Vocabulary
What do we call the land, water, and other natural features of a place?
Physical Geography
Which landform has a lower elevation than a mountain?
A hill
What do we call an area of low land between mountains and hills?
A valley
Which ocean borders California’s entire western coast?
The Pacific Ocean
What kind of trees cover California’s mountain forests?
Pine trees
What is a natural part of Earth’s surface, like a mountain, desert, or valley?
A landform
What do we call a group of mountains?
a range
What is the name of the large valley that runs through the center of California?
The Central Valley
What is the name of the large, deep lake in Northern California?
Lake Tahoe
What tall trees grow in the forests along California’s northern coast?
Redwoods
What do we call the height of land above sea level?
Elevation
What do we call a hill that is found next to a mountain?
A foothill
What do we call an area of very dry land where few plants grow?
A desert
What are two things Californians use water from lakes and rivers for?
Farming and drinking
Name one animal that lives in California’s mountain forests.
Bears and cougars.
What word means to supply water to land, like farmland, using water from lakes and rivers?
Irrigate
What is the Sierra Nevada
A mountain range in California
If a valley gets enough rain, what is it good for?
Farming or growing crops
What are two fun things people can do at California’s ocean, lakes, or rivers?
Surfing, fishing, going to the beach.
Name two ecosystems that are common in California’s valleys.
Woodlands, grasslands, wetlands.
What do we call all the living and nonliving things that interact in a certain place?
An ecosystem
As elevation gets higher, does the temperature get warmer or cooler?
Cooler
What has to happen in a place for a desert to form?
Little or no rain fall
Low rainfall and what else have lowered the amount of water in California?
Using too much water.
Name one plant and one animal that live in California’s deserts.
Animals: Rattlesnakes, horned toads
Plants: cactus, brittlebrush