States, Capitals, and Abbreviations
How many states are there in the Midwest Region?
How did the Badlands get their name?
The land is very dry so it is bad for farming and other uses.
What is the most important resource in the Midwest region? Why?
Soil, because the Midwest is best for farming and agriculture.
Why did the United States want to do the Louisiana Purchase?
They wanted more land to expand the country, for raising livestock and planting crops.
Which Midwest city is known as a transportation hub? Why?
Chicago, Illinois. Chicago has always been a transportation hub, or a center for moving goods and people. Railroads, highways, airports, rivers, and lakes move more people and goods into and out of Chicago than any other city.
What is the capital of Illinois?
Springfield
How would you describe the majority of the land in the Midwest?
Almost all the Midwest is flat, gently rolling land with very few trees.
What are the 3 belts of the Midwest Region?
The Corn Belt, the Wheat Belt, and the Dairy Belt.
Which two leaders made the Louisiana Purchase deal?
Thomas Jefferson, the President of the USA, and Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor.
What is the name of the Lakota Indian chief whose face is being carved into a monument in the Black Hills?
Crazy Horse
Name 5 state abbreviations.
IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, OH, WI
What is Tornado Alley? Name 3 states located there.
Part of the Midwest is known as “Tornado Alley” because it has a high number of destructive tornadoes yearly. States include Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and Colorado.
Explain how the Meatpacking Industry is important in the Midwest.
Meat packing plants are an important industry in the Midwest. Livestock are animals raised on farms, such as cattle, hogs, and chickens. The livestock is raised for meat. The plants prepare the meat so that it can be sold in supermarkets.
What was the purpose of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
To explore all of the new land that the U.S. bought in the Louisiana Purchase.
Where is the Mall of America? About how many stores does it have?
Name all 12 states in the Midwest!
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Why did most major cities in the Midwest form near water (rivers)?
Water in the Midwest is very important. Before railroads, travel on waterways was faster and less expensive than traveling on land.
Explain how the Automobile Industry is important in the Midwest.
The Midwest has large deposits of iron ore. Steel mills change the iron ore into steel. Much of the steel produced in the Midwest region is used to make cars and trucks.
Who was Sacagawea?
She was the wife of a fur trapper, Toussaint Charbonneau, who traveled with Lewis and Clark as their interpreter and helper.
Which four American presidents' faces are on the Mount Rushmore National Monument?
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Name all 12 state capitals!
Springfield, Indianapolis, Des Moines, Topeka, Lansing, St. Paul, Jefferson City, Lincoln, Bismarck, Columbus, Pierre, Madison
The Missouri River, Arkansas River, and Ohio River all flow in to join the Mississippi River. What are these smaller rivers called?
Tributaries
Which city is famous for producing cars? What is the city's nickname?
Detroit, Michigan. It is nicknamed "Motor City" or "Motown."
How long was the Lewis and Clark Expedition, from start to finish? What important information did they find?
It was about 2 years (18 months to the destination, 6 months back). They discovered and studied many plants and animals. They created hundreds of maps.
Why was The Gateway Arch in Saint Louis built?
Saint Louis, Missouri is called the “Gateway to the West.” Pioneers started their journey by heading west from Saint Louis. The Gateway Arch in Saint Louis was built to honor those pioneers.