Landforms, rivers and resources of the United States and Canada

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Card E (fact card, the Great Lakes). The five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario) hold about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water. The St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario toward the Atlantic Ocean, with rapids and a drop in height along the way. The St. Lawrence Seaway, opened in 1959, uses locks (water-filled steps) to lift ships past the rapids, so ocean ships can reach Great Lakes ports such as Chicago and Toronto.

2. 1.

   Why did ships need locks on the St. Lawrence before they could reach Chicago, Ren asks?

   • The river has rapids and a drop in height, and locks lift ships up past them
   • The Great Lakes hold about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water
   • Lake Michigan lies wholly in the United States, so ships need permission to enter
   • Locks cause the rapids, which is how the river gets its drop in height
3. 2.

   A student claims: "Chicago is too far inland to be an ocean port." How does Card E bear on that, Tala asks?

   • It supports the claim, because Lake Michigan lies wholly in the United States
   • It weakens the claim: the Seaway lets ocean ships reach Great Lakes ports such as Chicago
   • It weakens the claim, because Chicago lies on the Atlantic Ocean coast
   • It supports the claim, because the St. Lawrence flows away from Chicago to the sea
4. 3.

   How did the Seaway, opened in 1959, change shipping from the Great Lakes, Zee asks?

   • The Seaway made the five Great Lakes hold about a fifth of the world's fresh water
   • The Seaway ended the need for any port on the Atlantic Ocean coast
   • Before 1959 ocean ships reached lake ports; after it, ships had to stop at the rapids
   • Locks lifted ships past the rapids, so ocean ships could reach lake ports

5. Use this

   Card F (fact card, the Pacific Northwest). The Cascade Mountains run north to south near the Pacific coast. Moist ocean winds rise over them. West of the mountains, Seattle gets plenty of rain. East of the mountains, central Washington gets far less. The Columbia River flows through the dry east. Dams on the river, including Grand Coulee (finished in 1942), make electricity and store water for irrigation.

6. 4.

   Why does central Washington get far less rain than Seattle, Esme asks?

   • Moist ocean air drops its rain on the Cascades, which leaves the east dry
   • The Cascade Mountains lie east of central Washington and block its rain
   • Central Washington is dry, so the winds from the ocean stop at the mountains
   • The Columbia River flows through the dry east, carrying water from far away
7. 5.

   How can the Columbia River help farms in dry central Washington, Bo asks?

   • The Cascade Mountains melt into the river, which waters the fields
   • Farms in the dry east make rain that fills the river behind the dams
   • Dams store its water, which can be carried to fields in the dry east
   • The river brings rain from the Pacific Ocean, so no dams are needed

8. Use this

   Card G (fact card, Arizona). Phoenix and Tucson lie in the Sonoran Desert and get little rain. The Central Arizona Project is a canal 336 miles long that carries water from the Colorado River to Phoenix and Tucson. Seven states and Mexico share the Colorado River. When the river runs low, Arizona's share can be cut. Arizona's mines produce most of the copper mined in the United States.

9. 6.

   When the Colorado River runs low, Arizona's share can be cut. Why might that worry a city and a farm differently, Kira asks?

   • The canal is 336 miles long, so the cut falls on the farthest users first
   • A city needs the water for homes and jobs, while a farm needs it for crops
   • Farms use the river, so a cut leaves cities with the same amount
   • A city would gain from the cut, while a farm would lose its water
10. 7.

    A car drives along the canal's whole length at 48 miles per hour. How long does the trip take, Ari asks?

    • 7 hours
    • 336 hours
    • 48 hours
    • 16,128 hours

11. Use this

    Card H (fact card, West Virginia). The Appalachian Mountains cover most of West Virginia, so the land is steep with narrow valleys and little flat ground. Coal lies in layers under the hills, and mining has long been a major industry. Coal moves out by rail and by barge on rivers such as the Kanawha. Towns and roads fill the narrow valleys along the rivers.

12. 8.

    Why do West Virginia towns and roads fill the narrow valleys, Luz asks?

    • The towns dug the valleys, which is why the land is steep with little flat ground
    • The Appalachian Mountains lie to the west, so towns must be built on high ground
    • Coal lies in layers under the hills, and mining has long been a major industry
    • The hillsides are steep, so the valleys have the flat ground and the rivers
13. 9.

    How can coal from steep hills reach markets far away, Jun asks?

    • Coal is carried by ship straight from the hills, since West Virginia has a long coast
    • Coal moves on flat ground, so steep hills make it impossible to ship
    • Rail lines and barges on rivers such as the Kanawha carry it out
    • Markets far away come to the hills to dig the coal themselves
14. 10.

    Compare West Virginia with the Great Plains. Why would huge wheat fields be hard to plant in West Virginia, Milo asks?

    • Coal mining has used up the soil, so nothing can grow in West Virginia
    • West Virginia has too much flat ground, so wheat fields would flood
    • West Virginia has little flat ground, and huge fields need large, flat areas
    • The Kanawha River floods the valleys each year, which washes wheat away