CurriculumGrade 5Social Studies

The Geography of North America

Aligned to C3.D2.Geo.1 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.

What this lesson teaches

North America has many regions with different landforms, like mountains, plains, and coasts. Rivers, lakes, and oceans gave people water, food, and easy ways to travel and trade. Geography helped decide where people chose to settle.

Worked example

The Mississippi River is one of the longest rivers in North America. Early towns grew up along its banks because boats could carry crops and goods up and down the water to trade with faraway places.

Practice questions

  1. Name two landforms found in North America.
  2. Explain why people often settled near rivers or the coast.
  3. Choose one region of North America and describe how its geography would shape the way people there lived and worked.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

La geografía de América del Norte

América del Norte tiene muchas regiones con diferentes relieves, como montañas, llanuras y costas. Los ríos, los lagos y los océanos daban a la gente agua, alimento y maneras fáciles de viajar y comerciar. La geografía ayudaba a decidir dónde se establecía la gente.

Ejemplo: El río Misisipi es uno de los ríos más largos de América del Norte. Los primeros pueblos crecieron a sus orillas porque las embarcaciones podían llevar cosechas y mercancías por el agua para comerciar con lugares lejanos.

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