Lesson 30:
Physical Features of theMidwest Region
Most of the land in theMidwest Region is one huge plain.Thismeans that the land is quite flat or
has gentle, rolling hills.As you travel from east towest, these plains rise in elevation very slowly. Look
at your
Atlas Buddy (AB)
on page ix.We can start in Ohio, with an elevation of 700 feet above sea
level.As you travel westward throughalmost five states,most of this area is called the
Central Plains
.
On thewestern edges of NorthDakota, SouthDakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, the elevation can rise
tomore than 7,000 feet.Much of this area is called the
Great Plains
.They reach into another region
of study – theRockyMountains.
As you can tell by themany rivers and lakes, theMidwest has plenty of fresh water.Most rivers
and lakes are located on the Central Plains. These plains receive more precipitation than the Great
Plains. More moisture means higher grasses, larger trees, and more crops. Less moisture means
shorter grasses, smaller trees, and fewer crops.
Within theCentral Plains, there is a regionof ruggedbeauty that rises above theplains. This area
is knownas the
OzarkPlateau
. It is located in southeasternMissouri.Twoother places that riseabove
the land in the Great Plains are the
Black Hills
and the
Badlands
National Park, both in South
Dakota.TheBadlands have some awesome land shapes created bywind erosion.The area is rugged
and dry, with very little vegetation.
ACTIVITY 1:
It is time to learnabout someof themainphysical featuresof this region.Remember, physical features
are landforms and waterforms. Use your
Atlas Buddy (AB)
, a classroom atlas and the regional map
on the next page to complete labeling Parts A and B. Letters are used to indicate some of themajor
rivers in theMidwest Region. Trace the rivers and lakes in blue colored pencils or crayons and label
them.
Part A – Labeling
Rivers
Lakes
I = IllinoisRiver at F/G,3
LI = Lake Itasca at E,1
Z =Mississippi River at E,1 and F,3
LS = LakeSuperior at F/G,1
W =WisconsinRiver at F,2
LM = LakeMichigan at G/H,2
O =OhioRiver at G/H/I,4
LH = LakeHuron at I,2
M =Missouri River at B,1; C,2; D,3; F,4 LE = LakeErie at J,3
A =Arkansas River at B/C,4
P =PlatteRiver at B/C/D,3
Part B – Labeling
Central Plains at C/D/E/F/G/H,3
Great Plains at B,1/2/3/4
Ozark Plateau at E/F,4
Badlands at B,2
BlackHills at A,2
COPYRIGHT
53
PENNSVALLEY
Four
presidents’
faces were
carved out of stone at
Mount Rushmore, South
Dakota. Their faces are
60 feet long.
Midwest Region
