Grade 3: Communities Around the World

Unit 1 Geography

Glossary

Unit 1 Geography Glossary

basin border coastline canyon cardinal direction climate compass rose continent desert geography an area of low land surrounded by higher land
a boundary especially of a country or state the outline or shape of the land along the ocean

globe grid gulf hill intermediate direction island key lake landform latitude legend

a narrow steep valley north, south, east, or west the average weather conditions of a particular place or region over a period of years a device that shows the cardinal and intermediate directions a large land mass of which there are seven on our planet dry land with few plants and little rainfall the natural parts of an area, a science that deals with the location of living and nonliving things on earth and the way they affect one another a model of the earth a network of horizontal and perpendicular lines used to locate points or places a part of the ocean that is partially surrounded by land gently sloping land that is not as high as a mountain northwest, southeast, northeast, southwest land surrounded by water an explanation of the symbols on a map or chart; also called a legend water surrounded by land a natural feature of a land surface distance north or south from the equator measured in degrees an explanation of the symbols on a map or chart, also called a key

Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Grade 3 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum Page 1 Revised 7/4/2007

Grade 3: Communities Around the World

Unit 1 Geography

Glossary
location longitude map mountain ocean parallels the exact place, limit, or position of something distance measured by degrees east or west from the prime meridian a drawing or picture showing selected features of an area usually drawn to a given scale high rocky land with steep sides a large body of salt water lying or moving in the same direction but always the same distance apart; latitude or longitude lines land surrounded by water on three sides a broad area of level or rolling treeless country the meridian of 0 longitude from which other longitudes are calculated a part, portion, or area having no fixed boundaries flowing water that empties into a large body of water a proportion from which one can determine the actual size of something one of the 24 longitudinal divisions of the earth from which time is measured a low land between hills or mountains

peninsula plains prime meridian region river scale time zone valley

Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Grade 3 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum Page 2 Revised 7/4/2007