- The document summarizes a class on American geography that included a review of American families, leisure/sports trends, and views of college students. It also covered changes in the music/economy and had students complete a KWL chart on American geography. - The class then covered important geographic facts about the US, including details on the 50 states, coastlines, mountain ranges, rivers, climate, natural resources, transportation methods, main industries by region, and agriculture.

1. AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY
Reading British &
American Culture
Week 10
Professor Hayashi

2. TODAY’S CLASS
• attendance
• article presentations – CHAT CHAT!
• review: the american people
• KWL chart
• American Geography

3. Review
• American families • Rise in one
parent families
• More single
mothers
• Household Expenditures
• More on health
• Less on
travel/food
#1

4. Leisure & Sport
• Most popular participation sports:
MEN- swimming
WOMEN- walking
• Both enjoy cycling
• Aerobics are more popular for
women
• Fishing & basketball for men

5. American College students:
• Top concern
- environment
• New concern
- government hand-gun control efforts
• More conservative about
- drugs & crime
• More liberal about
- abortion

6. Pop Music/Economy
• Rap and heavy metal were under attack
Positive Changes Negative Changes
- GNP doubled during the 1980’s - GNP doubled through borrowing
- lots of people prospered - national debt tripled
- 20 million new jobs were created - corporate & personal debt soared
- booming international trade is spreading
wealth around the world
- widening gap between rich and poor
- poverty increased
-new jobs were low paid service positions
- USA was the world’s biggest creditor
then largest debtor

7. K-W-L Table
• Know – Want to know – Learn
K W L

8. KWL Chart
• In partners, write down what you know
about American geography
• Next, write down what you want to know,
what you’re curious about
• Go through the chapter together and write
down what you’ve learned

9. Important Facts
• the 50 states – 48
continental/conterminous
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=WhDrGnjacvA
• Surrounded by the Atlantic & Pacific
Oceans
• Coastal Plains – East, long, gently rolling
lowland
• Rockies – high, discontinuous chain of
mountains containing metals
• Appalachians – West of Atlantic coastal
plain, low, unbroken, contain iron, coal

10. Important Facts
• Mount McKinley in Alaska is the highest point;
Death Valley in California the lowest
• Longest river: Missouri
• Population 245,000,000 (317 M now)
• flow chart – pg. 59
• most of country has humid continental climate
– hot summers/cold winters
• US has ¼ of world’s coal, 1/7 of petroleum

11. Important Facts
• People go by cars, trucks, planes
• Commercial goods go by trucks
• Freight goes by rail

12. Important Facts
• Main industrial area: midwest
• Banking & Insurance: New York
• almost half of the land (47%) is farmland
• Midwest: agriculture
• South: traditional crops
• West: cattle, wheat farming
• Texas: cattle, sheep, cotton and rice