Navigation
Study the rocky coasts and dense forests of the Northeast and the industries they support.
Imagine waking up in a place where the salty smell of the ocean meets the fresh scent of pine trees. How do people in the Northeast use the giant trees and the deep blue sea to build their lives?
The Northeast is a region in the top-right corner of the United States. It is made up of eleven states, including Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania. This region is famous for its geography, which includes the tall Appalachian Mountains and a very long, rocky coastline. To the east, the region is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. Because it is far north, the weather changes a lot with the seasons. You might see a beautiful beach in the summer and several feet of snow in the winter! This mix of land and water makes the Northeast a unique place to live and work.
Quick Check
Which large body of water borders the Northeast region to the east?
Answer
The Atlantic Ocean
For hundreds of years, the Atlantic Ocean has been the 'office' for many people in the Northeast. The cold, nutrient-rich waters are perfect for fish and shellfish. The fishing industry is a huge part of the local economy (how a place makes and spends money). In states like Maine and Massachusetts, fishers head out early in the morning to catch lobster, cod, and clams. They use special tools like lobster traps and large nets. Without the ocean, many towns in the Northeast wouldn't have the food or the jobs they need to survive.
Follow how a natural resource becomes a meal: 1. A fisher drops a trap into the cold Atlantic water. 2. A lobster crawls in, looking for the bait. 3. The fisher pulls the trap onto the boat and checks the lobster's size. 4. The lobster is sold to a market and eventually ends up on someone's dinner plate!
Quick Check
Why are the waters of the Northeast good for the fishing industry?
Answer
The cold, nutrient-rich waters support many types of fish and shellfish like lobster and cod.
If you move away from the coast and head north into states like Vermont and New Hampshire, the scenery changes from blue waves to deep green trees. These dense forests provide a very important natural resource called timber. Timber is wood that is harvested from trees to be used for building houses, making furniture, or creating paper. Because there are so many trees, the logging industry is very important here. Workers carefully cut down trees and transport them to sawmills, where the wood is cut into boards called lumber.
Foresters must make sure they don't cut down too many trees. If a forest has trees and they cut down each year, but new trees grow back, the forest is healthy. 1. Current trees: 2. Trees removed: 3. New growth: 4. Total trees next year: This is called sustainable harvesting!
Quick Check
What is 'timber' and what is it used for?
Answer
Timber is wood from trees used for building things like houses and furniture.
Imagine you live in the Northeast. If you live in a coastal town like Portland, Maine, you are more likely to work in the fishing industry. If you live in the mountains of Vermont, you are more likely to work in the timber industry.
Challenge: Why would it be difficult to run a large timber business on a small island in the middle of the ocean? 1. Lack of land for large forests. 2. Difficulty transporting heavy logs across the water. 3. The soil might be too sandy or salty for forest trees to grow.
Which of these states is part of the Northeast region?
What is the primary natural resource gathered from the northern forests?
The fishing industry is important to the Northeast because of its location next to the Atlantic Ocean.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to name three states in the Northeast and the two main industries we studied today.
Practice Activity
Look at a map of the U.S. and trace the coastline of the Northeast with your finger. Can you find where the forests might be?