Skills used
- Latitude & Longitude
- Using scale to measure distance
- Using directions
- Critical thinking
- Using Map legends
- Drawing conclusions
Vocabulary
ordinance
Materials Needed
Globe in Horizon Ring Mounting
Lesson
Now let's look at some of the new territory the United States acquired as a result of the Revolutionary War. Place a small "X" at the intersection of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. This location is near 37N/89W. From that point, trace the Ohio River until it joins the western boundary of the state of Pennsylvania (PA on the Globe). Next, trace the Mississippi River from its intersection with the Ohio to its beginning in northern Minnesota (MN on the globe). From that point, extend your line further north about one hundred miles to the unnamed lake on the United States Canadian border.
The area encompassed by your lines and the Canadian border was once called the Northwest Territory. Why was the territory considered to be northwest in the years immediately following the Revolutionary War? (1.) _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________
In 1787 Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, which divided this territory into new states. What states are included in this area today? (2.) _______________________________________ __________________________________________ What are two major cities now located in this area. (3.) ___________________________________________________________________
What land elevations are most common in this area? (4.) ________________________________ __________________________________ Much of the land in these elevation regions was once a vast prairie, and the soil in the area is fertile and well watered. What kind of industry might you expect to find in a region like this? (5.) _______________________ Today this region is called the Middle West, and it is one of the most productive farming areas in the world.