Pupil Workbook Year 4, Unit 5

Name:

Geography

The USA

Formative Assessment Scores

Notes:

Knowledge Quiz 5.1

Knowledge Quiz 5.2

Knowledge Quiz 5.3

Knowledge Quiz 5.4

Knowledge Quiz 5.5

Pupil Workbook Year 4, Unit 5

Geography

The USA

Geography: The USA Knowledge Organiser

Glossary

1 North America A continent in the northern hemisphere

2 USA A country in North America — The United States of America

3 Climate The typical weather patterns in a place over time

4 State An area in a country with its own government

5 State Capital The capital city of a state in the USA

6 State Governor The individual in charge of a state in the USA

7 President The individual in charge of all states in the USA

8 Mainland The main body of land of a country e.g. not including islands

9 Population The number of people living in a place

10 Land Mass The amount (area) of land in a place

11 Landmark An important or significant feature

12 Human Feature A feature created by or the result of human activity

13 Natural Feature A feature created or occurring naturally

14 National Park Land that is protected

15 Land Use How land is used

16 Skyline An outline of land and buildings defined against the sky

17 Skyscraper A very tall building with many different storeys

18 Tourist Someone who visits a place but does not live there

19 Border An invisible line separating two countries or areas

20 Coastline Where the land meets the sea

Significant Places

North America and the USA Austin, Texas Juneau, Alaska Sacramento, California

North America is one of seven world continents. The USA (United States of America) is a country within North America. It is one of the

largest countries in the world and is separated into 50

different states.

Texas is one of the 5o states of the USA. It is the second

largest state in terms of land mass and the second largest in terms of population. The state capital of Texas is a city called

Austin.

Alaska is one of the 50 states of the USA. It is the largest state in terms of land mass

and is actually separated from the mainland USA by Canada. The state capital of Alaska is a

city called Juneau.

California is one of the 50 states of the USA. It is third

largest in terms of land mass but the largest in terms of

population. The state capital of California is a city called

Sacramento.

What are the 50 states of the USA?

The USA is separated into fifty different states – forty-eight of the states are part of the mainland and the other two (Alaska and Hawaii) are not. Alaska is separated from the mainland USA by Canada and Hawaii is an island. The stars on the USA flag represent each of the 50 states.

Each state has its own state capital and state government. They are all part of the USA but have different rules and laws as well as their own individual flags and nicknames. The culture in each state can also be very different.

Significant Places

The Statue of Liberty Golden Gate Bridge Yosemite National Park Grand Canyon

The Statue of Liberty is a statue located in New York City, New York. It was a gift to the American people from

the French. She carries a torch above her head and wears a

crown. She symbolises liberty and freedom.

The Golden Gate Bridge is a bridge located in San

Francisco, California. It is one of the most famous landmarks

in the USA. Despite being called the Golden Gate Bridge, the bridge is actually more of

an orange/red colour.

Yosemite National Park is an area of protected land located

in California. The park is classed as a world heritage site and has cliffs, streams, lakes,

mountains, meadows, glaciers and beautiful waterfalls.

The Grand Canyon was carved out of rock by the Colorado River millions of years ago. It is located in Arizona. The

canyon is 277 miles long and in places is 18 miles wide.

At some points the canyon is over a mile deep.

Where in the world is the USA?

The USA is a country located in the continent of North America. It is the third largest country in the world — after Russia and Canada.

To the south of the USA you have the country of Mexico and the continent of South America. To the north of the USA you have Canada (which is also in North America). To the east of the USA you have the Atlantic Ocean and if you crossed that ocean you would reach parts of Europe and Africa. To the west you have the Pacific Ocean and if you crossed that ocean you would reach Russia and other parts of Asia. Can you see the USA on this map?

Knowledge Record

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Existing Knowledge

What do I know about the United States of America?

Session 1:

Where in the world is the USA and what is the climate like there? Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

• The USA stands for the United States of America

• The USA is the third largest country in the world

• The USA is located in the continent of North America

• It is in the northern hemisphere

• Alaska is part of the USA but it is separated from the mainland by Canada

• The USA has four main climate zones – it has so many climate zones because it is such a large country

• North America

• USA

• Climate Zone

• Subpolar

• Temperate

• Mediterranean

• Arid

This is a map of the world. Can you label the 7 different continents? Do you know which continent the USA is located in?

Where in the world is the USA? The USA (United States of America) is a very large country located within the continent of North America. In fact, there are only two countries that are larger than the USA and they are Russia and Canada. When you look at the map below you may also

notice that Canada splits the USA into two parts. North America is found in the northern hemisphere of planet Earth. To the south there is Central America, where we know the Ancient Maya lived and further south again is the continent of South America where we know the Amazon is. If we travel east, we reach parts of the continents of Europe and Africa and if we travel west (remembering the earth is round), we reach the continent of Asia.

Answer the following questions:

Which continent is the USA located in? _______________________________________

Which hemisphere is the USA located in? _____________________________________

Which continent is to the south of the USA? ____________________________________

Which continents are to the east of the USA? ___________________________________

Which continents are to the west of the USA? ___________________________________

Use the map of the world to investigate some of the countries located in each direction from the location of the USA. Use the compass to help you decide which countries are north, south, east, west, north-west, north-east, south-west and south-east.

Describe the location of the USA in relation to other continents and countries:

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North Canada

South

East

West

North-East

North-West

South-East

South-West

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What is the climate like in the USA? Climate is the typical pattern of weather over a period of 30 years. When we talk about the climate of a

place we are talking about the patterns of temperature (how hot or cold) and the rainfall (how much rain falls) across the year and in the different seasons.

There are seven different climate zones across the world and four of those seven are found in the USA: subpolar, temperate, Mediterranean and arid.

One of the climate zones not found in the USA is polar and this is because the USA is too far south from the Arctic Circle. The other climate and zones not found in the USA are the tropical and equatorial zones. One of the main reasons for this is because the USA is too north of the equator.

The subpolar climate zones have long and very cold winters. They then have short cold to mild summers. There is very little rainfall all year and when it does rain, it is usually in the summer.

The temperate zones rarely get too hot or too cold. Winters are cold and summers are warm and there are four clear seasons. The rain is unpredictable which means it can rain at any time.

The Mediterranean zones have dry, very warm summers and cool to mild, wet winters. They only really have two seasons – a longer summer and a shorter winter.

The arid zones have a hot desert climate. They are hot during the day all year around but at night the temperatures do drop drastically and it can be very cold. There is rarely any rain at all – ever.

Complete the table to show the different climate zones found in the USA and what the climate is like in each of them:

Describe the climate in the USA. Can you explain why so many different climate zones are found in one single country?

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Climate Zone Temperatures Rainfall

Subpolar

Session 2: What are some of the physical features of the USA?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

• A physical feature of a place is something which occurs naturally or has been formed by nature

• The USA is a vast country with many physical characteristics

• There are different mountain ranges in the USA

• There are different rivers in the USA

• There are four deserts in the USA

• There are many large lakes in the USA

• There are other land and water characteristics in the USA

• Appalachian Mountains

• Rocky Mountains

• Great Salt Lake

• Grand Canyon

• Missouri and Mississippi

• Mojave Desert

• Everglades

• Niagara Falls

Knowledge Quiz 5.1

1. The USA is a country in ________________.

2. Which countries border the USA?

3. How many climate zones are found across the USA?

4. Which of the below are climate zones found in the USA?

5. Which of the below are not climate zones found in the USA?

South America

Food

This map shows the mainland of the USA. What can you see?

What are the main physical features of the USA? The USA is an extremely large country in which we can find many different and impressive physical features. Remember that physical geography looks at things which naturally occur in a place and so here, we are looking at features of the USA that have been formed by nature and n0t by humans.

What is a physical feature of a place?

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This image here shows the Appalachian Mountains. They are a system of mountains located in in the east of the USA. They are the oldest mountains in North America and are 100-300 metres wide. The whole range of mountains travels for 1,500 miles and the highest mountain is Mt.Mitchell. It is also the highest in the USA.

The Rocky Mountains are another set of mountain ranges located in the USA. There are actually around 100 different mountain ranges within the Rocky Mountains. They are the second longest mountain range in the world. Several different national parks (including Yellowstone National Park) protect the mountains and the wildlife living there. The Rocky Mountains are slightly north-west of the centre of the USA.

The Great Salt Lake is one of the largest lakes in the USA. Unlike most other lakes, the Great Salt Lake (as the name suggests) contains salt water like the sea. It is however much saltier than the sea. In the image here you can see the white salt where the water meets the land. Because of the salt in the lake you float easily. The Great Salt Lake is located near to the Rocky Mountains.

The Grand Canyon is a famous canyon in the USA carved out of the landscape by a river. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide (in places) and over a mile deep (in places). It is thought that the Colorado River had first eroded its course 17 million years ago. It is located in the south-west of the USA.

The Great Plains are a large area of mostly flat, grass-covered land running almost down the centre of the USA. The plains cover around 1/7 of the whole area of the USA. They were once home to many different species of grazing animal as well as many Native American tribes. They are now mostly used for farming. There are also many ‘ghost towns’ that have been abandoned.

The Missouri and Mississippi rivers are the two longest rivers in the USA. They join together just east of the centre of the USA and when they do they form the fourth largest river system in the world. The Missouri has its source in the north-east of the country and the Mississippi has its source in the north of the country. They both then travel south until they join together.

The Mojave Desert is one of four deserts located in the USA. It is in the south-west of the country. Parts of the desert are very high land and parts of the desert are very low land. There is a valley here called Death Valley and the land actually sits lower than the level of the sea. At night and where the land is higher it gets very cold but Death Valley is the hottest place in the whole USA. It is located in the south-west of the USA.

The Everglades is a wetland located in Florida. Florida is the part of the country that sticks out at the bottom towards the south-east of the USA. The Everglades is an area covered in shallow water and very wet soil. The area is full of swamps and marshes and is home to many different types of interesting animals including over 200,000 alligators! The Everglades are often called rivers of grass because that is what they look like.

The Niagara Falls are one of the most famous waterfalls in the world. They are located on the border between the USA and Canada. There are three separate waterfalls making up the falls and they are an important source of hydroelectric power. Many people have tried to make history by going over the falls or by crossing the falls in some way. Some people have even jumped down the falls!

The Great Lakes (which do not include the Great Salt Lake) are five different lakes located on the border between the USA and Canada. They are the 5 largest lakes in North America. Only one of the lakes (Lake Michigan) is located only in the USA – the other four have parts in the USA and parts in Canada. They are filled with freshwater and are all connected to each other in some way. They are also home to a variety of wildlife.

Use the information provided to locate each of the physical features on the map of the mainland of the USA below.

Niagara Falls

Missouri and Mississippi rivers join

Grand Canyon

Order the physical features of the USA to show which you would most like to visit (1) to which you would least like to visit (10). Explain why you have chosen this order.

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1

6

2

7

3

8

4

9

5

10

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Session 3:

What are the states and state capitals of the USA? Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

• The USA is split into 50 separate states

• The president makes decisions for the whole of the USA but each state has its own government and state governor

• The states have their own laws and systems

• They also have their own flags, mottos and nicknames

• The population size of each state varies greatly

• Each state also has its own state capital

• There are therefore 50 different state capitals

• States

• (Names of states)

• State Capital

• State Governor

• President

• Mainland

• Population

Knowledge Quiz 5.2

1. A physical feature is something which is:

2. Which of the below are mountain ranges located in the USA?

3. Which of the below are rivers located in the USA?

4. Which of the below can be described as ‘the location of Death Valley and the hottest place in the USA’?

5. Which of the below can be described as being ‘carved out of rock by a river millions of years ago’?

Appalachian Mountains

Amazon Mississippi

Man-made

What does this satellite map suggest about where people live in the USA?

What are the states and state capitals of the USA? We know that the letters USA stand for ‘United States of America’ but did you know that the whole reason for this name is that the USA is actually broken up into 50 different

states? In fact, each of the stars on the flag of the USA represents one of those 50 states. The president of the USA is elected by the people in all of states (the president is chosen because they are the one that the most people have voted for). They have responsibility for some of the decisions made for the country as a whole but each individual state also has its own capital city (known as a state capital) and its own government with a ruler known as the state governor. Each of the 50 states of the USA is different from the others and will have, for example, its own laws, education system, health system and transport system as well as having its own flag, nickname, and motto. The people and the culture in each state can also be very different.

Answer the following questions:

How many states are there in the USA? _________________________________

Who makes decisions for the whole USA? _______________________________

Who makes decisions for the individual states? ____________________________

How do the states differ from each other? ______________________________________

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This map shows all 50 states and their capitals. Use it to answer the questions on the following pages:

Here are questions about the locations of some of the different state of the USA. Use the map on the previous page and the world map at the beginning of the booklet.

1. Which state is the largest? _________________________.

2. Which two states are separated from mainland USA? __________________________.

3. California is bordered by: ____________________________________________.

4. How many different states border Wyoming? _________________________.

5. Which states have a north and a south in their names? _________________________

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6. Which states border the Great Lakes? ____________________________________

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7. Florida is _______________________ of Georgia and Alabama.

8. Utah is _______________________ of Arizona.

9. Tennessee is _______________________ of Missouri and Arkansas.

10. Illinois is _______________________ of Indiana.

11. Which states border New York? ________________________________________

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12. Which states border Canada in the north? __________________________________

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13. Which state is the most north-eastern state? ________________________________

14. Which state is the most north-western state? ________________________________

15. Which state is the most south-eastern state? ________________________________

16. Which state is the most south-western state? ________________________________

17. Which state is the smallest? ________________________________

18. Which states are in the centre of the USA? ________________________________

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19. Which states border Mexico to the south? ________________________________

20. Which state has the largest number of other states bordering it? How many states?

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Each state also has a state capital which is the home of the state government. Can you fill in the table to show the state capital for each state? Use the map to help you.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia

Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa

Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland

Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri

Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico New York N. Carolina N. Dakota Ohio

Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island S. Carolina

S. Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont

Virginia Washington W. Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Do the same number of people live in each state?

Population means the number of people living in a certain place and the USA

has a population of over 331,000,000 (three hundred and thirty-one million) people. The different states in the USA have different sized populations. For example, California has the largest population – almost 40,000,000 (forty million) people. Wyoming has the smallest population – approximately 572,000 (five hundred and seventy-two thousand). The map below shows the states of the USA and the darkness of the blue represents the size of the population. The darker the blue, the larger the population. The lighter the blue the smaller the population.

What does the map tell you about the population size of the different states of the USA?

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Session 4:

What are some of the most significant man-made landmarks in the USA?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

• A man-made landmark is constructed by humans

• They are a type of human geography

• There are significant man-made landmarks across the USA

• Many cities have multiple significant landmarks within them

• The landmarks in the USA were built at different times throughout history

• Some are to represent something and some have a purpose

• We can compare human features of a place to physical features

• Landmark

• Significant

• Statue of Liberty

• Mount Rushmore

• Golden Gate Bridge

• Space Needle

• Hoover Dam

Knowledge Quiz 5.3

1. How many states are in the USA?

2. Each state has its own:

3. Which two states are not attached to the mainland USA?

4. The largest state in the USA is:

5. Which of the below states has the largest population?

45 60

State Capital President

What are some of the key man-made landmarks in the USA? A man-made landmark is a human feature. It is something created by humans and not by nature. Here are some key man-made features in the USA:

The Statue of Liberty is a large statue standing on an island called Liberty Island in the harbor of New York City, New York. The statue was actually a gift from the French people in 1886. The statue represents freedom and liberty for the people in the USA. She stands 46 metres tall – holding a torch and wearing a crown. The torch represents there being light in the world and the broken chains at her feet symbolise freedom of the people.

Mount Rushmore is a mountain in the state of South Dakota which is famous for the huge faces carved into the side. The faces are of four former presidents of the USA: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Each carving is approximately 18 metres tall. The work on the carvings begin in 1927 and was completed in 1941.

The Golden Gate Bridge is a famous landmark in the state of California. It is in the city of San Francisco. Despite being called the ‘golden’ gate bridge, the bridge is actually painted a red or orange colour. The bridge is almost a mile long and when it was built (in 1937) it was the longest bridge in the world. Construction of the bridge began in 1933 and the bridge hangs from two cables attached to towers.

The Space Needle is an observation tower located in the city of Seattle, Washington. You can reach the top of the space needle by using an elevator – the trip takes 41 seconds. The tower is 184 metres tall and from the top you can see for miles. Construction started in 1961 and was completed in the same year. The moment was opened to the public in 1962.

The Hoover Dam is located on the border between the states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1930 and 1936 and is used to control floods, for hydroelectric power, for irrigation (transporting water to farms) and to supply houses with the water they need. The dam is 221 metres high and 379 metres long.

Complete the table with information about the different man-made landmarks in the USA.

Can you label where these monuments are located on this map of the USA?

Landmark Location Date Built Purpose

Statue of Liberty

Mount Rushmore

Golden Gate Bridge

Space Needle

Hoover Dam

Do you think the natural or the man-made landmarks of the USA are the most impressive? Explain your opinion.

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Session 5:

State Study: What is it like in California?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

• California is a state located on the west coast of the USA

• It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Nevada, Arizona and Oregon

• Major cities are Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco

• California is known as the ‘Golden State’

• The land in California is very varied

• Yosemite National Park protects some of the land

• California has the largest population of all US states

• Due to the varied land, the cities are located in certain places

• California

• Pacific Ocean

• Golden State

• Sierra Nevada

• Central Valley

• Colorado River

• Mojave Desert

• Lake Taho

• Yosemite

Knowledge Quiz 5.4

1. Mount Rushmore is located in:

2. The Statue of Liberty is located in:

3. The Golden Gate is located in:

4. The Hoover Dam is located on the border between:

5. The Space Needle is located in:

Can you find and circle the state of California on this map?

Describe the position of California within the USA and in relation to other states. Look back through your workbook – what can you say about the climate in California and which landmarks (natural and man-made) do you already know about?

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What makes California an individual state? California is a state located on the west coast of the USA. It is bordered by Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and the Pacific Ocean. The

state capital of California is a city called Sacramento but other important cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco (home of the famous Golden Gate Bridge).

You can see the flag of California here. It pictures the grizzly bear which is the state mammal. The nickname given to California is the ‘Golden State’ (because lots of gold was discovered here) and the motto for the state is ‘Eureka’ which means ‘I have

found it’. The state also has a state flower which is the California poppy and a tree which is the California Redwood.

California is home to many different tourist attractions including Yosemite National Park. It is also home to Silicon Valley where many technology companies have their main offices.

Complete the following facts about the state of California:

Name of State:

Bordered by:

State Capital:

Other Cities:

State nickname:

State motto:

State mammal:

State tree:

State flower:

Description of flag:

What is the land like in California?

California has very varied land. There are sandy beaches along the coastline which are backed by mountains.

There is a central valley in between the mountains near the coast to the west and the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east. There are other mountain ranges to the north and the south and the Mojave Desert covers most of the south and south-east. The most significant rivers in California are the Colorado River and the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers which are located in the central valley. The largest lake is Lake Tahoe.

Locate and label the physical features on the map.

If you needed to live somewhere in California, where do you think the best place would be? Look closely at the land to help you make your decision. Mark this on the map (with an x) and explain your choice.

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How is some of the land protected in California?

There is a lot of protected land in the state of California including 9 different national parks. One of those national parks is

Yosemite National Park. Within the park there are cliffs, waterfall, streams, huge trees, lakes, mountains, meadows and even glaciers.

There are over 250 species of vertebrates in the park including: black bears, coyotes raccoons, mountain kingsnakes, woodpeckers, river otters, grey foxes, red foxes, skunks, cougars, owls and bats. There are also hundreds of different species of plant.

People are allowed to visit the park but they are not allowed to use any of the land for things such as farming or building homes. The park receives more than 3,000,000 (three million) visitors each year who come to see the beautiful sights within it.

Why do you think it is important that Yosemite National Park remains a protected place in the future?

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Who lives in California and where do they live?

The state of California has the largest population of all states in the USA – there are currently approximately 39,500,000 (thirty-nine million, five hundred thousand) people living there!

In the past, the land was home to tribes of Native Americans who inhabited California for thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived in 1542. These tribes included the: Chumash, Mohave, Yuma, Pomo and Timbisha Shoshone. They spoke many different languages and lived peacefully in their settlements before their lands were taken. Out of the total population, around 630,000 people are descendants of the indigenous people. Many live in rural areas or on reservations (areas of protected land for the native people) but some do live in towns and cities.

The population of California has grown a lot in the last 100 years (it is now around 10 times more than it was). There are over 200 different languages spoken in California but the most widely spoken are English, Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog (a language spoken in the Philippines).

The map here shows you the names and locations of some of the cities in California. The size of the white circle tells you the size of the city compared to the other cities. The red square shows the location of Sacramento which we know is the state capital.

Complete the following table with information about California:

Population Size:

Languages Spoken:

Names of Cities:

Other interesting facts:

What do you notice about the locations of the cities in California? Where are they? Why do you think there are no cities found in large areas of the land?

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Session 6:

State Study: What is it like in New York?

Key Knowledge Key Vocabulary

• New York is a state on the east coast of the USA

• It is bordered by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont and the Atlantic Ocean

• The most populated city in the whole of the USA is New York City

• New York City is a powerful city with a great deal of wealth

• Many people move there for these reasons but there is little land

• Therefore the city is full of skyscrapers as they needed to build up

• The skyline of New York City has changed dramatically over time

• New York

• New York City

• Populated

• Land Use

• Federal Hall

• Empire State Building

• Skyscraper

• Skyline

Knowledge Quiz 5.5

1. California is a city found on the __________ coast of the USA?

2. Some of the physical features of California are:

3. Which national park is located in California?

4. California is ranked as _____ for population size out of all USA states.

5. Which of the below are cities in California?

North South

Sierra Mountains Colorado River

Snowdonia Lake District

1st 2nd 4th

San Francisco Birmingham

Can you find and circle the state of New York on this map?

Describe the position of New York within the USA and in relation to other states.

Look back through your workbook – what can you say about the climate in New York and which landmarks (natural and man-made) do you already know about?

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What makes New York an individual state? New York is a state located in the northeastern region of the United States. It was one of the original thirteen colonies

and states that formed the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The state capital of New York is a city called Albany, but other important cities are New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, and Yonkers.

You can see the flag for New York here. It pictures the motto for the state which is ‘Excelsior’ which means ‘ever upward’ in Latin. The nickname given to New York is ‘The Empire State’ because of its wealth and variety of resources. With an estimated 20million people, New York is the fourth most populated state. The state also has many symbols such as a state mammal — the beaver, a state tree — the sugar maple, and a state flower — the rose.

Complete the following facts about the state of New York:

Name of State:

Bordered by:

State Capital:

Other Cities:

State nickname:

State motto:

State mammal:

State tree:

State flower:

Description of flag:

What is the land like in New York? New York has very diverse land. Although New York City (the state capital) is well-known for its densely built up area, there are many farms, forests, mountains, rivers, and lakes across New York State.

New York’s major landform is known as the Adirondack Mountains and this covers most of the northeast of New York. The Appalachian Highlands, including the Catskill Mountains and Kittatinny Mountain Ridge extend across the southern half of the state.

There are also many significant rivers in New York such as the Hudson, Genesee and Mohawk. Niagara Falls is a series of waterfalls located on the border between New York and Canada. Niagara Falls, which flows from the Lake Erie to the Lake Ontario is a well-known tourist attraction and a major source of hydroelectric power.

Use an atlas or digital mapping tool to locate and label the physical features on the map.

Place a cross (x) on the map where you think it would be a good place to put a settlement. Explain why you might think it would be a good place to settle. Think carefully about the land type that would be useful and how it would support you.

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Where is New York City and how have its buildings changed over time?

New York City is the most populated city (not state) in the USA. It is located at the southern tip of the state of New York. It has a coastal location

– at the meeting point of the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean. There is not much land in the city which means the people lived tightly packed together.

The city is a global power for finance (money), fashion, research, education, trade, technology and entertainment. For these reasons (and many others) lots of people move there.

The city is also the home of many famous buildings and other landmarks. These include: The Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Station, Brooklyn Bridge, 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Top of the Rock and Central Park. It is also famous for its skyline – known as the Manhattan skyline.

Why does New York City have skyscrapers?

New York City has been building skyscrapers for over 100 years. Many of the first tall buildings appeared when newspaper companies began to compete to see who could build

the greatest and most impressive headquarters. Many significant and well-known landmarks were constructed at this time, including the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the economy was booming, meaning there was money to be made. Manhattan, which is a borough of New York City, was a magnet for growth and people flocked to live there. However because there was such little space on the ground to build new buildings it that meant there was only one direction to grow: towards the sky! Tall buildings back then were mainly built as offices, but they soon built more residential places for people to live.

New York City is still home to more 100 metre + buildings than any other city on Earth. It is still famous for buildings like the One World Trade Centre which was in the top 10 tallest buildings

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Here are two images showing Federal Hall in New York City. George Washington was inaugurated (this means officially welcomed or accepted) at Federal Hall as the first ever president of the entire United States in 1789.

It was actually built in 1700, and named New York City Hall, but was renamed to Federal Hall because at one time, New York City was the capital of the whole USA and the home of the president – as Washington D.C. is now.

Federal Hall (or New York City Hall) was designed and built with columns on the outside to look like the buildings created in Rome. The columns symbolise democracy which means social equality and ‘the people rule’.

The first image is a lithograph created in 1847. You can see Federal Hall in the background. The second image of Federal Hall is a photograph which was taken in 2012.

When you look at the two images, what are the main similarities and differences you can see?

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Why does New York City have skyscrapers?

New York City has been building skyscrapers for over 100 years. Many of the first tall buildings appeared when newspaper companies began to compete to see who could build

the greatest and most impressive headquarters. Many significant and well-known landmarks were constructed at this time, including the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the economy was booming, meaning there was money to be made. Manhattan, which is a borough of New York City, was a magnet for growth and people flocked to live there. However because there was such little space on the ground to build new buildings it that meant there was only one direction to grow: towards the sky! Tall buildings back then were mainly built as offices, but they soon built more residential places for people to live.

New York City is still home to more 100 metre + buildings than any other city on Earth. It is still famous for buildings like the One World Trade Centre which was in the top 10 tallest buildings

1920

2000

1980

1940 2000

2020

list in 2014. However, these tall buildings are actually causing some problems. Now, buildings are being made taller to give more space and offer wonderful views but these tall buildings are blocking sunlight and views for the smaller buildings and the people who live and work in them.

Give three reasons why New York City built skyscrapers:

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3. ________________________________________________________

What is one of the problems with skyscrapers being built in New York City today? Can you think of or suggest any other possible problems?

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Would you like to live in a skyscraper? Give reasons for your answer.

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Where in the world is the USA and what is the climate like there?

What are some of the physical characteristics of the USA?

What are the states and state capitals of the USA?

What are the most significant man-made landmarks in the USA?

State study: What is it like in California?

State study: What is it like in New York?

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