Warm-Up Which country is the largest country in the world?

Russia

Opening: What are political maps?Learning Target: Work Session:

1. Check Political Map of Europe2. Begin Physical Map

What does a political map show?

Boundaries of different countries

Check your Political Map of Europe

____ Belgium

____ France

____ Germany

____ Italy

____ Poland

____ Russia

____ Spain

____ Ukraine

____ United Kingdom

Why does location matter?SS6G8 – The student will locate selected features of Europe.

Opening:

Vocabulary Terms - OrganizerWhat is a peninsula?

A piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water.What is a plain?

A large area of flat or gently rolling land. What is a plateau?

An elevated plain, usually with at least one steeply dropping or rising side.What is a strait?

A narrow stretch of water that connects 2 larger bodies of water.

What is a channel? A length of water wider than a strait, joining two larger areas of water, especially two seas

The Geography of EuropeBefore the 1900’s, the easiest

way to travel around Europe was by water.

This is because some parts of Europe are very mountainous.

Many rivers and seas make Europe ideal for waterway

travel.

Today, Europe is full of railways, airports, and roads.

These man-made transportation corridors

allow people to move throughout Europe without

waterways.

Before the advent of modern transportation, the many

waterways were vital to the growth of Europe.

Water surrounds almost the entire continent.

The southern coast of Europe borders the warm waters of

the Mediterranean Sea.

Europe has an extensive river system.

Major RiversRhine River

Danube RiverVolga River

These rivers allowed for movement of goods,

people, & ideas throughout the continent in the past.

Rhine River(Color Blue)

Danube River(Color Blue)

Volga River(Color Blue)

Landforms of Europe

Europe is sometimes called a “continent of peninsula’s.”

This is because several large peninsula’s, or bodies of

land surrounded by water on three sides, form the

European continent.

Iberian Peninsula(Color Orange/Peach)

Includes: Spain & Portugal

Italian Peninsula(Color Orange/Peach)

Scandinavian Peninsula

Includes: Norway &

Sweden

(Color Orange/Peach)

Landforms of EuropeAlong the jagged shorelines

of the Scandinavian Peninsula are fjords.

A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea

located between steep cliffs.

These were carved by glaciers during the last ice

age.

Landforms of EuropeMuch of Europe is covered

with mountains.

All of the peninsula’s we just saw contain

mountain ranges. The highest mountains in Europe are the Alps.

Color the mountains brown.

The Ural Mountains divide the continent of Europe

from Asia.(Color the mountains brown)

The people on the western side of the Urals have more of a

European culture, whereas those on the eastern side have

a more Asiatic culture.

Not all of Europe is mountainous.

A large region called the Great or North European Plain stretches from the

coast of France to the Ural Mountains.

This land is good for farming.

Color the plains green.

The North European Plain is home to some of the

world’s best farmland. It also contains many

rivers, which made it a great place to live in the

days before modern transportation & grocery

stores.

A plain is a large, flat area of land, usually with few

or little forest cover.

Climate of EuropeEurope usually experiences cold winters in the northern

regions.

Overall, western Europe is warmer than other places in

the world at the same latitude, like Canada.

This is because the gulf stream brings warm water

to the continent which makes warm weather.

Climate of Europe

Natural Resources of EuropeEurope had an abundance

of natural resources. It still has a lot, but it has

so many people that they go quickly.

Europe has a good bit of coal, ores, & mineral

resources.

Most of the forests have been cleared for timber.

Let’s Review Last weekPhysical Map of Europe

Locate the selected physical features of Europe:European Plain Iberian PeninsulaScandinavian Peninsula Alps Mountains Ural MountainsDanube RiverRhine RiverMediterranean SeaEnglish Channel