• Landforms: Peninsula, island ( Michigan map)

• Special Purpose Maps: Elevation

• Landforms: Informational Text vs. a Chart

• Sand dunes: Narrative Text

• Bodies of Water: Labeling the Great Lakes

• Informational Text and a Chart

• Bodies of Water: Grand River, Tahquamenon Falls

• Science Connection: Glaciers

• Optional: Literature Connection: Stephen Kellogg’s Paul Bunyan

Unit One: Lesson Three

To study a place geographers ask the question: What is the place like?

To answer that question geographers study the natural (physical) characteristics of the place.

Natural (physical) characteristics include landforms, bodies of water, vegetation and climate.

Special purpose maps can be used to learn about these natural (physical) characteristics.

Important landforms of Michigan include peninsulas, islands, mountain ranges and sand dunes.

Important bodies of water include the Great Lakes, inland lakes, rivers and waterfalls.

Geographers study a place by asking questions and trying to find the answers to the questions.

One of the questions is:

What is the place like?

To answer this question geographers study the natural (physical) and human characteristics of the place.

different kinds of land on the Earth

  Example: Mountains, hills and islands are

different landforms.

land surrounded by water on three sides

 Example: Michigan is made up of two

peninsulas.

Upper PeninsulaLower Peninsula“Thumb” Leelanau PeninsulaKeweenaw Peninsula

a pieced of land that s surrounded by water

 Example: Beaver Island and Mackinac

Island are important Michigan islands.

•Mackinac Island•Isle Royale •Beaver Island

maps that show characteristics of an area such as landforms, climate, or forests

 Example: Studying special purpose maps

can help you better understand a place.

There are many different kinds of maps of Michigan besides the desktop or paper map we have been using.

Maps called “special purpose maps” tend to show just one type of natural (physical) or human characteristic of a place.

how high a place is  Example: A mountain has higher elevation

than a hill.

Michigan Elevation Map

Source: Michigan Elevation Map. 30 June 2009 <http://www.iwr.msu.edu/edmodule/data/img/mielev.gif>.

highest places with the color brownmedium high places are shown in tanlower places are shown in green.

The highest parts of Michigan are found in the western part of the Upper Peninsula.

There are two really high areas in the west part of the Upper Peninsula.

There is a high area in the northern part of the lower Peninsula.

Along most of the coasts it is low.

Most of the islands are low land.

a row of connected mountains Example: The Huron mountains are a

mountain range in Michigan.

The Huron Mountains◦ Our highest point is Mt. Arvon, which is part of this

mountain range. ◦ This mountain is about 2000 feet high, which would be

about 20 single story schools placed on top of each other. ◦ Although this seems high, it is a very short mountain

compared to many other mountains in the United States.

Michigan has another mountain range called the Porcupine Mountains.◦ Located close to Lake Superior in the far west part of

Michigan.

Landforms are natural characteristics of the Earth. They include mountains, hills, valleys, plains, plateaus, and islands. When you look at a map of Michigan, the first landform most people think about is a peninsula. That’s because Michigan is made of two peninsulas, the Upper and the Lower Peninsula.

Compared to states like Vermont and Colorado, Michigan is not very mountainous. Much of it is level with some rolling hills. The Upper Peninsula does have two mountain ranges, however. Mountain ranges are rows of connected mountains. Michigan’s two ranges are called the Huron Mountains and the Porcupine Mountains. Michigan’s highest point is Mount Arvon. It is located in the Huron Mountains and is about 2000 feet high.

Because Michigan has so much water it also has a lot of islands. An island is a piece of land that is completely surrounded by water. More than 500 islands belong to Michigan. Michigan’s largest island is Isle Royale, which is located in Lake Superior. Isle Royale is Michigan’s only National Park. Other important islands include Beaver Island and Mackinac Island.

Probably Michigan’s most famous landforms are sand dunes. These are hills of loose sand that have been piled up by the wind. Most of Michigan’s sand dunes are found along the shores of Lake Michigan. This area has the largest amount of freshwater sand dunes in the world. Sand dunes support many plants and animals that cannot be found any place else. Michigan’s most famous dunes are the Sleeping Bear dunes.

ridges or hills of loose sand piled up by the wind

  Example: There are many sand dunes along

the shore of Lake Michigan.

◦ Michigan’s has the largest amount of fresh water dunes in the world.

◦ The dunes support a wide variety of habitats from cool forests of maple trees to the windy environment of open dunes.

◦ Michigan sand dunes have many uses. People use them for tourism, photography, nature study and recreation.

◦ Michigan sand dunes support many threatened and endangered species.

◦ The state of Michigan and the United States government work to manage and protect Michigan’s sand dunes.

Ojibwe legend explains the creation of the sleeping bear dunes and the two islands near the dunes.

Note: Legends are passed down from person to person; different versions of the original legend occur.

Note: Legends are passed down from person to person; different versions of the original legend occur.

Bodies of water are another set of very important natural (physical)

characteristics of Michigan.

oceans, rivers and lakes

HuronOntarioMichiganErieSuperior

Five huge lakes located in the northern part of the United States.

 Example: Four of the Great Lakes border

Michigan.

a body of water that is partly blocked off by land

  Example: Michigan has many bays.

Two of Michigan’s nicknames are “The Great Lakes State” and “Water Wonderland.” Both of these names show the importance of water to the

state.

Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes. These are Huron, Erie, Michigan and Superior. Besides the Great Lakes, Michigan has over 11,000 inland lakes. The largest of these is Houghton Lake, which is found in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. Other big lakes include Lake Gogebic, Black Lake and Burt Lake.

Bays are also an important natural characteristic of Michigan. Bays are bodies of water that are partly enclosed by land. Many early towns in Michigan were located on bays. Important bays include Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron and Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan.

Rivers are large, flowing bodies of water that usually empty into a large lake, sea or ocean. Michigan’s rivers all empty into one of the Great Lakes. Michigan has more than 49,000 miles of rivers.

The longest river is the Grand River, which flows through cities like Lansing and Grand Rapids. This river is about 260 miles long. The Escanaba River is the longest river in the Upper Peninsula. Other important rivers include the Au Sable, Detroit Muskegon River and Menominee Rivers.

Michigan is known for its many beautiful waterfalls. These are formed when a river falls steeply down. Most of Michigan’s waterfalls are found in the Upper Peninsula. Two famous waterfalls are the Upper and Lower Falls of the Tahquamenon River. Many tourists visit these waterfalls each year.

The Grand River Tahquamenon Falls

website: <http://www.exploringthenorth.com/tahqua/tahqua.html

>.

giant sheets of slowly moving ice

 Example: Glaciers help create many of the

natural characteristics of Michigan.

Long ago in Michigan glaciers worked like bulldozers. They carried rocks, pebbles, soil, and sand along in front of them.

Many of the soils in Michigan developed from these rocks, sand, and other materials left behind by the glaciers.

Big boulders from the northern parts of the state were carried to southern Michigan and left there.

Glaciers picked up the soil in northern parts of the state also. This soil was deposited in the southern part of the state leaving this area with richer farmland.

Glaciers carved out deep holes. As the glaciers melted these holes filled with water and became Great Lakes.

The glaciers also helped form many of the inland lakes and rivers.

This author offers a very different explanation of how the Great Lakes were formed.

Legends often have a regional connection.  They are associated with a particular event or person.   Both myths and legends may have religious content, but myths take place outside time, while legends are rooted in a particular time and place. Legends do not usually have the neat shape that folktales have, but they often have a religious message.  Legends may be transmitted orally or written down.

Folktales are not connected to a specific time, place, or historical character. While good characters are usually victorious over evil, some folktales are immoral.  In Jack and the Beanstalk, poor Jack is the hero even though he foolishly sells his cow for a handful of beans.  When the beans grow into a giant beanstalk, he proceeds to steal from the Giant, who has done him no harm.  He chops down the beanstalk, killing the giant, and causing great grief to the Giant’s wife, who helped Jack.  Jack winds up rich and happy, but I wouldn’t want to have him for a neighbor.

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Landforms

The Upper and Lower Peninsula

Mountain Ranges (they may list the Porcupine Mts. or the Huron Mts.

Mt. Arvon

Sand Dunes

Islands (they might list a specific island such as Mackinac Island)

Bodies of Water

The Great Lakes

Inland lakes (they might list a specific lake such as Houghton Lake)

Rivers such (they might list a specific river such as the Grand River)

Bays (they might list a specific bay such as Saginaw Bay)

Waterfalls

Other important

things

Glaciers helped form many of Michigan’s natural characteristics.

Sand dunes are a very special characteristic of Michigan.

The Upper Peninsula has many different natural characteristics than the Lower Peninsula.

Tourists visit places like sand dunes and waterfalls.

Because it is made up of two peninsulas Michigan is a very special state.

Natural Characteristics of

Michigan

Peninsula

Islands

MountainRange

Landforms

Natural Characteristics of

Michigan

Peninsula

Islands

Sand Dunes

MountainRange

Landforms

Natural Characteristics of

Michigan

Bodies of Water

The Great Lakes and inland lakes

Waterfalls

Rivers

Bays

Peninsula

Islands

Sand Dunes

MountainRange

Landforms

Natural Characteristics of

Michigan

How special purpose maps help us locate

them

How glaciers helped to form them

Bodies of Water

The Great Lakes and inland lakes

Waterfalls

Rivers

Bays

Natural Characteristics

Landforms

mountain

valley

plain

hill

Reflecting Back to

Second Grade

Natural Characteristics

Bodies of Water

ocean

river

pond

lake

Reflecting Back to

Second Grade