FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
A
United States geography
program based on the
NASCAR
schedule from
February 14th - May 30th, 2010
presented by the
VINDICATOR
February 5, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
Dear VINDICATOR NIE Teacher:
Please preview the weekly “Fastcar Geography” questions carefully before assigning them to the students. You may prefer to be selective with the questions assigned to avoid presenting concepts that are too difficult. You want to shun a question, for the time being, about the Grand Canyon if a student has no idea where the state of Arizona is located within the United States.
In “Pigskin Geography” and “Slam-Jam Geography”, the author can manipulate the skill level by asking easier questions initially and gradually increasing the difficulty of the geography concepts presented. The skills can be developed sequentially because there is a lot more flexibility with the schedule. With all the teams crisscrossing the nation many times, you have the opportunity to ask easier questions at first and the more difficult questions later in the season.
In football, teams in the same division play each other twice, so you can say, “That concept is too difficult at this time, so that question will be asked the next time they play.” In basketball, some teams play each other three or more times allowing much flexibility.
You do not have this flexibility in “Fastcar Geography”. All drivers are going to one particular city each week and they will not be going back for several months, so you have to present the geography concept when the opportunity is there. “Strike when the iron is hot.”
It is hoped this explains why it is vital that the questions are previewed each week so the learning process with the VINDICATOR can be fun instead of frustrating.
Sincerely,
Sue Ann Taylor, NIE
FIVE THEMES IN GEOGRAPHY
Teacher Resource information
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
LOCATION: (Absolute and Relative): Location answers the basic question: Where? Absolute and relative location are two ways of describing the positions of the Earth's physical and cultural features. For example, knowing the absolute, or exact, location of Tucson, AZ, showed us where the forest fires occurred. A grid system representing latitude and longitude is one way of showing absolute locations. Another way of looking at location has to do with the interaction of places. This is relative location-the way a city is connected to other places. A map can provide a starting point for gathering information. IN WHAT MOUNTAIN RANGE IS MT.RAINIER LOCATED? EXACTLY WHERE DID THE JANUARY EARTHQUAKE HIT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA and the CARIBBEAN?
PLACE: (Physical and Human Characteristics): All places on Earth have special features that distinguish them from other places. Geographers usually describe places by their physical and human characteristics. Los Angeles, CA, and its neighboring communities, for example, are known for such physical characteristics as sandy beaches, abundant sunshine, and a mild climate. Human characteristics such as the density of population and its ethnic makeup also play an important role in shaping the image of Los Angeles. WHAT PHYSICAL AND HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS MAKE THE PLACE YOU LIVE DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER? HOW DO THESE CHARACTERISTICS AFFECT YOUR LIFE? HOW IS LIFE IN BAYOU COUNTRY DIFFERENT FROM YOUR CITY?
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: (Relationships Within Places): People interact with their environments and change them in different ways. Large-scale agricultural development of the dry Texas Panhandle, for instance, did not occur until the invention of circular irrigation systems that distribute water from underground wells. But such change has a price: The region's water supply is rapidly diminishing. Geographers examine how human-environment interactions develop and what their consequences are for people and the landscape. LOOK AROUND YOU: HOW HAVE PEOPLE CHANGED YOUR ENVIRONMENT? WHY HAVE THEY MADE SUCH CHANGES? WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THESE CHANGES?
MOVEMENT: (Mobility of People, Goods, and Ideas): People everywhere interact. They travel from place to place, they communicate, and they depend upon other people in distant places for products, ideas, and information. A good example of movement exists in the highly urbanized northeast corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. Here, people can quickly fly from one city to another. Farmers efficiently send products to restaurants and supermarkets by truck and trains. A tiny frog jumped out of a head of lettuce in Brooklyn that had been grown in California. Let every trip to the supermarket be a geography lesson! From where does all that produce come? Geography helps us understand the nature and effects of such movement. HOW DO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DEPEND UPON PEOPLE IN OTHER PLACES? HOW DOES MOVEMENT AFFECT WHAT YOU CAN BUY IN STORES IN YOUNGSTOWN?
REGIONS: (How They Form and Change): Regions are areas on the surface of the Earth that are defined by certain unifying characteristics. These characteristics may be physical, or they may be human. The peaks and valleys of the Rocky Mountains, for example, form a physical region. The corn belt, on the other hand, forms a human region. Large farms and similar crops unite several midwestern states into this region, where corn has been the mainstay. Regions provide an organized way to study Earth's landscapes and peoples. CAN YOU IDENTIFY SOME PHYSICAL AND HUMAN REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES? DRAW A MAP OF THESE REGIONS. DO ANY OF THEM OVERLAP?
Spring 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
Sunday, February 14th
Daytona Int’l Speedway Daytona Beach, FL 2.5 mile oval
Sunday, February 21st
Auto Club Speedway Fontana, CA(near LA) 2.mile oval
Sunday, February 28th
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, NV 1.5 mile oval
Sunday, March 7th
Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, GA 1.54 mile quad oval
Open DateSunday, March 14thNo race
Sunday, March 21st
Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, TN .533 mile oval
Sunday, March 28th
Martinsville Speedway Martinsville, VA .526 mile oval
Open Date Sunday, April 4th No race-Easter
Saturday, April 10th
Phoenix Int’l Raceway Avondale, AZ 1. mile oval
Sunday, April 18th
Texas Motor Speedway Ft. Worth, TX 1.5mile oval
Sunday, April 25th
Talladega Superspeedway Talladega, AL 2.66mile tri-oval
Saturday, May 1st
Richmond Int’l Speedway Richmond, VA .75mile oval
Saturday, May 8th
Darlington Raceway Darlington, SC 1.366mile oval
Sunday, May 16th
DoverInt’l Speedway Dover, DE1. mile oval
Saturday, May 22nd
Charlotte Motor Speedway All-Star Challenge 1.5mile oval
Sunday, May 30th
Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, NC1.5mile oval
DRIVERS and HOMETOWNS
Student Reference Information
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
No. Name Hometown
43A.J. AllmendingerLos Gatos, CA
09Aric AlmirolaTampa, FL
16Greg Biffle Vancouver, WA
36Mike BlissMilwaukie, OR
33Clint BowyerEmporia, KS
31Jeff Burton South Boston, VA
2Kurt BuschLas Vegas, NV
18Kyle BuschLas Vegas, NV
37Kevin ConwayRCornelius, NC
46Terry CookRSylvania, OH
88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.Kannapolis, NC
99Carl EdwardsColumbia, MO
21Bill ElliottDawsonville, GA
38David GillilandRiverside, CA
24Jeff GordonVallejo, CA
7Robby GordonBellflower, CA
11Denny HamlinChesterfield, VA
29Kevin HarvickBakersfield, CA
77Sam Hornish, JrBryan, OH
48Jimmie JohnsonEl Cajon, CA(near Diego)
9Kasey KahneEnumclaw, WA
17Matt KensethRockdale, WI(Cambridge)
12Brad Keselowski Rochester Hills, MI
34Travis KvapilJanesville, WI
71Bobby LabonteCorpus Christi, TX
20Joey LoganoMiddletown, CT
1Jamie McMurrayJoplin, MO
5Mark MartinBatesville, AR
98Paul MenardEau Claire, WI
42Juan MontoyaBogota, Columbia
78Joe NemechekLakeland, FL
39Ryan NewmanSouth Bend, IN
6David RaganUnadilla, GA
00David ReutimannZephyrhills, FL
19Elliott SadlerEmporia, VA
04Brent ShermanSt. Paul, MN
78Regan SmithCato, NY
43Reed SorensonPeachtree City, GA
82Scott SpeedManteca, CA
14Tony StewartRushville, IN
56Martin Truex, Jr.Mayetta, NJ
83Brian VickersThomasville, NC
66Michael WaltripOwensboro, KY
Two-LetterState Abbreviations
Student Reference Information
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
Alabama AL "Heart of Dixie" Montana MT "TreasureState"
AlaskaAK "Last Frontier" NebraskaNE "CornhuskerState"
ArizonaAZ "Grand CanyonState" NevadaNV "SilverState"
ArkansasAR "Land of Opportunity" New Hampshire NH "GraniteState"
CaliforniaCA "GoldenState" New Jersey NJ "GardenState"
ColoradoCO "CentennialState" New MexicoNM "Land of Enchantment
ConnecticutCT "ConstitutionState" New YorkNY "EmpireState"
DelawareDE "FirstState" North CarolinaNC "TarHeelState"
FloridaFL "SunshineState" North DakotaND "FlickertailState"
GeorgiaGA "PeachState" OhioOH "BuckeyeState"
HawaiiHI "Aloha State" OklahomaOK "SoonerState"
IdahoID "GemState" OregonOR "BeaverState"
IllinoisIL "PrairieState" PennsylvaniaPA "KeystoneState"
IndianaIN "HoosierState" Rhode IslandRI "Little Rhody"
IowaIA "HawkeyeState" South CarolinaSC "PalmettoState"
KansasKS "SunflowerState" South DakotaSD "RushmoreState"
KentuckyKY "BluegrassState" TennesseeTN "Volunteer State"
LouisianaLA "PelicanState" TexasTX "Lone StarState"
MaineME "PineTreeState" UtahUT "BeehiveState"
MarylandMD "OldLineState" Vermont VT “GreenMountainState” Massachusetts MA "BayState" Virginia VA "OldDominionState"
MichiganMI "WolverineState" WashingtonWA "EvergreenState"
MinnesotaMN "GopherState" West VirginiaWV "MountainState"
MississippiMS "MagnoliaState" WisconsinWI "BadgerState"
MissouriMO "Show Me State" WyomingWY "EqualityState"
Daytona International Raceway
Daytona Beach, FL-Feb. 14, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.10-second pit stop! What does the NASCAR acronym stand for?
N ______A ______for S _ _ _ _ C _ _ A _ _ _ R _ _ _ _ _
How many acronyms can you find in the VINDICATOR by Friday?
2.American history! Kasey Kahne will fly over Chimney Rock in western Nebraskagoing to Daytona. This was a famous landmark on the ______.
3.Next Monday, February 15th, you will recognize Presidents’ Day. En route to Daytona, Travis Kvapil of Janesville, WI, will fly over President Lincoln’s birthplace in the state of ______. However, President Lincoln is more closely associated with the state of ______.
4.17-second pit stop! Regan Smith of Cato, NY, will fly over Ft.Sumter at Charleston, SC, going to the race. What historic event occurred at Ft.Sumter on April 12, 1861? ______
What event occurred at Ft.Sumter on February 17, 1865? ______
______
5.Jeff Gordon of Vallejo, CA, & Scott Speed of Manteca, CA, will cross the Four Corners region of the United States. What states form the Four Corners region?
______, ______, ______, ______
6.American history and a 13-second pit stop! Which of the above states became the 48th state of the Union on February 14, 1912? ______
7.What is the name of the well known swamp on the Georgia-Florida border many drivers will wing over en route to the race? ______Swamp
8.En route to Daytona, the Busch brothers of Las Vegas, NV, will fly over two state capitals. They are: ______, ____; ______, ____
9.Greg Biffle of Vancouver, WA, will fly near two state capitals going to Daytona. They are: ______, ____; ______, ____
10.You have now mentioned one of the four state capitals named after a president.
Name the four state capitals named after presidents.
______, ____; ______, ____;
______, ____; ______, ____
11.Florida is surrounded by water on three sides. This kind of landform is known as a ______.
12.Martin Truex, Jr. of Mayetta, NJ, will parallel the Atlantic coast of the DelmarvaPeninsula. The states that form this peninsula are:
______, ______, ______
continued
Daytona International Raceway
Daytona Beach, FL-Feb. 14, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
13.Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne will tell you the peninsula on the northwest corner of their state of Washington is the ______Peninsula.
14.No driver crossing it, but the CAPE COD TIMES and THE STANDARD-TIMES NIE students would want you to know the well known peninsula on the southeastern side of Massachusetts is the ______Peninsula.
15.Brad Keselowski wants you to know his state is actually two peninsulas. This state is ______.
16.Jimmie Johnson of El Cajon, CA, has probably been to Tijuana a few times. Name the well known Mexican peninsula south of San Diego.
______Peninsula
17.“Lettuce” locate and identify the valley in extreme southern California that Jimmie Johnson will fly over. This is the ______Valley.
18.10-second pit stop! We’re talking oranges & oranges now, so squeeze gently. Seven drivers are from California, 2nd only to Florida in the growing of oranges.
Most of the oranges from the state of ______are squeezed for juice. Most of the oranges from the state of ______are eaten as table fruit.
19.10-second pit stop! We’re talking apples & oranges now. Identify the two drivers from the leading apple growing state that will be going to Daytona.
______, ______
20.20-second pit stop! Now you know about apples and oranges. Match these products with their statesthe drivers from Washington will be crossing.
____ Arkansas1. apples
____ Florida2. catfish
____ Idaho3. citrus
____ Kansas4. coal
____ Mississippi5. potatoes
____ Washington6. rice, ducks & diamonds
____ Wyoming7. wheat
21. 13-second pit stop with help from the produce man at your grocery store!
Tony Stewart will fly near Vidalia in southeastern Georgia. What well known herb-vegetable comes from this area of Georgia? ______
22. Who won the Super Bowl? ______by a score of __ __ to __ __.
23.13-second pit stop! David Gilliland will fly near Roswell where the New Mexico
______Culture Week is going on. What do the local people say happened in Roswell on July 8, 1947? ______
Auto ClubSpeedway
Fontana, CA-Feb. 21, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1. Kurt Busch could drive from Las Vegas to Fontana on Interstate _ _ .
2.If driving, Bobby Labonte would drive up to San Antonio on I - _ _ , then all the way to Fontana on I - _ _ .
3.What is the river forming the natural boundary between Arizona and Californiathat Mr. Labonte will cross? ______River
4.Paul Menard of Eau Claire, WI, will soar over Lake Mead in southern Nevada. Tell your teacher something unique about Lake Mead. ______is Lake Meadeau claire?
5.Identify the state capitals Martin Truex, Jr. of Mayetta, NJ, will fly over or near en route to the race.
______, ___; ______, ___; ______, ___
6.Mr. Labonte will cross the ______River on the Texas-Mexico border how many times going to Fontana? ______times.
7.Locate Big Bend National Park that Mr. Labonte will see going to the race. How do you think this park was named? ______
8.Locate Great Bend, KS, that Carl Edwards of Columbia, MO, will fly over en route to the race. Examine the map carefully and write how you think this city was named. ______
9.20-second pit stop! Matt Kenseth of Rockdale, WI, will fly over the Grand Canyon going to Fontana. The Grand CanyonNational Park was created on February 26, 19 _ _ . What river eroded the Grand Canyon? ______
10.20-second pit stop! Ryan Newman will see the Royal Gorge. Research and tell your teacher what’s unique about the bridge over Royal Gorge. ______
What river carved the Royal Gorge? ______River
11.20-second pit stop! Jamie McMurray, Joplin, MO, might like to experience some nostalgia by driving old Route 66, the “Mother Road”, to Fontana. How many states will he pass through if he does this? ____
12.The Busch brothers of Las Vegas will fly over the ______Desert ofCalif.
13.20-second pit stop! Bobby Labonte of Corpus Christi, TX, will fly over the
______Desert around Marathon, TX, and the ______Desert in southern Arizona.
continued
Auto ClubSpeedway
Fontana, CA-Feb. 21, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
14.Kasey Kahne could go to Tacoma and drive almost all the way to Fontana on
I - _ , and this route would take him through the state capitals of
______, __ ; ______, __ ; ______, __
15.20-second pit stop! Mr. Kahne will be flying within sight of four of the highest peaks in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. Match these mountains with their heights. THE WORLD ALMANAC-2010, page 692.
A.Mt.Hood_____ 8,366 ft.
B. Mt.Rainier_____ 11,235 ft.
C. Mt.St. Helens_____ 14,410 ft.
D. Mt.Whitney_____ 14,494 ft.
16.17-second pit stop! Mr. Kahne will see Mt. Whitney and Death Valley as he flies near by. How many feet difference is there between the bottom of Death Valley and the top of Mt.Whitney? _ _ , _ _ _ feet.
17.13-second pit stop! Mr. Kahnewill see some giant trees growing on the western slopes of the Sierra NevadaMountains. These huge trees are
______trees. Tell your teacher about the General Sherman
18Dale Earnhardt, Jr. of Kannapolis, NC, will cross the southeast corner of Missouri that has an odd shape. What is this area called? “The ______”
19.Identify the panhandle states Mr. Earnhardt will fly over going to Fontana.
______, ______
20.Identify the state capitals Mr. Earnhardt will fly near en route to the race.
______, ___; ______, ___
21.17-second pit stop! Jeff Gordon could drive to Fontana, and his trip will take him parallel to the San Andreas Fault and through the fertile San Joaquin Valley. What is the San Andreas Fault? ______
______
How is the San JoaquinValley so important to the whole United States? ______
______
22.Number these rivers in the order Martin Truex, Jr. will cross them going to the
race. __ Arkansas, __ Colorado, __ Illinois, __ Mississippi, __ Missouri, __ Ohio
23.Travis Kvapil will soar over Grand Island, NE, where the “Wings over the Platte
Migration” is going on from Feb. 14 – April 12. What kind of birds are stopping in Grand Island? ______
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV-Feb. 28, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.Scott Speed of Manteca, CA, will seeMt. Whitney going to the race.
Mt.Whitney is in the ______Mountain range.
2.13-second pit stop! Mark Martin will soar over the Interior Uplands of Arkansas and Missouri that geographers call the _ _ _ _ _ Plateau, but local people refer to this area as just being the ______.
3.13-second pit stop! Dale Earnhardt, Jr., of Kannapolis, NC, will fly over Mt.Mitchell in western North Carolina near Asheville. What is unique about Mt. Mitchell? ______
4.Mt.Mitchell is in what mountain chain? ______Mountains
5.Over what state will Matt Kenseth of Rockdale, WI, be when he crosses the Rocky Mountains? ______
6.Greg Biffle of Vancouver, WA, will fly over the heart of Nevada. This region is called the G _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ .
7.Terry Cook of Sylvania, OH, will cross the “Breadbasket of the Nation” or a region of the United States really called the G _ _ _ _ P _ _ _ _ _ .
8.Because of violent spring thunderstorms that spawn many “twisters”, this central part of the country is also called “______.”
9.Ascending from Sea-TacAirport, Kasey Kahne will see beautiful Mt.Rainier
which is located in the ______Mountains. Mt.RainierNational Park was
established on March 2, 18 _ _ .
10.The 18-wheel car haulers are now headed to Las Vegas. What Interstate highway will they take to get from Fontana to Las Vegas? I - _ _
11.Using MapQuest or some other Internet site, approximately how many miles is it from Fontana to Las Vegas? ______miles
12.Identify the desert in the N.W. corner of Nevada Mr. Biffle will fly over going to Las Vegas. ______Desert
13.Locate the caverns in southeastern New Mexico Bobby Labonte will fly just south of en route to “SinCity”. ______Caverns
14.17-second pit stop! Mr. Labonte will fly over the ______Desert of