North America: Physical Geography by National Geographic, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 09.22.17 Word Count 681 Level 610L

Home , Moraine lake, Tonsa, Valley of the Ten Peaks

North America: Physical geography By National Geographic, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.22.17 Word Count 681 Level 610L

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 includes Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It also includes smaller countries in Central America. Below it sits South America.

North America is made up of five main areas. They are 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 type of environment where plants and animals live. North America includes many biomes. It has deserts, grasslands, tundras, coral reefs, and more.

Western Region

North America's western region is famous for its mountains and deserts. The Rocky Mountains are found there. They are North America's largest mountain chain.

The Rockies are part of a system of mountains called the Cordilleras. They include the Sierra Madre Mountains. They stretch from the southwestern United States, through Mexico, and all the

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. way south to Honduras.

The mountains include a rare biome called a temperate rainforest. These areas get much rain. This helps them support a large mix of life forms. Black bears are found there. Some trees grow up to 300 feet tall. The western region is also full of deserts. It includes three major desert regions: the Sonoran, the Mojave, and the Chihuahuan. All three are found near mountains. The mountains block rainfall and move hot, dry wind over these areas.

Great Plains

The Great Plains are 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. The land and weather are perfect for grasses. Some can grow up to seven feet. 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.

The Canadian Shield includes large areas of tundra. Tundra is a cold biome with lots of snow and ice. It's so cold that the ground freezes. Trees cannot grow in tundra. Only some plants can.

During the summer, the top layer of the ground starts to melt. This forms lakes, ponds, and bogs. Plant life grows in their water. Animals like caribou, a kind of reindeer, eat the plants.

Eastern Region

North America's older mountains are found in the eastern region. They include the well-known Appalachains.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. The Atlantic coastal plain stretches to the east of the mountains. It includes river, marsh, and wetland areas. On the coast itself, there are sandy beaches.

Wetlands are another biome found in the eastern region. Wetlands have moist soil. North American wetlands include the Florida Everglades. Alligators nest in the waters and tall grass there.

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 some of the most amazing biomes in North America.

Coral reefs are made of tiny animals called corals. The corals have hard shells. When they form a reef, they provide a home for many creatures. Brightly colored fish live in and around coral reefs. Sharks, sea turtles, sea stars and sea horses do too. Some coral reefs surround whole islands. The Bahamas and Barbados are surrounded by coral reefs.

Natural Wonders

North America includes many natural wonders.

It has deep canyons and high 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 Read the third paragraph of the article.

Which question is answered in the paragraph?

(A) How big are most biomes?

(B) What kinds of animals live in a desert biome?

(D) Why are there different types of biomes?

2 Read the paragraph from the section "Western Region."

The mountains include a rare biome called a temperate rainforest. These areas get much rain. This helps them support a large mix of life forms. Black bears are found there. Some trees grow up to 300 feet tall. Arenal Volcano as seen from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in the Cordillera de Tilarán, Costa Rica. [click to enlarge] The western region is also full of deserts. It includes three major desert regions: the Sonoran, the Mojave, and the Chihuahuan. All three are found near mountains. The mountains block rainfall and move hot, dry wind over these areas.

Which sentence from the paragraph explains WHY there are many different kinds of plants and animals in the mountains of the western region of North America?

(A) These areas get much rain.

(B) Black bears are found there.

(D) All three are found near mountains.

3 How does the weather in the Canadian Shield area affect plants?

(A) Few plants are able to grow in the area.

(B) Many different trees grow in the area.

(D) Beautiful desert plants grow in the area.

4 Which answer choice BEST explains why the coral reefs of the Caribbean Region are important?

(A) They are in the ocean.

(B) They are home to many sea animals.

(D) They are made up of hard shells.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.