Look carefully and see how many of these vocabulary words and facts you know and are familiar with!

·        A globe is a small, round model of the earth.

·        A model is something that stands for something else.

·        A map is a drawing that shows what a place looks like from above.

·        Maps and globes show things in a smaller size.

·        Maps and globes show where things are positioned.

·        A symbol is a picture or thing that stands for something else.

·        Cardinal directions are the 4 main directions of N, S, E, and W.

·        We live on the continent of North America.

·        We live in the country of the United States of America.

·        The capital of the USA is Washington, D.C.

·        We live in the state of Virginia.

·        The capital of Virginia is Richmond.

·        A map legend or map key is a list of shapes or symbols and an explanation of what each stands for.

·        Maps are used to locate land and water.

·        Maps and globes are used to study the earth.

·        An equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the earth.

·        The equator divides the globe into 2 hemispheres, northern and southern.

·        The USA is in the Northern Hemisphere.

·        A continent is a very large body of land.

·        The seven continents are North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica.

·        The 4 oceans are the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic.

·        3 important rivers are the James, Mississippi, and the Rio Grande.

·        2 famous mountain ranges are the Appalachian Mts. (eastern USA) and the Rocky Mts. (western USA).

·        The most famous lakes in the USA are the Great Lakes.

·        All maps have a title, map key, compass rose, and date.

·        The prime meridian divides the globe into 2 hemispheres, eastern and western.

·        The USA is in the Western Hemisphere.

·        Location is where people live.

·        Climate is the kind of weather an area has over a long period of time.

·        Physical surroundings are the different kinds of land and water (lakes, rivers, mountains, deserts, etc.) that surround where you are

·        Seasons are the 4 phases of a year (spring, summer, fall, and winter).

·        The food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the kinds of houses we build are all affected by 3 things: our location, climate, and physical surroundings.

·        Egypt and the West African Empire of Mali are both located in Africa.

·        China is located in Asia.

·        The 3 types of Native Americans are:

1.     Powhatan Indians of the Eastern Woodlands

2.     Sioux Indians of the Middle or Central Plains

3.     Pueblo Indians of the Southwest

·        “Adapting to your environment” is learning how to survive in an area.

·        Ancient China had:

Climate = seasons

      Land = forests, hills, mountains, deserts

      Plant life = great variety of plant life

·        Ancient Egypt had:

Climate = hot, dry

      Land = Nile River, deserts, flooding of land

      Plant life = grasses along the Nile River

·        Powhatan Indians:

Climate = mild winters, hot, humid, summers

      Land = rivers, hills, mountains, coastland

      Plant life = forests, great variety of plant life

·        Plains Indians:

Climate = hot summers, harsh, cold winters

      Land = plains, prairies, rolling hills

      Plant life = grasses

·        Pueblo Indians:

Climate = hot days, cold nights, little rainfall

      Land = high flatlands

      Plant life = cactus

·        The Ancient Chinese adapted by  fishing, farming, and irrigating the land to farm it.

·        The Ancient Egyptians adapted by farming and irrigating the land near the Nile River.

·        The Powhatans adapted by farming, fishing, hunting, gathering plants for food, and using trees for homes and canoes.

·        The Sioux adapted by moving around the area hunting for buffalo, and using horses for transportation.

·        The Pueblo adapted by farming the land, and living in villages and houses made of adobe clay.

·        Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome were both located on the continent of Europe.

·        They traded on the Mediterranean Sea.

·        Ancient Greece was located among hills and mountains with limited rich soil, and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.

·        The Ancient Greeks were farmers, traders and ship builders.

·        Ancient Rome was located near the Tiber River.  It was a city built on 7 hills with limited or little rich soil.

·        The Ancient Romans were farmers, traders, and road builders.

·        The Empire of Mali was located in the deserts of West Africa.  It had some rivers nearby and was famous for its salt and gold mines.

·        The people of Mali were farmers, protectors of their kingdom, miners, and traders.

·        The Greeks adapted by living in city-states, farming on hillsides, fishing, and trading on the Mediterranean Sea.

·        The Ancient Romans adapted by farming on hillsides, fishing, and trading on the Mediterranean Sea.

·        The Empire of Mali adapted by learning the importance of salt to our bodies, and then trading salt for gold.

·        Spain, France, and England are all on the continent of Europe.

·        Christopher Columbus traveled from Spain and discovered San Salvador in the Bahama Islands while looking for a westward sea route to Asia.

·        Juan Ponce de Leon also traveled from Spain and discovered St. Augustine, Florida while looking for new lands, riches and the fountain of youth.

·        Jacques Cartier went from France and traveled up the St. Lawrence River Valley to find Quebec, Canada.  He was looking for new land and riches for France.

·        Christopher Newport traveled from England to Jamestown, Virginia, while looking for new lands where the English settlers with him could live.

Check out these cool sites on Geography:

*Information from the Grades K-3 History & Social Science Curriculum Frameworks (Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Education: Richmond, Virginia)