American Beginnings Test Flashcards
1
Q
archipelago
A
a large group of islands
2
Q
atoll
A
a ring of coral that encloses a pool of seawater
3
Q
badlands
A
wasteland that has been carved into unusual shapes by wind and water
4
Q
bay
A
a body of water that extends into the land
5
Q
beach
A
a rocky or sandy edge of land along a body of water
6
Q
butte
A
an isolated hill with sloping sides and a small, flat top
7
Q
canyon
A
a deep valley with steep sides
8
Q
cape
A
a point of land that juts out into water
9
Q
cave
A
a hollow area in the earth with an opening to the outside
10
Q
channe
A
a body of water
that connects two larger
bodies of water
11
Q
cliff
A
a high, steep face of rock or earth
12
Q
continent
A
one of the seven great land masses on earth
13
Q
delta
A
a fan-shaped deposit of sand and mud at the mouth of a river
14
Q
desert
A
a region of little rainfall where few plants and animals live
15
Q
dune
A
a hill of sand formed by blowing wind
16
Q
fjord
A
a long, narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or
slopes
17
Q
forest
A
a large area of land covered with trees and
other plants
18
Q
geyser
A
a spring that spouts hot water and steam from
time to time
19
Q
glacier
A
a large mass of ice that moves very slowly down a mountain or through a valley
20
Q
gulf
A
a large body of saltwater that is partly enclosed by land
21
Q
hill
A
a raised part of the earth’s surface that is lower than a mountain
22
Q
iceburg
A
a huge block of floating ice that has broken off a glacier
23
Q
island
A
a piece of land that is surrounded by water
24
Q
isthmus
A
a narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas
25
jungle
an area of thick, tangled plants usually found near a river or a swamp
26
lagoon
a shallow body of water that is partly cut off from the sea
27
lake
an inland body of fresh or saltwater
28
marsh
a low, wet area where grasses, rushes and cattails grow
29
mesa
a raised area with steep sides and a large, flat top
30
mountain
a high area of land with steep sides and a sharp peak
31
oasis
an isolated area of vegetation in a desert often surrounding a water source
32
ocean
the body of saltwater that covers most of the earth
33
peninsula
an area of land that is nearly surrounded by water
34
plain
a large, low area of flat or rolling land with few trees
35
plateau
a flat area of land that is higher than the land around it
36
prairie
a region of flat or hilly land covered by tall grasses
37
river
a long body of water that flows over land
38
sea
a body of saltwater that is partly enclosed by land
39
sound
a long wide ocean
inlet between two bodies of land
40
swamp
a low, wet area where trees and high shrubs grow
41
tundra
a cold, dry, treeless region where mosses, grasses and lichens grow
42
valley
an area of low land between mountains or hills
43
volcano
a hole in the earth's crust through which lava, gasses and ash are released
44
waterfall
a stream of water that falls from a high place
45
When in S.S. class, what do we mean by "location"?
where
46
latitude
lines run east and west, measure distances north or south of the equator
47
longitude
lines run north and south, measure distances east and west of the prime meridian
48
relative location (define and give examples)
where something is located in relation to another place (use describing words such as near, left, north)
Examples: The district office is next to the softball field. Olivia is sitting next to Andrew
49
When in S.S. class, what do we mean by "place"?
describes physical and human features
50
physical features (define and give examples)
Physical features – geographical features such as lakes and mountains
Examples: Hudson River, Clay mt.
51
human features (define and give examples)
ways humans shape a place such as buildings, transportation, language, religion
Examples: school bus, thruway
52
Give examples of how people adapt to their natural environment.
In the winter you wear coats and pants vs. in the summer you wear t-shirts and shorts.
53
Give an example of how people change the environment.
The Native Americans in the Southwest learned to irrigate or bring water to an area so their crops would survive.
54
When in S.S. class, what do we mean by "movement"?
the movement of people, goods and ideas
55
Why does movement occur?
Movement occurs because people and resources are scattered unevenly around the globe
56
Give examples of movement for people.
People can fly from one place to another on a plane.
57
Give examples of movement for goods.
Goods can be transported on a boat
58
Give examples of movement for ideas.
Mr. Mastracy just told us how ideas spread (communication).
59
region
an area of the world that has similar characteristics
60
What are the two types of regions?
physical and human regions
61
physical regions (define and give examples)
where similar characteristics are based on physical features
Examples: Adirondack Region, Finger Lakes Region
62
human regions (define and give examples)
where similar characteristics are based on human features
Examples: Chinatown in NYC, Little Italy in NYC
63
Which of the 5 themes of geography (Location, Place, Interaction, Region, Movement) is this?
People in the American Southwest use air conditioners to cool their homes.
interaction
64
Which two of the 5 themes of geography (Location, Place, Interaction, Region, Movement) is this?
The Nations of the Pacific Rim includes Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and China.
place, region
65
Which three of the 5 themes of geography (Location, Place, Interaction, Region, Movement) is this?
The Mississippi River flows through the interior plains of the United States.
region, place, location
66
Which two of the 5 themes of geography (Location, Place, Interaction, Region, Movement) is this?
In the mid-1800’s grasslands covered the great plains of the United States.
region, place
67
Which of the 5 themes of geography (Location, Place, Interaction, Region, Movement) is this?
During the Gold Rush of 1849, thousands of people went to California hoping to make money.
movement
68
Which of the 5 themes of geography (Location, Place, Interaction, Region, Movement) is this?
By building dams on rivers, Americans have harnessed the power of water.
interaction
69
Which three of the 5 themes of geography (Location, Place, Interaction, Region, Movement) is this?
The Great Lakes form part of the border between America and Canada.
location, region, place
70
Which of the 5 themes of geography (Location, Place, Interaction, Region, Movement) is this?
New York City’s “Little Italy” has many Italian restaurants.
region
71
What ritual did the Aztecs perform, which may disgust you?
human sacrifice
72
Who defeated the Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs?
The Spanish
73
Tenochtitlan
capital of the Aztec Empire located in the historic center of present-day Mexico City
74
chinampas
a type of agriculture used by the Aztecs that involves building artificial islands in shallow lakes to grow crops
75
Where did the Incas live and how did they get around?
The Incas built roads to travel through the Andes Mountains.
76
What type of farming did the Incas practice?
terraced farming
77
What advanced skills did the Mayans have?
They created a system of advanced math, astronomy and one of the first written languages.
78
What are the two theories of how the Americans first arrived in the Americas?
Land Bridge, Coastal Theory
79
Land Bridge Theory
A land bridge once connected Asia and North America, allowing early humans and animals to migrate to the Americas.
80
Coastal Theory
The first people to arrive in the Americas traveled by boat along the Pacific coast.
81
Name the 5 original Iroquois tribes.
Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca
82
What state did the Iroquois live in?
New York State
83
What is the difference between Nomadic and Stationary?
Nomadic people move from place to place and don't have a permanent home, while people with a stationary lifestyle remain in one place.
84
Primary Source (give definition and examples)
an original source of information that was created at the time of an event or by someone directly involved in it
Examples: ship logs, diaries, original documents
85
Secondary Source (give definition and examples)
a document or recording that discusses or relates information that was originally presented elsewhere
Examples: textbooks, encyclopedias, journal articles
86
Artifact (give definition and examples)
an object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest
Examples: Rosetta Stone, Dead Sea Scrolls
87
What are the 5 themes of geography?
location, place, interaction between people and their environment, movement, region
88
On the following blank map:
https://d-maps.com/carte.php?num_car=1405&lang=en
Locate and label Canada, Mexico, Mainland US, Alaska, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes.
See this map for locations of Canada, Mexico, Mainland US, Alaska, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Great Lakes:
https://www.yourchildlearns.com/online-atlas/north-america-map.htm
*The Great Lakes are between the U.S. and Canada.
