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Explore the physical shapes of the land and the bodies of water that make each region unique.
Imagine you are an explorer flying in a helicopter over a new land. Below you, the ground rises into giant rocky towers and then flattens out like a giant table—how would you describe these shapes to your team back home?
Landforms are the natural shapes on Earth's surface. Mountains are the highest landforms, often with steep sides and pointy peaks. When many mountains are grouped together, they form a mountain range. Plains are large, flat areas of land that are great for farming because the soil is often rich. Plateaus (pronounced pla-TOHS) are like a mix of both: they are high areas of land, but they have a flat top, just like a giant table in the sky. These features cover about of our planet's surface.
Quick Check
Which landform is high up but has a flat top like a table?
Answer
A plateau
Water covers about of the Earth! Oceans are the largest bodies of salt water and surround the continents. Lakes are bodies of water (usually fresh water) that are completely surrounded by land. Rivers are flowing ribbons of water that move across the land. They usually start in high places like mountains and flow 'downhill' due to gravity until they reach a lake or the ocean. The place where a river starts is called its source.
Let's trace a river's path: 1. Snow melts on a high mountain peak. 2. The water flows down into a small stream. 3. The stream grows into a wide river as it moves across a flat plain. 4. Finally, the river empties into the salty ocean.
Quick Check
Where do rivers usually begin their journey?
Answer
In high places like mountains.
Have you ever wondered why a state or country ends exactly where it does? Often, people use physical features as borders. A wide river or a high mountain range makes a perfect natural 'fence' because they are hard to cross. For example, the Rio Grande river acts as a border between the United States and Mexico. These natural boundaries help define the shape of different regions without humans needing to build a wall.
Imagine you are drawing a map for a new country: 1. You use a mountain range on the North side to protect the land from cold winds. 2. You use a wide river on the East side to separate your land from a neighbor. 3. You use the ocean on the West side as a natural edge for your beaches.
Which landform is best for farming because it is flat and has good soil?
What do we call a body of water that is completely surrounded by land?
A river can act as a natural border between two different regions.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, look at a map of your state. Can you find one river and one landform (like a hill or mountain)?
Practice Activity
Draw a 'Mystery Island' and include at least one mountain, one plateau, one river, and one lake. Label each one!