We continue to speak about the Geography of the USA. We’ll learn more about the regions and climate in different parts of the country.
1.Get ready for the TEST based on the information from the previous class: names, transcription, and geographical position.
Geographers divide the United States into a number of regions that share common features. These regions are defined by similar natural features, such as terrain ([`terein]-физические особенности местности, топография) and climate, or by cultural factors, including shared economic or historical influences. Each of the country’s four main regions – the Northeast, the South (the Southeast & the Southwest), the Midwest, and the West – maintains a degree of cultural identity (культурная идентичность, т.е. самовосприятие).
Before doing the tasks read carefully the information in your handouts and files (supplement: regions).
2.Pronunciation drill. Divide the states according to a region: a) Northeast; b) Southeast; c) Southwest; d) Midwest; e) the Rocky Mountain region; f) the Pacific Coast.
Alabama
Hawaii
Massachusetts
New Mexico
South Dakota
Alaska
Idaho
Michigan
New York
Tennessee
Arizona
Illinois
Minnesota
North Carolina
Texas
Arkansas
Indiana
Mississippi
North Dakota
Utah
California
Iowa
Missouri
Ohio
Vermont
Colorado
Kansas
Montana
Oklahoma
Virginia
Connecticut
Kentucky
Nebraska
Oregon
Washington
Delaware
Louisiana
Nevada
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Florida
Maine
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Wisconsin
Georgia
Maryland
New Jersey
South Carolina
Wyoming
3.Use your maps of the USA and review the position of each state. In class practice in pairs:
Look only at map 1. Your partner will look only at map 2 (the maps will be given in class). Take turns asking and answering questions. Ask about the locations of these states. Listen to your partner's answers and write the names of the states on the map. Use these sentence patterns (two rounds: the West & the East):
Ø (Name of state) is
north
south
east
west
northeast
northwest
southeast
southwest
of (name of state).
Ø It's between (name of state) and (name of state).
4. Look through the information below and compare the states according to their Rank in Land Area (Census 2000) & Rank in Population (Census 2010). Your desk mate will answer "true" or "false." Use these sentence patterns:
(Name of state) is
bigger
smaller
in
land area population
than (name of state).
The West
State
Rank in
Land Area
Rank in Population
State
Rank in
Land Area
Rank in Population
Alaska
New Mexico
Arizona
North Dakota
California
Oklahoma
Colorado
Oregon
Hawaii
South Dakota
Idaho
Texas
Kansas
Utah
Montana
Washington
Nebraska
Wyoming
Nevada
The East
State
Rank in
Land Area
Rank in Population
State
Rank in
Land Area
Rank in Population
Alabama
Mississippi
Arkansas
Missouri
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Delaware
New Jersey
Florida
New York
Georgia
North Carolina
Illinois
Ohio
Indiana
Pennsylvania
Iowa
Rhode Island
Kentucky
South Carolina
Louisiana
Tennessee
Maine
Vermont
Maryland
Virginia
Massachusetts
West Virginia
Michigan
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Washington,D.C.1
1 Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a federal district to become the national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution. The District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state. It was formed from land along the Potomac River donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia; however, the Virginia portion was returned by Congress in 1846.The city shares its name with the U.S. state of Washington, located on the country's Pacific coast.
The centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are located in the District, as are many of the nation's monuments and museums. Washington, D.C., hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The headquarters of many other institutions such as trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional associations are also located in the city.
The District is governed by a locally elected mayor and 13-member city council. However, the United States Congress has supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. Residents therefore have less self-governance than residents of the U.S. states. The District has a non-voting, at-large Congressional delegate, but no senators. D.C. residents could not vote in presidential elections until the ratification of the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1961.
