This is a powerpoint I share with my students at the beginning of the school year. I like to get them familiar with landforms before we begin Social Studies content.

1. GEOGRAPHY TERMS

2. CONTINENT LARGE LAND MASS ON EARTH

3. OCEAN ONE OF THE LARGE BODIES OF SALT WATER

4. BAY BODY OF H20 PARTLY ENCLOSED BY LAND

6. STRAIT NARROW PASSAGE OF H20 CONNECTING 2 LARGER BODIES OF WATER Mediterranean Sea Atlantic Ocean STRAIT

7. TRIBUTARY STREAM FLOWING INTO LARGER STREAM OR RIVER (Think of branches on a tree. Tree trunk = River, Branches = stream

8. DELTA TRIANGULAR-SHAPED, SILT DEPOSIT AT MOUTH OF THE RIVER

9. LAKE SIZABLE INLAND BODY OF WATER

10. LAGOON BODY OF SHALLOW H20 USUALLY CONNECTED TO A LARGER LAKE OR THE SEA

11. CATARACT LARGE WATERFALL or SERIES OF SMALL WATERFALLS IN A ROW

12. FJORD LONG, NARROW ARM OF SEA RUNNING BETWEEN HIGH, ROCKY CLIFFS

13. CAPE POINT OF LAND EXTENDING INTO SEA OR LAKE

15. PENINSULA PIECE OF LAND ALMOST SURROUNDED BY WATER

16. ISTHMUS PIECE OF LAND CONNECTING 2 LARGER PIECES OF LAND

17. PLATEAU LARGE AREA OF ELEVATED FLAT LAND

18. MESA HIGH, BROAD, FLAT LAND USUALLY WITH SHARP, ROCKY SLOPES DESCENDING TO THE PLAIN

19. ATOLL RING-SHAPED CORAL ISLAND, ALMOST COMPLETELY ENCLOSING A LAGOON

20. ARCHIPELAGO SEA WITH MANY ISLANDS OR THE ISLANDS THEMSELVES

21. TUNDRA TREELESS, OFTEN FROZEN, ARCTIC PLAIN

22. SAVANNA LARGE AREA OF TROPICAL GRASSLAND, COVERED IN PART WITH TREES AND SPINY SHRUBS

23. ESTUARY INLET OF SEA WHERE FRESH WATER FROM RIVERS AND SALT WATER FROM SEA MIX

24. ICEBERG THICK MASS OF ICE,USUALLY FROM A GLACIER, FLOATING IN THE SEA

25. OASIS AN AREA IN THE DESERT MADE FERTILE WITH WATER

26. GEYSER NATURAL HOT SPRING FROM WHICH STEAM, WATER, OR MUD SHOOT INTO THE AIR

27. RIVER LARGE, NATURAL STREAM OF H20 FLOWING INTO LARGER BODY OF WATER

28. CONTINENTAL DIVIDE GREAT RIDGE OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN SUMMITS SEPARATING WEST-FLOWING STREAMS FROM EAST-FLOWING STREAMS

29. LATITUDE DISTANCE ON THE EARTH’S SURFACE MEASURED NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR

30. LONGITUDE DISTANCE ON EARTH’S SURFACE MEASURED EAST OR WEST OF THE PRIME MERIDIAN

31. TROPIC OF CANCER LINE OF LATITUDE IN THE TROPICS AT ABOUT 23 DEGREES NORTH OF THE EQUATOR

32. TROPIC OF CAPRICORN LINE OF LATITUDE IN THE TROPICS AT ABOUT 23 DEGREES SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR

33. EQUATOR LINE OF LATITUDE (0 DEGREES) WHICH IS THE SAME DISTANCE FROM BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH POLES

34. PRIME MERIDIAN THE LINE OF LONGITUDE (0 DEGREES) FROM WHICH LONGITUDE IS MEASURED. IT PASSES THROUGH GREENWICH, ENGLAND

35. CHANNEL A deep strait: It is safe enough for ships to travel because it is very deep.

36. GLACIER A LARGE MASS OF ICE THAT MOVES SLOWLY DOWN A MOUNTAIN OR A VALLEY