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CK_5_TH_HG_P231_324.QXD 2/13/06 1:56 PM Page 318

IV. Geography

The islands have a generally warm and sunny climate. Most of the islands fall within the tropics and would be very hot if not for the breezes that move inland from the and keep the temperature around 80ºF. Many of the islands are prime vacation spots because of their warm weather and sandy beaches. Starting with the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492, Europeans began to colonize and then fight over possession of the islands. Some islands changed hands several times. Today, the Spanish heritage in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic is very evident, as are African influences, especially in music. Haiti’s predominant cultural influences are French and African. The British stamp is apparent in many of the island nations, such as Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and . The Netherlands Antilles were colonized by the Dutch in the seventeenth century and remain a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Gulf of Mexico, like the , is known for its warm waters. The Gulf is bordered by the southeast coast of , from the tip of Florida to the Yucatán Peninsula. Its eastern boundary is the island of Cuba. The Strait of Yucatan links the Gulf to the Caribbean, and the Strait of Florida links it to the .

Teaching Idea The Gulf and Climate Use a globe to demonstrate the flow of The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current that originates off the coast of South the Gulf Stream as it merges with the America and flows to the Gulf of Mexico and up the coast of North America. The North Atlantic Drift at 40º N latitude and water temperature of the Gulf Stream is around 80ºF. As it moves north, away 60º W longitude off the coast of from the Equator, the water cools. Newfoundland. From there, the com- The Gulf Stream passes from the Gulf of Mexico through the Strait of Florida bined ocean current moves in an east- and moves northeast until it meets the North Atlantic Drift off Newfoundland, erly direction toward Western . . The merged ocean current then flows toward . As the As it reaches the British Isles, the cur- North Atlantic Drift flows past the coasts of northwest Europe, the warm water of rent divides around them, part flowing the ocean current moderates the climate. Considering the northern latitudes of north and part moving south. countries like Ireland and England, one would expect much colder winters than the 40ºF days they typically enjoy. The difference is the presence of the North Atlantic Drift. The southwestern coast of England is warm enough in a few places for palm trees to grow.

Teaching Idea and Their Characteristics As you study the regions of the United We sometimes talk about the United States in terms of regions, such as New States, keep a chart of key characteris- England and the Southwest. These categories are determined by cultural charac- tics discussed: the ’s name, teristics as well as physical location. As a result, and depending on the context, states included, climate, economy, and one state may appear in more than one region. other characteristics to remember. Alternately, students can keep individ- New England ual charts and add pictures down- States: , , , , , Rhode loaded from the Internet. Island Climate: in the northernmost states, cold winters and warm summers; in the more southerly areas, milder winters and warmer summers Economy: industry, trade, commercial fishing, commercial farming

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Cultural literacy characteristics: The region is associated with Teaching Idea • Pilgrims and Puritans, the first . Duplicate Instructional Master 40, • , Lexington, Concord, and the beginning of the American Regions of the United States, and dis- Revolution. tribute one to each student. Provide Lobsters, syrup, and squares. • atlases, geography books, and similar Other: The term New England was used by the English colonists to refer to what references that include maps of the they thought they were creating in their colonies—a “new” England. United States. Have students identify Mid-Atlantic and label each state within the regions. As an alternative and as a States: , , Pennsylvania, Delaware, check on student knowledge, make Climate: relatively mild winters and warm summers, often with high humidity an overhead of the map. Have the Economy: industry, trade, commercial farming, some commercial fishing class try to fill in the state names Cultural literacy characteristics: The region is associated with without looking at any references. Try • , the and Ellis Island. not to rely on the same few students. • , the Liberty Bell and the Mummers Parade. When most students are unable to identify the remaining states, ask stu- • the first state to ratify the Constitution (Delaware). dents to use the reference books to • crab cakes. fill in the missing names on their Other: With the exception of Pennsylvania, these states border maps. Ocean, hence the name. Historically, Maryland and Delaware are also considered When students have finished fill- Southern states because they had slave economies. ing in state names, have them color South each region a different color and cre- ate a key for the map. States: Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, , Kentucky, , Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas Name Date Climate: humid subtropical; hot summers and mild winters; for much of the area Regions of the United States Label the map with the names of the 50 states, using a reference source as needed. precipitation is in the form of rain rather than snow, especially the more souther- (For Delaware, Maryland, , and other small states, you can write the name outside the state and draw a line to its location.) Then use five different colors to shade or outline these regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, Southwest, and West. ly parts of the region Use the same five colors to create a map key.

New Hampshire G r e a Vermont Maine Economy: commercial farming, areas of industry, oil drilling t L Minnesota a Montana North k e Dakota s Massachusetts New York Rhode South Island Dakota Cultural literacy characteristics: The region is associated with Wyoming Connecticut Pennsylvania Iowa New Jersey Nebraska Ohio

Nevada Illinois Delaware Maryland Utah Virginia West Colorado Missouri Virginia Delmarva Peninsula: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Kentucky • North California Carolina Tennessee South r e Carolina Arizona Oklahoma v New Mexico Arkansas i R

i p Georgia

p i

s Alabama ATLANTIC s slavery and a economy. Most states seceded and joined the i • s

s OCEAN i

PACIFIC M Texas OCEAN N Mississippi Confederate States of America. W E Louisiana

S Florida Gulf of Mexico 0 500 miles PACIFIC 0 500 kilometers OCEAN 0 250 500 miles Nashville and country music. 0 125 250 miles • 0 250 500 kilometers 0 125 250 kilometers • Disney World. Answers may vary, as there is some overlap and • birthplace of the and jazz. variance in the definitions of the regions. • Mardi Gras. Purpose: To label a U.S. map with state names and then identify the five regions Copyright ©Core Knowledge Foundation Copyright ©Core Other: During the Civil War, Maryland and Delaware were border states. They did Master 40 Grade 5: History & Geography not join the Confederacy, but remained slave states until the end of the war. Use Instructional Master 40. The Midwest States: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri Climate: cold winters and warm summers; precipitation may vary from year to year and from area to area; much of the winter precipitation is in the form of snow Economy: major commercial farming with manufacturing History and Geography: American 319