Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Pennsylvania’s Geography
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Words to Understand
climate
conservation
electronics
erosion
geography
mechanize
navigate
plateau
recede
renewable
reservoir
tectonic plates
tributary
weather
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climate
a long-term weather pattern
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conservation
planned management of natural resources
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electronics
devices such as televisions, radios, and
computers that operate using many small
electrical parts
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erosion
the wearing away of rock and earth by
wind, water, and glaciers
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geography
the study of places and their physical and
human characteristics and locations
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mechanize
to change a process or an activity so that it
is done with machines instead of by
people or animals
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navigate
to steer a course; to travel through water
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plateau
a high, wide, flat area of land
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recede
to move back or away
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renewable
restored or replaced by natural processes;
able to be replaced by nature
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reservoir
an artificial lake where water is stored
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tectonic plates
huge sections of the earth’s crust
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tributary
a smaller river or stream that flows into a
larger river or lake
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weather
the temperature and other outside
conditions at a particular time and place
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What is Geography?
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What is Geography?
The study of the natural features of the
earth and the study of where and how
people live on the earth.
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What is Geography?
Pennsylvania’s mountains, valleys, rivers,
and natural resources help people
determine where people live, work, and
play.
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What is Geography?
Do you think more people live on flat land
or the sides of mountains?
Flatter land is easier to farm, to travel across,
and to build on.
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What is Geography?
Cities grow up next to rivers or along the
coast.
Why?
In the past, towns were also built near coal
or iron mines.
Why?
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What is Geography?
How do people interact daily with the environment? Water from river or reservoir in homes and factories
Ship goods to market on rivers and oceans
Breathe the air
Farm the earth
Cut down trees
Use wood and minerals
Hike, walk, camp, and fish
What would be important to you in choosing a place to live?
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Physical and Human
Characteristics
Physical features:
Makes each place unique
Natural to the environment
Mountains, hills, valleys,
rivers, and soil
PA has:
River valleys, natural lakes,
two large mountain ranges,
and dense forests
Human features:
Made by people
Cities
Farms
Highways
Bridges
Railroads
Campsites
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The Monocacy Creek
Tributary of Lehigh River
Flows past Bethlehem
Also one of my favorites to fish!
What physical and human features do you see in the photograph?
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What do you think?
What do you think this sentence means?
If our history were a play, our geography
would be the stage.
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Classwork/Homework
Read page 5 - Where is Pennsylvania?
Complete worksheet - Where in the
Country is Pennsylvania?
Use Page 5 for help
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Where is
Pennsylvania?
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Where is Pennsylvania?
What are the lines of latitude?
Run east and west (side to side)
What are the lines of longitude?
Run north and south (up and down)
Highlight any latitude and longitude line on the
smartboard.
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Where is Pennsylvania?
How many degrees latitude is the equator? 0 degrees latitude
How many degrees longitude is the prime meridian? 0 degrees longitude
Highlight the equator and prime meridian on the smartboard.
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Where is Pennsylvania?
What is Pennsylvania’s lines of latitude
and longitude?
39 degrees to 42 degrees north latitude
75 degrees to 81 degrees west longitude
These lines extend around the entire
globe!
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Borders
How did Pennsylvania get its borders?
The king of England gave William Penn the land that
is now Pennsylvania in 1681.
The king gave Penn a document outlining the
boundaries of the land.
Penn also bought land from Native Americans.
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Borders
What physical features border our state?
Delaware River
Which states border Pennsylvania?
New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland,
West Virginia, Ohio
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Interesting Fact
Pennsylvania covers 46,058 square miles
of land, making it the 33rd largest state.
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Classwork/Homework
PA Cities and Surroundings
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Climate and
Weather
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Climate and Weather
Weather?
Sun, wind, rain, or snow on a daily basis
Climate?
Long-term weather pattern
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Climate and Weather
What is the climate of Florida?
Warm
Could enjoy the outdoors without wearing a coat, even in the winter
Climate determines the activities of the people who live in a region.
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A Humid Continental Climate
Pennsylvania – Humid Continental Climate
Large temperature range
Lowest ever recorded?
42 degrees below zero
Highest ever recorded?
111 degrees
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A Humid Continental Climate
Large range in temperature cause four
distinct seasons:
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
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A Humid Continental Climate
Humid continental climate – variable
weather
Hurricanes and “nor’easters”
Two of the largest and most powerful types of
storms
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Climate and Weather
Why do some places have one kind of climate and other places have a different climate?
Climate is affected by:
Distance from the equator
Distance from large bodies of water
Elevation
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Distance from the Equator
Sun shines more directly on the equator.
Not as much on North and South Poles.
Hotter on equator and colder near the poles.
PA is about halfway between the equator and the North Pole.
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Distance from Large Bodies of Water
Water keeps nearby places cooler in the
summer and warmer in the winter.
Towns like Erie are not as hot as other
places in the state.
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Distance from Large Bodies of Water
Amount of rain and snow is also affected.
Water that falls in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail? Precipitation
If you live near the Atlantic Ocean or Lake Erie would you get more or less precipitation then other areas of the state?
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Distance from Large Bodies of Water
Does PA have a rainy season or a dry
season?
Not like some parts of the world do.
PA gets about the same amount of water
every month of the year.
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Elevation
How high the land is above sea level.
PA’s high mountains are colder than its lowlands.
Mountains – coldest winters and most snow in the state
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Be Prepared!
Pennsylvania has many winter storms. Some are called nor’easters, or blizzards with strong northeast winds from the coast. Other parts of the state get heavy rains and snow from the Great Lakes.
How did the last blizzard affect your daily activities?
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Classwork/Homework
Read page 7 – Natural Disasters
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Natural Disasters
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Natural Disasters
PA has many creeks and rivers…
Problem?
Flooding
Flash flood
Water rises very quickly
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Natural Disasters
Two of the worst natural disasters to hit
PA:
Johnstown Flood of 1889
Hurricane Agnes in 1972
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The Johnstown Flood
Johnstown successful small industrial city – 1889
May 30th – rain started (8 inches)
Rain fell for 2 days
Lake Conemaugh grew bigger
South Fork Dam broke
Water poured down 50 miles an hour
Destroyed many towns along the way
Swept away bridges, houses, other buildings
Killed over 2,200 people
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Hurricane Agnes
June 1972 – developed off coast of Mexico
Dumped over 13 inches of rain
Major flooding – Susquehanna River (most damage)
64,000 homes damages – 3,500 destroyed
150 factories flooded
11,000 people out of work
Forty – Fort – river floods dug up 2,500 caskets
Dead bodies were found in all different places
When waters receded, bodies were collected and put in a mass grave
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Classwork/Homework
Read pages 8-11
Landforms: Mountains,Valleys, and Rivers
The Appalachian Mountains
A Place of Flowing Water
River Systems
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Landforms
Mountains, Valleys, and
Rivers
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The Appalachian Mountains
1,500 miles long
Atlantic Coast
Runs from Quebec, Canada to northern
part of Alabama
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The Appalachian Mountains
Various smaller ranges within:
Catskill
Allegheny
Blue Ridge
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The Appalachian Mountains
Heavily forested
Contains many natural resources
anthracite (hard) coal
bituminous (soft) coal
limestone
slate
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The Appalachian Mountains
Rivers run through it
Schuylkill
Susquehanna
Monongahela
Allegheny
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Valleys
Mostly flat, with rolling hills
Good places for farms and cities
Rivers flow from mountain streams and
spread out in the valleys
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Valleys
Wyoming Valley
Lehigh Valley
Susquehanna Valley
Famous historical events took place
Contains resources, industries, cities, towns,
and farms
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The Appalachian
Mountains
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Once Upon a Time…
tectonic plates
Huge sections of the earth’s crust
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Weathering Away
Erosion
The wearing away of rock and earth by wind,
water, and glaciers
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The Appalachian Mountains
The formation of the Appalachian
Mountains was caused by what?
crashing tectonic plates and erosion
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A Place of Flowing Water
Read pg.10-11
Homework: “Rivers Give Life to PA”
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Ocean Port: Philadelphia
Philadelphia is not right on the ocean, but it is like an ocean port. It is on the Delaware River, which connects to the Atlantic Ocean. The Delaware River is a mix of saltwater from the ocean and fresh river water. People in Philadelphia ship goods to and from places all around the world.
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River Port: Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is a river port. The Allegheny
and Monongahela Rivers meet there and
flow into the Ohio River. The Ohio runs
west into the great Mississippi River,
which empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
Riverboats from Pittsburgh push barges
up and down the rivers.
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Lake Port: Erie
Erie is a port on Lake Erie. Erie is one of
the five Great Lakes. Ships can carry
large loads from Erie to other ports on the
Great Lakes. From there the ships can
follow a route to the Atlantic Ocean.
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River Systems
A smaller river or stream that flows into a
large river is called a tributary.
Rivers and tributaries together = river
system
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River Systems
PA’s 3 largest river systems?
Susquehanna
Ohio
Delaware
Hundreds of other rivers and creeks belong to these systems.
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Susquehanna River System
Flows through mountains in the middle of the state
Empties into Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
Provides water for houses, farms, and factories
Not big enough for boats
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River Systems
Rivers – early forms of transportation
Monongahela & Allegheny combine in
Pittsburgh and form Ohio River
Early 1800s – key source of transportation
Ohio River connects with the Mississippi River and
runs into the Gulf of Mexico.
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River Systems
Monongahela – major waterway for freight
Allegheny – small boats
Pittsburgh grew into an industrial power in the
1800s.
How?
3 rivers (Ohio, Allegheny, Monongahela)
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Key Fact
By using Pennsylvania’s waterways, a
person can reach the Great Lakes, Gulf of
Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean.
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Classwork/Homework
Rivers Give Life to Pennsylvania
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Classwork/Homework
Read Land Regions – pages 12-14
Create Land Region Map
Label:
Label Land Regions (Color)
Philadelphia, Orwigsburg, Pittsburgh, Erie,
Harrisburg
Chapter 1 Study Guide
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Pennsylvania’s Land Regions
Complete worksheet using pages 12-14
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Urban Regions
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Urban Regions
PA has urban and rural regions
2000 census – 77% of PA’s population lived in urban areas
3/5 of population live in either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh
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Philadelphia
City of Brotherly Love
PA’s largest city
Founded – 1682
Declaration of Independence and Constitution drafted here
Leader in manufacturing, culture, & education
12 colleges & universities
Haverford, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, & Villanova
4 medical universities
University of Pennsylvania
Temple
Allegheny University of Health Sciences, & Jefferson Medical College
Leaders in teaching & practicing medicine
First hospital in the colonies –Pennsylvania Hospital
Established by Benjamin Franklin & Thomas Bond in 1751
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Pittsburgh
PA’s 2nd largest city
Famous for steel & iron manufacturing Some of the largest factories have
closed
Smaller factories make robots & other electronics
People work in colleges, hospitals, & computer companies
3 professional sports teams Steelers (Football)
Heinz Field
1st to win 4 Super Bowls
Pirates (Baseball) PNC Park
Penguins (Hockey) Mellon Arena
Mario Lemieux One of the greatest to play the
game led the Penguins to 2 Stanley Cups in the early 1990s
Converted old railroad lines into hiking trails River walks and river travel
3 Rivers provide many recreational activities
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What do you think?
There are many large cities around the
world and in the United States. Have you
visited or lived in a large city?
What are the advantages and
disadvantages of living in large cities?
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Coal Regions
One of the main industries that defined our state.
Wyoming Valley Wilkes-Barre
Scranton Major source of anthracite (hard) coal
Other areas Pottsville
Hazleton
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Coal Regions
Late 1800s
Created jobs for many immigrants
English
Welsh
Scottish
Irish
Polish
Italian
Czechoslovakian
Lithuanian
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Coal Regions
Immigrants
Families came to work in the mines and brought their cultures with them
Classic anthracite town
In a valley close to the mines
Young sons worked in the mines just as their fathers had done
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Coal Regions
Allegheny coal mining region Bituminous (soft) coal
Located mostly in western and central PA
Did not produce many large coal towns or attract many immigrants
Many farmers – part time coal miners
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Coal Regions
Mechanization To change a process or an activity so that it is done with
machines instead of by people or animals
Smaller towns have been abandoned
Steady decrease in population
Cleaner forms of energy have reshaped the coal mining industry
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Agricultural Regions
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Agricultural Regions
60,000 farms cover about 1/3 of PA’s land
Farm families
Southeastern PA – raise crops and livestock
Northern PA – specialize in dairy farming
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Agricultural Regions
Dairy farming
One of the state’s leading industries
Do more than just milk cows
Raise livestock and produce crops
Greatest source of income? Sale of milk
Dairy products Cheese, ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese
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Agricultural Regions
Farmers
Raise cattle, chickens, turkeys
Sell meat and eggs
Grow grain to feed their cows, horses, and
other animals
Sell to other farmers
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Agricultural Regions
National leader in production of mushrooms
Orchards grow apples, peaches, cherries,
grapes, and strawberries
Holidays
Local farms selling pumpkins and Christmas trees
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Cultural Regions
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Cultural Regions
The culture of a group includes their
beliefs, customs, and how they earn a
living.
Groups with common cultures tend to live
near each other in ethnic neighborhoods.
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Cultural Regions
Strong mixture of ethnic groups in PA
Started – Quaker colony
Promise of religious freedom brought many immigrants Different languages, lifestyles, and religions
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Cultural Regions
Germans
Scots
Scots-Irish
PA best known for German population
Also – Italy, Poland, and other eastern European countries
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Irish
Divided into 2 distinctive groups – religion Catholic Irish
Protestant Irish
Many settled in western part of state Foothills of Appalachian Mountains
Large number worked in mines of valley cities Others – Philadelphia region
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Polish
Large communities in industrial areas
mills, factories, and mines
Largest waves of immigration?
Between World War I and II
Many were refugees of war-torn countries
Many came to avoid joining the German army
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Polish
In the U.S. Poles suffered from discrimination
Worked longest hours and lowest wages
Apartments were small and overcrowded Many in coal and steel regions
Lived in close devoutly religious Roman Catholic or Polish Catholic communities. One of PA’s largest ethnic groups
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Jewish
First community in Lancaster
Many men were peddlers, merchants, and ran small businesses
Today Less than half a million in PA
Live in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and other cities and towns
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Pennsylvania Dutch
Came from southern Germany for religious
freedom
Why are they called Dutch and not German?
Other colonists mispronounced the word “Deutsch”
which means “German.”
Founded Germantown, outside of Philadelphia
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Pennsylvania Dutch
Mainly hard working farmers Built large red bards with multicolored shapes
hearts, tulips, and other patterns
Still decorate quilts, furniture, and pottery
Today Still speak blend of several German dialects and
English
Family bonds are still strong, and religion plays a large role in people’s lives.
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Mennonites and Amish
Related groups – slightly different
Mennonites
Switzerland & Netherlands migrated to Germany then
to United States
Amish
German, Welsh, English, French, & Swiss
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Mennonites
Rural people, usually farmers
Traditional sects – use German language in worship
Dress in plain black or brown homespun clothing
Attempt to resist modern ideas & services Electricity, engines, automobiles, or telephones
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Amish
Jakob Amman, a Swiss Mennonite bishop Broke away from Mennonites and started Amish culture
Dress in plain black or brown homemade clothes
Live an agricultural way of life
Reject modern ways of society
Today, a large Amish population live in the Lancaster County region.
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Classwork/Homework
Chapter 1 Study Guide
Chapter 1
People and Their
Environment
Chapter 1
Read Introduction – page 19
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Natural Resources
Useful materials that occur naturally in the
environment
renewable and nonrenewable
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Renewable Resources
Forests
Why?
More trees can be planted, though it can
take many years for the trees to grow.
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Nonrenewable Resources
Oil
Why?
It took millions of years for the oil to form
under the ground, and we cannot make
more.
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Natural Resources
PA’s first industry?
forestry
Before the Civil War…
Leading producer of lumber and lumber
products
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Natural Resources
Unfortunately…
1800s – cut down too many forests
Recently…
Workers in conservation programs have
replanted the forests.
Lumber industry is up and running again.
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Natural Resources
PA has a huge mining industry. What do we mine?
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
Also? Limestone
Sand
Clay
Iron ore
The coal region is vital to industry and the job market.
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Pennsylvania’s
Natural Ecosystems
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Forests
Read on page 20
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Freshwater
Read on page 20
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Wetlands
Read on page 20
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Caves
Read on page 20
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Plants and Animals
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Plants and Animals
Many kinds of trees:
Hardwoods
Cherry, oak, walnut, maple, ash, beech, hickory, elm, locust
Lose their leaves in the fall
Evergreens
White, pine, fir, hemlock (state tree)
Needles instead of leaves – stay green all year long
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Plants and Animals
Dogswoods
Rhododendrons
Robins
Cardinals
Sparrows
Blue Jays
Crows
Bluebirds
Wrens
Woodpeckers
Thrushes
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Plants and Animals
Farm Areas Turkey
Quail
Grouse
Pheasants
Water Birds Ducks
Geese
Herons
Gulls
Birds of Prey Owls
Hawks
Bald Eagles
Hunt mice or small birds
Vultures
Eat what other animals leave behind
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Plants and Animals
More Common: White-tailed deer
Groundhogs
Mice
Raccoons
Opossums
Squirrels
Rabbits
Moles
Rats
Skunks
Less Common: Elk
Coyotes
Bobcats
Black Bears
Beavers
Muskrats
Foxes
Minks
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Plants and Animals
State Flower?
Mountain Laurel
State Bird?
Ruffed Grouse
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John J. Audubon (1785-1851)
Read about him on page 21
Known for his paintings of birds.
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Conservation
Planned management of natural resources
(PDEP) - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Concerned with rules and regulations that protect the
land, water, and air.
(PDCNR) – The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Supervises land and wildlife.
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Conservation
In recent years… Push to restore PA’s woodlands and waterways
Strict laws on deforestation
Strong action to clean up the rivers
Pollution Delaware River runs through New York, New Jersey, and
Delaware
It took a cooperative effort by all states involved to clean the river.