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5th grade · Social Studies · Unit 7 of 12

Geography of the Americas

Mountains, rivers, climates and resources

What your child practices

The landforms, bodies of water, climate zones and resources of the Western Hemisphere (the Andes, Rockies, Amazon, Great Lakes and Panama Canal), kinds of maps, and how the land shapes where people live and work.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 5.4a; 5.4c · the physical geography of the Western Hemisphere, reading different kinds of maps, and how the environment shapes where people live

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. The Western Hemisphere is North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
  2. Big features: the Rocky Mountains, the Andes, the Amazon rainforest (the largest), the Caribbean Sea.
  3. A climate map shows usual weather. The Arctic is very cold, with long winters.

Example: What is the largest rainforest in the world? It is in South America. It is named for its giant river. Answer: the Amazon rainforest

Geography of the Americas in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 7 of 12 in 5th grade Social Studies, after The Columbian Exchange and before Countries & Capitals.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which sea lies east of Central America and south of Cuba?

    • The Mediterranean Sea
    • The Arctic Ocean
    • The Caribbean Sea
    • The Red Sea

  2. Question 2

    The Arctic parts of North America are…

    • Dry deserts with cactus
    • Covered in rainforest
    • Very cold, with long winters
    • Hot and rainy all year

  3. Question 3

    The equator crosses…

    • Canada and the United States
    • Chile and Argentina
    • Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil
    • Mexico and Cuba

  4. Question 4

    The Western Hemisphere is the half of Earth west of…

    • The Tropic of Cancer
    • The equator
    • The Prime Meridian
    • The Arctic Circle

  5. Question 5

    Why do fewer people live deep in the Amazon rainforest than along the coast of Brazil?

    • It is covered in ice
    • There is no water
    • It is too cold
    • Dense forest makes farming and travel hard

  6. Question 6

    Lake Titicaca, high in the Andes, lies between…

    • Mexico and Guatemala
    • Brazil and Uruguay
    • Canada and the United States
    • Peru and Bolivia

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