ANSWER KEYNote: Not all questions can be answered withinformation from the map. Students willhave to use their mental map skills to locateplaces on the map.

Monday1. western2. Rocky Mountains,

Appalachian Mountains

Tuesday1. south-central2. Southwest

Wednesday1. Cascade Range and the

Coast Range2. Black Hills

Thursday1. Death Valley; Mojave

Desert, California2. California, Idaho, Nevada,

Oregon, Utah, Wyoming

Friday1. Mt. McKinley in Alaska;

20,320 feet (6,194 m)2. Arizona, New Mexico, and

Texas

ChallengeStudents should label Arizona,Colorado, Idaho, Montana, NewMexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Skill: Physical Features Essential Element 2: Standard 4

Mountains and Desertsof the United StatesIntroducing the MapShare with students the definition of a physical map. Tell them thata physical map shows the natural features of a place. Discuss that aphysical map might show a small area such as a park, or larger areas suchas states, regions, or countries.

Ask students to name mountain ranges and deserts in the United States.Students might mention such landforms as the Rocky Mountains, theAppalachian Mountains, and the Mojave Desert.

Show students the physical map of the United States. Have studentslook at the legend and inset maps to help them with locations. Studentsshould notice that only deserts and mountains are labeled on this map.

Explain to students that major mountain ranges are mountain systems.There are smaller mountain ranges within the larger system. Use theAppalachian Mountain region as an example. Within the northern partof the Appalachian Range, there are the White Mountains, the GreenMountains, and the Catskill Mountains. Farther south, the Appalachiansinclude the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cumberland, and AlleghenyMountains, plus the Great Smoky Mountains. For the purposes ofthis lesson, only larger mountain systems are labeled. To show thatmountains are also located in a few central parts of the U.S., the BlackHills, the Ozarks, and the Ouachita Mountains are included.

Ask students to locate and name the major deserts included on this map.As with the mountains, students will need to use their mental map skillsto name the states in which these landforms are located. Point out thatthe lowest and highest elevations in the United States are also includedon this map.

Introducing Vocabularydesert a dry area with little or no rainfall

elevation height above sea level

inset map a smaller map set within the border of a larger one

legend (key) a list that explains the symbols on a map

mental map a map that a person pictures in his mind

mountain range a chain of mountains

physical map shows natural landforms and waterways onEarth's surface

valley an area of low ground between two hills

58 EMC 3714· Daily Geography Practice, Grade 5 ©2004 by Evan-Moor Corp.