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6th Grade UBD - Unit 4 - Geography of India

Mountains and Seas- Indian is surrounded by two geographic
features. There are mountain ranges to the north and large
bodies of water to the south.

Rivers, Farming, and Civilization- South Asia gets the water it
needs for agriculture from rivers and from the monsoon winds.
The monsoon winds bring rain each summer. Having a steady
water supply allowed early farmers to grow a steady supply of
food for the people of South Asia.

India is surrounded by two
geographic features. There
are mountain ranges to the
north and large bodies of
water to the south. How
might these geographic
features influence life in
India? (5 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
answer with theirs.
What things are
the same and what
things are
different? (3
minutes)

The Himalayas divide South Asia from Central Asia.

The mountains and ocean that surround India affect its climate.

The monsoon winds are caused by the mountains and the
water surrounding India. Monsoon winds create a wet and a dry
season. Monsoon winds make agriculture possible here.

The mountains and ocean also separate South Asia from the
rest of Asia. This has offered some protection from invaders.
Video- Location and Geography of Asia
Key Term
Mountain Range- A
mountain is a
landform that rises
more than 1,000 feet,
above the
surrounding land. A
mountain range is a
group of mountains
that are located close
together.
Key Term
Himalayas- Earth’s
highest mountain
range, began
forming 40 or 50
million years ago.
The mountains are
still rising at the rate
of about one-fifth of
an inch per year.
Key Term
Mount Everest- The
tallest landform on
Earth is Mount
Everest, with an
elevation of 29,035
feet. Mount Everest
is located in the
Himalayan
Mountains Range .

Ancient India, located in South
Asia, was home to many early
civilizations.

The geography of South Asia
enabled these civilizations to
grow and prosper.

Ancient India included territory
that makes up the modern-day
countries of India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh.

The northern boundary of
India is lined with vast
mountain ranges.

The tall Himalayas, which
contain Mount Everest, are
located to the northeast India.

These mountains continue to
grow several inches each year.

Mount Everest, the world's
tallest mountain, attracts
many tourists, although only
about one thousand climbers
have actually made it to the
top.

A trek involves two weeks of
hiking up rough paths in
increasingly higher altitudes.
Video- Mount Everest

The southern portion of India is
surrounded by the Bay of Bengal and
the Arabian Sea.

The Arabian Sea would eventually
become an important trade route
between South Asia and the rest of
the world.

Both of these bodies of water are a
part of the Indian Ocean.

Although India is part of Asia, it
is geographically separated
from the rest of the continent
by the mountains to the north
and the ocean to the south.

Because of this geographers
often refer to this region as the
Indian subcontinent or South
Asia.

Water and mountains surrounded
ancient India. This geographic
isolation protected the people
who settled in this region.

It was extremely difficult for
outside invaders to reach the
subcontinent without making
dangerous journeys over the
mountains or across the ocean.
Key Term
Subcontinent- A
large, relatively
self-contained
landmass forming
a subdivision of a
continent.

The Indus River and the Ganges River flow from the Himalayas to
the Indian Ocean. They bring water and rich sediment to the river
valleys.

The monsoon winds bring seasons of cool, dry air and warm, moist
air. The monsoon rains provide most of the rainfall in South Asia.

The Indus Valley civilization was well developed. It had agriculture,
advanced cities, and a written language. The Indus Valley people
used technology. An example of this is advanced water drainage
systems.
Key Term
Indus River- One of
Earth’s longest rivers
it flows for about
1,800 miles from the
Himalayas to the
Arabian Sea. The
waters of the Indus
River have been used
for irrigation for
thousands of years.
Key Term
Ganges River- Is the
sacred river of
Hinduism. The Ganges
River also begins in
the Himalayas and is
fed by rainfall and
melting snow from the
mountains and has
been used for irrigation
for thousands of years.

Water is necessary for the
survival of every
civilization.

Two large rivers flowed
through ancient India.

The two major river of the
region are Indus River the
Ganges River.

Both the Indus and the
Ganges Rivers carry
good minerals from the
Himalayas into the
valleys.

The Ganges River
creates an alluvial plain
in northern India.

The rich plains these two rivers
create made ancient India a
good area for agriculture.

They also supplied water for
people, plants, and animals.

This made the Indian
subcontinent an ideal location
for civilizations to develop.

The Indus and the
Ganges also presented
challenges to early
settlers.

The rivers flood
regularly. This can
destroy the crops
planted in the rich soil
along their banks.
Video- Weather Patterns of Asia

South Asia’s climate is
very different from the
climate of the rest of
Asia.

South Asia’s year into
two seasons. There is a
warm, wet season and a
cool, dry season.

In the winter, the
monsoon winds blow
from Central Asia into
the Indian subcontinent.

During this time, very
little rain falls over most
of the Indian
subcontinent.

In the summer, the
monsoon winds change
direction.

They bring warm, moist air
from the Indian Ocean onto
the subcontinent.

During the summer
monsoon, it usually rains
daily.

Farmers in South Asia depend on
the monsoon rains to provide the
water they need to grow their
crops.

Farmers planted in the summer
months, when water was available.
They harvested in the fall. If the
monsoon rains were late, farmers
and their crops suffered.
Key Term
Monsoon- A
strong wind that
brings heavy rain
to South Asia in
the summer and
droughts in the
winter.
Key Term
Harvest- The
gathering of a
ripened crop.
Reading Handout- Monsoons

Early farmers on the
Indian subcontinent
usually settled near a
great river.

Rivers provided for rich
fertile soil for planting
crops.

South Asian farmers
began to farm in the river
valleys.

They tamed animals for
plowing the land and
planted crops.

They formed small
farming settlements.

These settlements were
able to produce a steady
food supply.

They even grew a surplus of
food.

A steady food supply allows
people to gather in large
groups and allowed people
to form civilizations.

The first civilization of ancient
India rose along the Indus
rivers in modern-day
Pakistan, as farmers grew a
surplus of food and other
workers could specialize in
occupations other than
farming.

The Indus Valley civilizations
that existed from about 2500
to 1700 BCE were complex.

They had written language
and well-developed trade.

They had advanced
knowledge of mathematics.

One way the people of
ancient India applied their
mathematical skills was in
the design of their cities,
which were laid out on a grid
pattern.

They also used the same of
weights and measures when
they traded for goods.

The Indus Valley civilization was as advanced as other early
civilizations, such as Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Ancient India had a system of writing, city planning that
showed an understanding of mathematics, and enough
natural resources to survive and grow.

The Indus Valley civilization was also located close enough to
other civilization that its people could trade for resources
that they needed but did not have.

What has been the
“muddiest” point so far in
this lesson? That is, what
topic remains the least
clear to you? (4 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
muddiest point with
theirs. Compare
what things are the
same and what
things are different?
(3 minutes)