North America: Physical Geography by National Geographic, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 09.22.17 Word Count 782 Level 740L
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North America: Physical geography By National Geographic, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.22.17 Word Count 782 Level 740L Valley of the Ten Peaks and Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Canada. Mountains (from left to right) Tonsa (3,057 meters), Mount Perren (3,051 m), Mount Allen (3,310 m), Mount Tuzo (3,246 m), Deltaform Mountain (3,424 m), Neptuak Mountain (3,233 m). North America is the third-largest continent. It looks a bit like an upside-down triangle. In the north, it is wide, and includes countries like Canada and Greenland. In the south, it narrows to just 31 miles across. South America sits below it. North America can be broken up into five main areas: the mountainous west, the Great Plains, the Canadian Shield, the eastern region, and the Caribbean. Each area includes different types of biomes. A biome is a community of animals and plants that share the same environment. North America includes many biomes: desert, grassland, tundra and coral reefs. Western Region North America's western region is marked by mountains and deserts. The Rocky Mountains are the largest and most famous mountain chain. They run through Canada and parts of the western United States. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. The Rockies are part of a system of mountain ranges known as the Cordilleras. They continue all the way south to Panama. The Rockies include the Sierra Madre Mountains, which stretch from the southwestern United States to Honduras. The mountains include a rare biome called a temperate rainforest. Temperate rainforests get an amazing amount of rainfall. This helps them support an incredible mix of life forms. Some trees in these areas grow to more than 300 feet tall. Black bears, elk and marmots are some of the animals found there. The western part of the continent is also full of deserts. It includes three major desert regions: the Sonoran, the Mojave and the Chihuahuan. All three are located near mountain ranges. The mountains block rainfall and move hot, dry wind over these areas. Great Plains The Great Plains lie in the middle of the continent. The dirt in this area is great for farming. The soil is rich and deep. This makes it easy to grow grain, like wheat, there. That's how the area became known as the "Breadbasket of North America." The grassland or prairie regions of the Great Plains make up the largest biome in North America. It can get very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. As a result, large plants have a hard time growing. The land is perfect for grasses, though. Grass in the plains can grow up to seven feet in some places. The animals from the area include bison, prairie dogs and grasshoppers. Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield is a raised, flat plain. It stretches across Canada, on the northern edge of North America. It is rocky and dotted with lakes. Tundra covers large sections of the Canadian Shield. A tundra is a biome in which low temperatures, along with snow and ice, keep trees from growing. The dirt is frozen solid. Some plants can grow in it, though. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. During the summer, the top layer of soil starts to melt, forming lakes, ponds, and bogs. Plant life grows in these shallow waters. They provide food for animals like caribou, a kind of reindeer. Eastern Region The eastern region includes the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic coastal plain. North America's older mountain ranges rise near the east coast of the United States and Canada. They include the well-known Appalachians. The Atlantic coastal plain also includes river, marsh and wetland areas east of the mountains. On the Atlantic coast, the eastern edge of North America, are sandy beaches. Wetland areas are another biome found in the eastern region. Wetlands have moist soil and include the Florida Everglades. There, alligators nest in the waters and tall grass. Caribbean Region The Caribbean Region includes more than 7,000 islands. The islands aren't all the same. Some are flat and sandy, while others are mountainous and volcanic. The coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea are among the most amazing biomes in North America. Reefs are coral ridges near the surface of the sea. Some coral reefs surround islands, such as the Bahamas and Barbados. Coral reefs are made of millions of tiny animals called corals. The corals form a hard shell around their bodies. This provides a rich community for ocean plants. Brightly colored tropical fish, sharks, sea turtles, sea stars and sea horses all live in and around coral reefs. Natural Wonders North America includes many natural wonders. It has deep canyons and soaring mountaintops. It includes both rainforests and deserts. Some of the strangest and richest biomes in the world are found there. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz 1 Which sentence from the article BEST supports the idea that a region can have different kinds of biomes? (A) North America's western region is marked by mountains and deserts. (B) The grassland or prairie regions of the Great Plains make up the largest biome in North America. (C) Tundra covers large sections of the Canadian Shield. (D) The coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea are among the most amazing biomes in North America. 2 Read the paragraph from the section "Great Plains." The Great Plains lie in the middle of the continent. The dirt in this area is great for farming. The soil is rich and deep. Which conclusion is BEST supported by the paragraph? (A) Very few crops are grown in the Great Plains region. (B) The Great Plains region is a very small area. (C) Farmers like the Great Plains region because of its soil. (D) The dirt in the Great Plains region came from other areas. 3 Why is it difficult for trees to grow in the tundra biome? (A) The land is very hot and dry. (B) The soil melts in the summer. (C) The land is a wetlands area. (D) The soil freezes during the winter. 4 How do mountain ranges in the western region affect some areas that are close to them? (A) They make it easy for tall trees to grow in the areas. (B) They block rainfall from falling on the areas. (C) They keep the temperature very low in the areas. (D) They prevent winds from blowing in the areas. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com..