6th Grade Ancient America - Geography of Middle America - Tefft
Terms
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- What was the Ice Age?
- A period of time in the past lasting millions of years when glaciers spread to cover nearly half of the Earth's land.
- What is a glacier?
- a great sheet of ice that moves slowly over a land surface
- How did people probably first reach the Americas?
- across Beringia (buh RIN jee uh)
- What is Beringia?
- a "land bridge" that formed between Asia & North America
- Who were the first people to come to the Americas?
- Asian hunters & gatherers
- What caused the people to want to settle in Middle America?
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*warmer lands of great variety
*large animal populations to hunt
*ideal climates for growing food - What covers most of Middle America?
- steep mountains
- What is the Central Plateau?
- a large area of rolling hills
- Define tropical.
- refers to the area of the Earth that is near the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
- What is the tierra caliente?
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means "hot land" and is the hottest region
sea level to 3000 feet - What is the tierra templada?
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means "temperate land" and has a generally mild climate
3,000-6,000 feet - What is the tierra fria?
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means "cold land" and has a cooler climate
above 6,000 feet - What do all three climate regions have in common?
- the rainy season from between the months of May and October
- What is a rain forest?
- a forest that receives more than 80 inches of rain per year
- What percentage of Earth's living things is found in rain forests?
- 75%
- What are some features of a rain forest?
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*trees may grow to 200 feet tall
*canopy of trees so thick that little sun reaches the forest
*unique environments
*huge variety of plants and animals