5th Grade Geography Study Guide

5th Grade Geography Study Guide Washington State 5 regions of Washington State: • • • • • Coastal Region Columbia Plateau Okanogan Highlands Cascade Mountains Western Lowlands Important information to know about each WA region: • General location / boundaries of each region — where are they located? • Key geographic features of each region. • Industries in each region. • Climate of each region. Washington’s Five Volcanos • Baker • Rainier • Adams • Glacier Peak • St. Helens Case Study: Mount St. Helens Eruption • When did this occur and what happened? • What were the impacts of this eruption? Washington Mountain Ranges • Where are these ranges located? What are key features of each range? How do they differ? • Cascade Mountains • Olympic Mountains Rain Shadow Effect • Where do we find this in WA? • Describe the cause and effects of this geographical occurrence? Western Region Key information to know about the region: • The states that comprise the region • Key geographic features • Key themes of the region (i.e. agricultural land, mountain ranges, vast open land, coast lines) • Capital Cities • Climate Case Study: The California Central Valley • Agriculture hub for the United States. Why are so many crops grown in this region? • Examples of the various crops grown in this region (i.e. almonds) Southwest Region Key information to know about the region: • The states that comprise the region • Key geographic features • Key themes of the region (i.e. agricultural land, mountain ranges, vast open land, coast lines) • Capital Cities • Climate Cold Deserts vs Hot Deserts • Define each type of desert. • What are the key features that differentiate the two types of deserts? • Which deserts in the US are classified as Cold and which are classified as Hot? Deserts in United States Detail and describe the key geographic features of each of the deserts below. • Sonoran Desert • Great Basin Desert • Chihuahuan Desert • Mojave Desert Case Study: Oil and Gas in the SW region • What is the origin story of oil and gas in the region? How did fossil fuels come to be? How were the reservoirs discovered by humans? • What is fracking? Environmental implications surrounding oil and gas extraction. Midwest Region Key information to know about the region: • The states that comprise the region • Key geographic features • Key themes of the region (i.e. agricultural land, mountain ranges, vast open land, coast lines) • Capital Cities • Climate The “Belts” of the Midwest region: • Why do we call these areas “belts” and what states comprise each of these belts? • Dairy Belt • Wheat Belt • Corn Belt Great Lakes (“HOMES” acronym) • Lake Huron • Lake Ontario • Lake Michigan • Lake Erie • Lake Superior Key facts about the lakes: • Understanding the varying sizes of each lake. • What role do the lakes play for the surrounding states and the entirety of the US? Case Study: Line 5 Oil and Gas Pipeline • What is the Line 5 proposal? • What are arguments for the pipeline? And who are these stakeholders taking this position? • What are arguments against the pipeline? And who are the stakeholder taking this position? Mississippi River • Where is the origin point and end point? • What is the path of the river? Southeast Region Key information to know about the region: • The states that comprise the region • Key geographic features • Key themes of the region (i.e. agricultural land, mountain ranges, vast open land, coast lines) • Capital Cities • Climate Case Study: Sea-level Rise • What is sea-level rise? What contributes/causes it? • What is a levee - where are these located and what do they do? • Understanding the risk map scenarios: • What areas in the US are most vulnerable to sea-level rise and flooding? • Risk Map: https://coastal.climatecentral.org/map/ Coastal Marshes • Describe this geographic feature. • Where are these located? Northeast Region Key information to know about the region: • The states that comprise the region • Key geographic features • Key themes of the region (i.e. agricultural land, mountain ranges, vast open land, coast lines) • Capital Cities • Climate Case Study: Appalachian Trail (NE Region) • Where is the start/end point? • How miles does it span from start to finish? • What are the key geographic features along the trail? How do they differ by state in this region? Overarching Themes Across the United States National Parks • How did the national parks come to be? • Identify various National Parks across the US and their key geographic features. Climate Change • Describe climate change. What is it and what are the driving forces behind it? What is the intersection between human behavior and climate change? • Examples of the impact of climate change across the various regions in the United States (ie wildfires / drought in the West, sea-level rise in the Southeast, etc.). • Nat Geo Map Maker: Wildfires and Drought Intensity • Describe the effects that climate change on the geographic landscape.