIP Code for each state listed. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

  1. New York
___________________
  1. Alaska
___________________
  1. Montana
___________________
  1. Maine
___________________
  1. Indiana
___________________
  1. Tennessee
___________________
  1. Wisconsin
___________________
  1. Wyoming
___________________
  1. Florida
___________________
  1. California
___________________

The Postal Service has introduced the ZIP + 4 system. This is the original ZIP Code plus a hyphen and 4 new numbers. This ZIP + 4 system enables the Postal Service to sort your outgoing mail on high speed automated equipment to specific streets, specific buildings or even specific floors within a building. The boxes shown below illustrate how the last four digits of the ZIP Code + 4 work.

The letter mailed from Seattle, Washington to Alamogordo, New Mexico was mailed to this specific address:

      Alamogordo Public Schools
      122 Indiana Avenue
      Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310-6722

We have already traced the letter from Seattle to the associate post office in Alamogordo. Once the letter arrives at this post office, the postal worker looks at the + 4 part of the ZIP Code (88310-6722).

In this example, the number 67 indicate the 1200 block. The number 22 means the building is on the side of the street whose address ends in even numbers.

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United States Physical Political - Lesson 7

Scale



Materials Needed A pencil and your map.


A traveling salesperson wants to visit seven cities. The map below shows the seven cities this person wants to visit. Use the United States map to measure the straight-line distance between each city. Then add the total number of miles one would have to travel to visit all of the locations. Write your answers in the spaces provided.


TRIP
DISTANCE IN MILES
New York to Miami______________________
Houston to San Diego______________________
San Diego to Seattle______________________
Seattle to Denver______________________
Denver to Chicago______________________
Chicago to New York______________________
TOTAL MILES______________________




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United States Physical Political - Lesson 8

The Oregon Trail


Materials Needed A pencil and your map.


The pioneers averaged one hundred miles per week of travel. Wagon trains had to make it over the mountains by the first snow. They started in early May from Kansas City, Missouri. Bad weather, swollen rivers, prairie fires and other problems often caused long delays.


Use your United States map to find and circle the following locations.

  1. 46° N - 119° W - Pendleton, Oregon

  2. 39° N - 94° W - Kansas City, Missouri

  3. 43° N - 112° W - Pocatello, Idaho

  4. 41° N - 98° W - Hastings, Nebraska

  5. 42° N - 105° W - Location near Glendo Reservoir in Wyoming
                       (Site of old Fort Laramie)

  6. 41° N - 101° W - N. Platte, Nebraska (site of old fort Kearny)


On your map, draw a line connecting the locations you have circled. The line you draw will trace roughly the old Oregon Trail.

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Answers for US Phy/Pol. Lessons Gr. 6-up


Lesson 1 - Maps, Symbols and Legends
  1. No
  2. Phoenix - over 1,000,000
  3. Dallas, Houston
  4. Omaha and Lincoln
  5. Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston
  6. Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Santa Fe
  7. Bismarck and Fargo
  8. Tacoma, Spokane, and Bellingham
  9. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia
  10. Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
  11. Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
  12. Alaska, and Hawaii
  13. Bismarck
  14. Pierre
  15. Atlanta
  16. Harrisburg
  17. Montpelier
  18. Springfield
  19. Topeka
  20. Salem
  21. Honolulu
  22. Sacramento

Lesson 2 - Direction Mixers

  1. Alabama - Bordering States: Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi
  2. Iowa - Bordering States: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota
  3. Illinois - Bordering States: Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Iowa
  4. Oklahoma - Bordering States: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico
  5. Utah - Bordering States: Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada

Lesson 3 - Water Features

  1. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana
  2. Missouri River and Ohio River
  3. Ohio River
  4. Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio
  5. Red River
  6. Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas
  7. Colorado
  8. Mexico - Gulf of California
  9. Canada (off the map)
    The Pacific Ocean - Between WA and OR
  10. Sacramento River and San Joaquin River
  11. Rio Grande
  12. Lake Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan, Superior
  13. Great Salt Lake
  14. Lake Okeechobee
  15. Gulf of Alaska
  16. Gulf of California
  17. Chesapeake Bay
  18. Georgian Bay and Saginaw Bay

Lesson 4 - States and Capitals

  1. Augusta, Maine
  2. Boston, Mass
  3. Atlanta, Georgia
  4. Sacramento, California
  5. Honolulu, Hawaii
  6. Lincoln, Nebraska
  7. Juneau, Alaska
  8. Phoenix, Arizona
  9. Salem, Oregon
  10. Olympia, Washington
  11. Austin, Texas
  12. Frankfort, Kentucky
  13. Columbus, Ohio
  14. Indianapolis, IN
  15. Raleigh, North Carolina
  16. Springfield, Illinois
  17. St. Paul, Minnesota
  18. Madison, Wisconsin
  19. Montgomery, Alabama
  20. Richmond, Virginia
  21. Salt Lake City, Utah
  22. Santa Fe, New Mexico
  23. Columbia, South Carolina
  24. Nashville, Tennessee
  25. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  26. Concord, New Hampshire
  27. Boise, Idaho
  28. Denver, Colorado
  29. Des Moines, Iowa
  30. Helena, Montana
  31. Carson City, Nevada
  32. Cheyenne, Wyoming
  33. Bismarck, North Dakota
  34. Pierre, South Dakota
  35. Topeka, Kansas
  36. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  37. Jefferson, Missouri
  38. Little Rock, Arkansas
  39. Tallahassee, Florida
  40. Jackson, Mississippi
  41. Lansing, Michigan
  42. Annapolis, Maryland
  43. Trenton, New Jersey
  44. Hartford, Connecticut
  45. Dover, Delaware
  46. Albany, New York
  47. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  48. Charleston, West Virginia
  49. Providence, Rhode Island
  50. Montpelier, Vermont

Lesson 5 - Center of Population

  1. 1790 - Dover, or Baltimore or Annapolis
  2. 1800 - Annapolis or Washington DC
  3. 1820 - West of Washington DC
  4. 1840 - Eastern West Virginia
  5. 1860 - Chillicathe, Ohio
  6. 1880 - Cincinnati, Ohio
  7. 1900 - Columbus, Indiana
  8. 1920 - Baltimore or Terra Haute, Indiana
  9. 1940 - Bloomington or Vincennes, Indiana
  10. 1960 - Rend Lake, Illinois
  11. 1980 - Ste Genevieve or Cape Girardeau, MO
  12. 2000 - Between Rolla and Poplar Bluff, MO

Lesson 6 - Zip Codes

  1. One
  2. Five
  3. Four
  4. Five
  5. Three
  6. Nine
  7. Zero
  8. Three
  9. Eight
  10. Nine

Lesson 7 - Scale

  1. 1128 Miles
  2. 936 Miles
  3. 1272 Miles
  4. 1080 Miles
  5. 1008 Miles
  6. 912 Miles
  7. 720 Miles Total Miles: 7056

Lesson 8 - The Oregon Trail

    No Questions to answer

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