Name landforms from a photograph and from a satellite image
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Teton Range and Jackson Hole, Wyoming
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NPS aerial photograph of Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon, Grand Teton National Park): jagged gray peaks rise steeply behind a dark blue lake; a deep notch runs between two of the peaks; flat brown ground lies in front of the lake. Image 2 (NASA Landsat 8 image, June 15, 2015, natural color): a narrow band of high ground with white-capped peaks lies beside a wide, flat valley; dark blue lakes and a winding river lie in the valley; there are no foothills between the peaks and the flat ground. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the Teton Range, a narrow band running north to south. B is Jackson Hole, a wide valley on the east side of A. C is Jenny Lake, at the foot of A. A side-view sketch beside the map shows the summit of Grand Teton 13,770 ft above sea level and about 7,000 ft above the valley floor. Key: white = snow on the highest ground; dark blue = lakes and river; brown and green = valley floor and forest. Note (NASA): the range rises without foothills. About 10 million years ago the crust began to stretch; the block west of the Teton fault rose to form the range and the block to the east sank to form the valley. NASA also drew a map of elevations, from the ASTER instrument, to show height.
Image 1 shows jagged peaks above a lake, and Image 2 shows high ground beside a flat valley. Which landform fits both clues, Tala asks?
- A plateau
- A mesa
- A mountain range
- A single volcano
Lena River Delta, Russia
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NASA Landsat 8 image, July 13, 2021, colors adjusted to show detail in the water): one wide brown river splits into many channels that fan out across flat tundra toward the sea. Image 2 (NASA ASTER image of part of the delta, July 16, 2005): dark channels twist and split around green land dotted with hundreds of small lakes and ponds; light-blue patches are mudflats and shallow water; bright white patches are probably places scoured by spring floods; a scale bar reads 5 km. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the Lena River, flowing north. B is the delta, where A splits into many channels. C is the Laptev Sea, at the north edge of B. Key: dark blue-gray = water; green = plants; light blue = mudflats and shallow water; white = probably places scoured by spring floods. Note (NASA): the Lena runs about 4,400 km (2,734 mi) north from mountains in south-central Russia. Its delta covers nearly 30,000 km2, about the size of Maryland, and stays frozen for as long as seven months a year.
Both Lena images show one river splitting into many channels near the sea. Which landform fits both clues, Zee asks?
- A canyon
- A bay
- A glacier
- A delta
Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NPS photograph, Great Sand Dunes National Park): tan and orange dunes with rippled sides rise beside bright green trees in front, with dark mountains and a snow-capped peak behind under a blue sky. Image 2 (NASA Landsat 7 image, October 14, 1999, natural color): a pale, almost white crescent of dunes lies against the foot of a dark mountain range; darker sand held by grass lies to the west; a straight light line along the bottom is a highway. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the dune field. B is the mountain range, east of A. C is the darker sand field, west of A. Arrows show the wind blowing from west to east across C and A toward B. Key: light gray-white = sand dunes; darker = sand held by grass; dark green and gray = mountain forest and rock. Note (NASA): the tallest dunes rise about 750 ft. Wind blows sand east until the mountains block it. Two ideas explain where the sand came from: a river carried it, or a lake that fills and dries up left it.
Image 1 shows sand hills at a mountain's foot, and the map shows wind from the west. What explains where the sand piles up, Ari asks?
- Wind blows sand east until mountains block it
- Glaciers pushed the sand to the mountains
- Rivers carried the sand up the mountain
- Wind blows sand west, away from the mountains
Teton Range and Jackson Hole, Wyoming
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NPS aerial photograph of Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon, Grand Teton National Park): jagged gray peaks rise steeply behind a dark blue lake; a deep notch runs between two of the peaks; flat brown ground lies in front of the lake. Image 2 (NASA Landsat 8 image, June 15, 2015, natural color): a narrow band of high ground with white-capped peaks lies beside a wide, flat valley; dark blue lakes and a winding river lie in the valley; there are no foothills between the peaks and the flat ground. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the Teton Range, a narrow band running north to south. B is Jackson Hole, a wide valley on the east side of A. C is Jenny Lake, at the foot of A. A side-view sketch beside the map shows the summit of Grand Teton 13,770 ft above sea level and about 7,000 ft above the valley floor. Key: white = snow on the highest ground; dark blue = lakes and river; brown and green = valley floor and forest. Note (NASA): the range rises without foothills. About 10 million years ago the crust began to stretch; the block west of the Teton fault rose to form the range and the block to the east sank to form the valley. NASA also drew a map of elevations, from the ASTER instrument, to show height.
Grand Teton is 13,770 ft above sea level and about 7,000 ft above the valley floor. About how high is the valley floor above sea level, Bo asks?
- About 6,770 ft
- About 677 ft
- About 20,770 ft
- About 13,770 ft
Lena River Delta, Russia
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NASA Landsat 8 image, July 13, 2021, colors adjusted to show detail in the water): one wide brown river splits into many channels that fan out across flat tundra toward the sea. Image 2 (NASA ASTER image of part of the delta, July 16, 2005): dark channels twist and split around green land dotted with hundreds of small lakes and ponds; light-blue patches are mudflats and shallow water; bright white patches are probably places scoured by spring floods; a scale bar reads 5 km. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the Lena River, flowing north. B is the delta, where A splits into many channels. C is the Laptev Sea, at the north edge of B. Key: dark blue-gray = water; green = plants; light blue = mudflats and shallow water; white = probably places scoured by spring floods. Note (NASA): the Lena runs about 4,400 km (2,734 mi) north from mountains in south-central Russia. Its delta covers nearly 30,000 km2, about the size of Maryland, and stays frozen for as long as seven months a year.
The Lena River runs about 4,400 km. About how many miles is that, Esme asks? (1 mile is about 1.6 km.)
- About 2,700 miles
- About 270 miles
- About 7,000 miles
- About 4,400 miles
Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NPS photograph, Great Sand Dunes National Park): tan and orange dunes with rippled sides rise beside bright green trees in front, with dark mountains and a snow-capped peak behind under a blue sky. Image 2 (NASA Landsat 7 image, October 14, 1999, natural color): a pale, almost white crescent of dunes lies against the foot of a dark mountain range; darker sand held by grass lies to the west; a straight light line along the bottom is a highway. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the dune field. B is the mountain range, east of A. C is the darker sand field, west of A. Arrows show the wind blowing from west to east across C and A toward B. Key: light gray-white = sand dunes; darker = sand held by grass; dark green and gray = mountain forest and rock. Note (NASA): the tallest dunes rise about 750 ft. Wind blows sand east until the mountains block it. Two ideas explain where the sand came from: a river carried it, or a lake that fills and dries up left it.
The tallest dunes are about 750 ft high. About how many meters is that, Jun asks? (1 ft is about 0.3 m.)
- About 750 m
- About 23 m
- About 2,500 m
- About 230 m
Teton Range and Jackson Hole, Wyoming
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NPS aerial photograph of Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon, Grand Teton National Park): jagged gray peaks rise steeply behind a dark blue lake; a deep notch runs between two of the peaks; flat brown ground lies in front of the lake. Image 2 (NASA Landsat 8 image, June 15, 2015, natural color): a narrow band of high ground with white-capped peaks lies beside a wide, flat valley; dark blue lakes and a winding river lie in the valley; there are no foothills between the peaks and the flat ground. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the Teton Range, a narrow band running north to south. B is Jackson Hole, a wide valley on the east side of A. C is Jenny Lake, at the foot of A. A side-view sketch beside the map shows the summit of Grand Teton 13,770 ft above sea level and about 7,000 ft above the valley floor. Key: white = snow on the highest ground; dark blue = lakes and river; brown and green = valley floor and forest. Note (NASA): the range rises without foothills. About 10 million years ago the crust began to stretch; the block west of the Teton fault rose to form the range and the block to the east sank to form the valley. NASA also drew a map of elevations, from the ASTER instrument, to show height.
Kira's note says, "Grand Teton rises 13,770 ft above Jackson Hole." Which fix is right?
- Leave it: the valley floor is at sea level
- Change "Jackson Hole" to "Jenny Lake"
- Change "above Jackson Hole" to "above sea level"
- Change "ft" to "miles"
Lena River Delta, Russia
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NASA Landsat 8 image, July 13, 2021, colors adjusted to show detail in the water): one wide brown river splits into many channels that fan out across flat tundra toward the sea. Image 2 (NASA ASTER image of part of the delta, July 16, 2005): dark channels twist and split around green land dotted with hundreds of small lakes and ponds; light-blue patches are mudflats and shallow water; bright white patches are probably places scoured by spring floods; a scale bar reads 5 km. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the Lena River, flowing north. B is the delta, where A splits into many channels. C is the Laptev Sea, at the north edge of B. Key: dark blue-gray = water; green = plants; light blue = mudflats and shallow water; white = probably places scoured by spring floods. Note (NASA): the Lena runs about 4,400 km (2,734 mi) north from mountains in south-central Russia. Its delta covers nearly 30,000 km2, about the size of Maryland, and stays frozen for as long as seven months a year.
Luz's note says, "The Lena River flows south into the Arctic Ocean." Which fix is right?
- Change "river" to "dune"
- Change "south" to "north"
- Leave it: the river flows toward the map's bottom
- Change "Arctic Ocean" to "mountains"
Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NPS photograph, Great Sand Dunes National Park): tan and orange dunes with rippled sides rise beside bright green trees in front, with dark mountains and a snow-capped peak behind under a blue sky. Image 2 (NASA Landsat 7 image, October 14, 1999, natural color): a pale, almost white crescent of dunes lies against the foot of a dark mountain range; darker sand held by grass lies to the west; a straight light line along the bottom is a highway. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the dune field. B is the mountain range, east of A. C is the darker sand field, west of A. Arrows show the wind blowing from west to east across C and A toward B. Key: light gray-white = sand dunes; darker = sand held by grass; dark green and gray = mountain forest and rock. Note (NASA): the tallest dunes rise about 750 ft. Wind blows sand east until the mountains block it. Two ideas explain where the sand came from: a river carried it, or a lake that fills and dries up left it.
Milo's note says, "The dunes are banked on the east side of the mountains." Which fix is right?
- Change "mountains" to "ocean"
- Change "east" to "west"
- Change "dunes" to "lakes"
- Leave it: the map puts the dunes east of the range
Teton Range and Jackson Hole, Wyoming
(public-domain NPS and NASA images, described in words): Image 1 (NPS aerial photograph of Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon, Grand Teton National Park): jagged gray peaks rise steeply behind a dark blue lake; a deep notch runs between two of the peaks; flat brown ground lies in front of the lake. Image 2 (NASA Landsat 8 image, June 15, 2015, natural color): a narrow band of high ground with white-capped peaks lies beside a wide, flat valley; dark blue lakes and a winding river lie in the valley; there are no foothills between the peaks and the flat ground. Map (drawn for this question, north at the top): A is the Teton Range, a narrow band running north to south. B is Jackson Hole, a wide valley on the east side of A. C is Jenny Lake, at the foot of A. A side-view sketch beside the map shows the summit of Grand Teton 13,770 ft above sea level and about 7,000 ft above the valley floor. Key: white = snow on the highest ground; dark blue = lakes and river; brown and green = valley floor and forest. Note (NASA): the range rises without foothills. About 10 million years ago the crust began to stretch; the block west of the Teton fault rose to form the range and the block to the east sank to form the valley. NASA also drew a map of elevations, from the ASTER instrument, to show height.
Noah says, "Image 2's colors tell how tall each peak is." Which reply is careful?
- Colors show snow and water; height needs elevation data
- Disagree: satellites cannot show mountains
- Agree: whiter means taller by exact meters
- Agree: darker blue means higher ground
