Unit 1: The Land and Early People

Chapter 1 – Our Country’s Geography

Land and Regions–Bodies of Water

Climate and Vegetation Regions– Using the Land- Where People Live and Work

Chapter 2 – The Earliest Americans

The First Americans – Ancient Indians – The Desert Southwest

The NorthwestCoast and the Arctic – The Plains – The Eastern Woodlands

Inside this Unit

Pre-Test

Teacher Directions for Unit

Activity Flow Chart with Activities

Post Test

Daily Log of Activities

Literature Connections

Unit 1: The Land and Early People- Pre-Test

(Form 1)

Name: ______

Answer each question below including all the details you know.

1. Name the two largest mountain ranges in the United States.

______

2. What are landforms? Name a region of the country that has each typeof landform. (Mountains, Plains, Hills, orValleys)

______

3. Explain why oceans, rivers and lakes are important to the United States?

______

______

4. What main vegetation regions cover most of the United States? ______

5. How do people in the United States use the land? ______

6. What is the relationship and difference between suburban areas and rural areas?______

7. When describing locations on a map both latitude and longitude lines are used. Describe the difference between the two and how they might be helpful for mapmakers? ______

8. What is migration and how do you think Native Americans arrived in the America’s? ______

9. What are nomads? ______

10. Why did the ancient Indians have to change their way of life?

______

11. The Pueblo people and Navajo people both resided in the desert southwest. How did the environment and climate affect these groups? ______

12. Compare and contrast the Pueblo people and the Navajo people.

13. What is a totem pole and what does it represent? ______

14. How did the people of the plains use the natural resources around them to survive?

______

15. The Iroquois tribe developed a league that acted as a confederation. Explain what a confederation is and how it can help people.

______

Unit 1: The Land and Early People – Pre-Test (Form 2)

Name: ______

Landforms and Regions

Use the map above to complete the following activities:

  1. Label the Pacific and AtlanticOceans.
  2. Fill in the directions on the compass rose.
  3. Draw and label the Mississippi River.
  4. Draw ’s to show the location of the Rocky Mountains. Label them.
  5. Label the Gulf of Mexico.
  6. Draw a to show the location of the Great Plains and label them.
  7. Color the Great Lakes blue.
  8. Color Canada purple and Mexico green.
  9. Draw ’s to show the location of the Appalachian Mountains. Label them.
  10. Hawaii is not shown on the map. Draw and label Hawaii in its correct location.

Place the cities listed below in the correct locations on the map and label them.

Name of City / Latitude / Longitude
Austin, TX / 30.3°N / 97.7°W
Boston, MA / 42.4°N / 71.1°W
Chicago, IL / 41.9°N / 87.6°W
Seattle, WA / 47.5°N / 122.3°W
Washington, DC / 38.9°N / 77.4°W
  1. Which of the following theories explains how people believe the earliest people arrived in the Americas?
  2. Ice-age hunters walked across a land bridge from Asia to Alaska.
  3. People from Asia crossed the Pacific Ocean in boats.
  4. People have always lived in the Americas.
  5. All of the above.
  6. The main source of food and shelter for the First Americans was -
  7. corn
  8. fish
  9. clams
  10. mammoths
  11. Which of the following shows the correct order of development of civilizations in the Americas?
  12. the Olmecs, the Maya, the Mound Builders, the Anasazi
  13. the Olmecs, the Mound Builders, the Anasazi, the Maya
  14. the Maya, the Olmecs, the Mound Builders, the Anasazi
  15. the Olmecs, the Maya, the Anasazi, the Mound Builders
  16. Which statement best describes the people of the Desert Southwest?
  17. They adapted their ways of life to fit the environment.
  18. They believed in gods of the sun, rain and Earth.
  19. They lived in dome-shaped shelters called hogans.
  20. They hunted deer in the forests.
  21. The Plains Indians –
  22. hunted buffalo
  23. built tepees with hides
  24. built lodges with sod
  25. all of the above

Use the time line to answer the questions below.

700 AD / 800 AD / 900 AD / 1000 AD / 1100 AD / 1200 AD / 1300 AD
  1. For how many years did the Toltecs rule over Chichen Itza? ______
  1. The Mayan civilization collapsed in the year 850. Draw a line from the box above to the correct spot on the time line.
  1. About what year did the Aztecs found Tenochtitlan? ______
  1. About how many years was the Mound Builder civilization flourishing before Leif Ericson sailed to North America? ______
  1. Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492. How would you change the time line to include Columbus’ voyage?

______

______

Unit 1- The Land and Early People

Directions for the teacher:

  1. Copy the instructional Power Points onto classroom computers.
  2. Administer the Unit 1 Pre-Test.
  3. Give each student a copy of the Unit 1 Flow Chart and their corrected pre-test.
  4. Students will follow the steps in the Flow Chart based on their own performance on the pre-test. Students who need more instruction will view Power Points for the sections they need and complete an activity with each Power Point. Students who have mastered a concept will have extension activities to complete.
  5. All students will complete the Create-A-Continent project and the Native American Time Line project.
  6. Students take the post-test to complete the flow chart.
  7. Grades may be taken on activities, worksheets, or the post-test.
  8. Additional practice activities are included in the Supplemental Activities folder.

The First Americans Activity

The First Americans slide show describes three different theories of how the First Americans arrived on the North American continent. Which theory do you believe is the correct one? Write a paragraph describing that theory and explain why you chose it.

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

Use the following map to show where the four ancient American civilizations were located.

The First Americans Activity (continued)

Olmec / Mound Builders / Anasazi / Mayan
Years
(Began and Ended)
Diet
Inventions
Art
Interesting Facts

Mayan Folktale Activity

We all remember the story of how the tortoise tricked the hair. The Mayans had a trickery folktale about a rabbit and a crab. Predict how you think the tales may be similar. Then go to and read the Mayan folktale about the rabbit and the crab. Then go to and read about the tortoise and the hare. After reading both stories, compare them using the Venn Diagram below.

Prediction of how the tales are alike:

______

______

______

______

Now read both tales and compare:

Where in the World Are We?

Fill in the blanks.

  1. The ______is the latitude line at 0 degrees that divides the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres.
  2. The ______is the longitude line at 0 degrees that divides the Earth into eastern and western hemispheres.
  3. Lines of latitude are also called ______because they are always the same distance from each other.
  4. The North Pole is at ______north latitude.
  5. The prime meridian and the equator divide the Earth into four ______.

Complete the chart below by listing the quadrant, or quadrants, where each place is located.

Place / Quadrant(s)
Africa
Asia
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Indian Ocean
North America

Complete the chart below by writing the name of the continent where each location can be found.

Location / Continent
50°N, 20°E
40°S, 70°W
20°S, 140°E
40°N, 100°W
20°N, 20°E

North American Landforms Map

Follow the directions on the PowerPoint to complete the map below.

Create-A-Continent

Map Skills and Geography Terms Cumulative Project

Completed Map due: ______

Your assignment is to design your own continent using the paper your teacher will give you with latitude and longitude lines marked on it. You will first have to choose a theme for your continent. All countries, cities, rivers, mountains, etc. must follow your theme. For example, you may name your continent the Continent of Cat. The countries might have names such as Manx and Persian, the rivers might be called the TabbyRiver and the mountains could be called the CatnipMountains.

After you have your idea, you must design your continent using an appropriate shape. You may want to create a rough draft of your creation before beginning on the special paper. You must divide your shape into at least four sections for each of your four countries. Each country must include a capital city and at least one other city. All country names must be written in all capital letters. All other labels must start with a capital letter. Your continent must include all of the things listed in the worksheet below. You may also include up to 10 extra credit items. Use the terms in your History Alive book, section 1.4.

After you have drawn and labeled your map, you will go over all labels and boundary lines in ultra-thin black Sharpie. Include a compass rose and a key. Be sure your key includes all symbols used in your map. Your name should be written in the top right corner. Then, color your map completely using colored pencil or crayon. Each country should be a different color. All water should be blue, all mountains green or brown.

Continent Name: ______(carefully written in all capital letters, easy to read and fits my theme.)

Names of Countries, Capitals and Cities: (Country names written in all capital letters. City names written in lower case letters with a capital letter at the beginning. Capital cities indicated with a star or other special symbol. Other cities indicated with a black dot. Include these symbols in the key. All names must fit theme.)

Country One: ______

Capital: ______

City: ______

Country Two: ______

Capital: ______

City: ______

Country Three: ______

Capital: ______

City: ______

Country Four: ______

Capital: ______

City: ______

Names of mountains, mountain ranges, and/or volcanoes: (carefully marked and labeled, label included in your key, fits your theme.)

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Names of lakes, rivers, and/or waterfalls: (carefully marked and labeled, label included in your key if appropriate, fits your theme.)

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Names of peninsula, delta, forest, and/or cape: (carefully marked and labeled, label included in your key if appropriate, fits your theme.)

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Names of channel, strait, gulf and/or bay: (carefully marked and labeled, label included in your key if appropriate, fits your theme.)

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Names of islands and/or archipelago: (carefully marked and labeled, label included in your key if appropriate, fits your theme.)

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Names of oceans and seas: (carefully marked and labeled, label included in your key if appropriate, fits your theme.)

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

Include:

______Compass Rose

______Complete Key

______Your name clearly written in the top right corner

______Colored completely and neatly and carefully outlined

Create-A-Continent

Map Skills and Geography Terms Cumulative Project

Extra Credit Form

Must indicate name and type of item:

Example: TunaCity in Persian

FurRiverRiver

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

6. ______

7. ______

8. ______

9. ______

10. ______

This form must be turned in with your Create-A-Continent Question Worksheet to get credit for your extra credit items.

Create-A-Continent

Map Skills and Geography Terms Cumulative Project

Question Worksheet

Now that you are all done with your masterpiece, it is time to answer some questions about your map! Look carefully at your creation and answer the following questions.

Name four of your countries and one geographical landmark that lie within the boundaries of that country. This could be a city, capital, bay, river, etc. Then, tell the latitude and longitude of the landmark.

Country / Landmark / Latitude / Longitude
A.
B.
C.
D.

Ancient American Timelines Project

Step 1: Research the tribes from the following areas and record your data in the chart.

Names of Tribes
(At least 2) / Two Important Events with Dates / Transportation / Food Sources/ Shelter / Adaptations to Environment
NorthwestCoast
The Plains
The Eastern Woodlands
The Southwest

Step 2:

Create a timeline of the tribes you learned about in Step 1. Ask your teacher for a 3 foot piece of bulletin board paper or a poster for this activity. Make sure you include:

  • A neatly drawn timeline with regular intervals labeled
  • The important dates listed in your chart
  • Illustrations of shelter, food sources, methods of transportation, etc.
  • 1492 – Columbus’ discovery of the Americas

Step 3: Write a report to go with your timeline that explains how the Native Americans from each region adapted to their environments by using readily-available resources.

Landforms and Regions

Use the map to the right to complete the questions below. Write the name of the letter of the landform or region on the map next to its description below.

_____ 1. Approximate location of the Hawaiian Islands.

_____ 2. The country of Mexico.

_____ 3. The Rocky Mountains.

_____ 4. The Atlantic Ocean.

_____ 5. The Gulf of Mexico.

_____ 6. The United States’ largest peninsula.

_____ 7. The country of Canada.

_____ 8. The Great Plains.

_____ 9 . The Appalachian Mountains.

_____ 10. The Great Lakes

Latitude and Longitude

Write the name of the continent at each location listed in the chart below.

Latitude / Longitude / Name of Continent
30°N / 10°E
30°S / 120°E
15°S / 60°W
60°N / 120°W
60°N / 90°E

The Earliest Americans

  1. All of the following are theories that explain how scientists believe the earliest people arrived in the Americas EXCEPT -
  2. People have always lived in the Americas.
  3. People migrated across the South Pole from Australia.
  4. People from Asia crossed the Pacific Ocean in boats.
  5. Ice-age hunters walked across a land bridge from Asia to Alaska.
  6. Large animals hunted by the First Americans were -
  7. badgers
  8. giraffes
  9. mammoths
  10. horses
  11. Which of the following is considered the “mother civilization” for the advanced cultures of the Americas?
  12. the Olmecs
  13. the Mound Builders
  14. the Maya
  15. the Anasazi
  16. Which of these resources insured the survival of Northwest Coast Tribes?
  17. Adobe homes
  18. Fertile plains
  19. Cactus plants
  20. Salmon
  21. The Pueblo Indians adapted to the harsh desert environment by -
  22. Relocating to areas with more rainfall
  23. Planting crops along riverbanks
  24. Building homes protected by cliffs
  25. all of the above

Reading Time Lines

Use the time line to answer the questions below.

1000 AD / 1100 AD / 1200 AD / 1300 AD / 1400 AD / 1500 AD / 1600 AD
  1. The Aztecs were defeated by Cortes 194 years after the founding of Tenochtitlan. In

what year was Tenochtitlan founded ? ______

  1. The Toltec civilization collapsed in the year 1150. Draw a line from the box above to the correct spot on the time line.
  1. For how many years did the Incan Empire exist? ______
  1. About how many years was the Incan civilization flourishing before Columbus sailed to

the Americas?______

  1. Which civilization ruled longer – the Aztecs or the Incans? ______

Unit 1: The Land and Early People– GT Differentiation Chart

Lesson / Auditory/Analytic / Visual / Global / Tactile Kinesthetic / Global
Chapter 1 Lesson 1
Land and Regions / Research the explorers that first visited the major landforms in the United States. / Use a map to locate the city where your school is located and identify major landforms in the area. / Sculpt a landform of your choice using modeling clay and explain its significance to a region of the United States.
Chapter 1 Lesson 2
Bodies of Water / Research Samuel Clemens and write a one page summary of his life. / Compare and contrast the three elevation maps on Pg 24 in Chapter 2. / Make a map including the major bodies of water in the United States and how they help make life easier.
Chapter 1 Lesson 3
Climate and Vegetation Regions / Research and Compare/Contrast the difference between El Nino and La Nina. / Make a K-W-L chart for the climate and vegetation in the regions of the United States. / Create a weather report skit for the region of the United States in which we live, more specifically Houston.
Chapter 1 Lesson 4 & 5
Using the Land/Where People Live and Work / Write a letter to someone who is thinking about moving to the United States describing how the climate changes from east to west and include information about the major cities in which they could reside. / With a partner use the map on page 45 and take turns indentifying the regions and states included in each region across the United States. / Make a poster showing the non renewable and renewable resources found in the United States.
Chapter 2 Lesson 1 & 2
The First Americans and Ancient Indians / Write a diary entry as a descendent of one of the first Americans. / Compare/Contrast two of the ancient cultures found on the map on pg 65 in Chapter 2 . / Draw an artifact left behind by an ancient society and present your drawing to the class.
Chapter 2 Lesson 3
The Desert Southwest / Write an essay describing the purpose of cultural maps. / Make a graphic organizer about the way of life of the Hopis. / Make an ancient Pueblo Adobe using a material of your choice.
Chapter 2 Lesson 4
The NorthwestCoast and Arctic / Research the methods used today for barter organizations and create a system that could be used in your community. / Make a collage of items representing your family history. / Create a totem pole that represents the history and importance of your school.
Chapter 2 Lesson 5 & 6
The Plains and The Eastern Woodlands / Make a fact file with note cards about Life on the Plains. / Examine the painting on page 81 and name traits needed to catch buffalo. / Make a replica of a tepee the Nomads lived in on the Plains.

Daily Log of Extension Work