Where are communities located?Mrs. Martin Grade 3

Why do communities start and grow in certain places?

Communities have different physical environments. People adapt to their environment, and they change it to meet their needs. Location and natural resources help communities grow.

Vocabulary These are the words/thoughts that you will

need to know in order to understand this unit.

landform Shape or part of the Earth’s surface

for example a mountain

region A large area of land that has special features.

We live in the Northeast region of the United States.

Physical environment The landforms and climate of a region.

weather What is happening outside from day to day.

Is it rainy or sunny, hot or cold, snowy or windy?

climate The kind of weather a place has over a long period

of time

For example the climate of places

near the Equator is hot,

and tropical all year long

The climate of the North Pole is cold all year long

adapt

To change the way you do something so that you may survive in your environment

For example: in the winter we heat our homes and dress in

warm clothing in the summer we wear summer clothing and

use air conditioners and fans to cool our homes.

Natural resource Items that we use that are NOT man-made but

are found naturally on Earth.

For example; water, trees, soil, oil

scarce In short supply, not enough

conserve To use less of something so that it will last

longer

recycle To use something again

Sometimes items are used again but in new ways

Line graph A graph that shows change over time

Graph has dots that are connected by lines. The rising and falling of the lines shows the change.

Where do communities grow? Communities grow where there are natural

resources for people to use. What resources you have depends on the environment around you.

Most communities were started where there was water. Water is a natural resource that can be used many different ways and is necessary for life.

Natural Resources Different communities in different environments

have different natural resources. (Different things are found in different places.)

We use natural resources for many things: Building our homes Making clothing Eating/drinking Powering our cars/engines Growing our crops

Conserving Natural Resources Sometimes our natural resources become

scarce or in short supply.

In order to stop this from happening or to help the supply grow when it is scarce we must conserve.

Conserving natural resources means to use less so that we can save what we have.

adapting Depending on where a community is located people

need to adapt to their environment.

In cold weather, people protect themselves with warm clothing, and by heating homes and buildings.

In warm weather, people adapt by dressing in cool clothing and using fans or air conditioners.

Adapting – changing the environment Another way people adapt to their

environment is by changing it.

For example when people need room to farm or build their home they may cut down trees.

People also change the environment by building railroads, roads, and cities.

Climate Where your community is located also

decides what type of climate you will have.

In some places the weather changes with the seasons. In other places the weather stays about the same all year.

Remember weather is what happens day to day, climate is the weather over long period of time. (How hot or cold and how much rain/snow).

Using line graphs Line graphs are often used to show how

temperature or rainfall amounts change over time.

Line graph