What landforms cover North America’s surface?
Step 1: Go to the ArcGIS Online map, North American Landforms, and explore the map.
Step 2: Click on the link in the upper-right corner, Modify Map.
Step 3: With the Details button underlined, click the button, Show Contents of Map (Content).
Step 4: Turn on the layer, Landform Marker, so that the Edit button appears on top.
Step 5: Click the Edit button and then click the Landuse Marker.
Step 6: Click and drag the cursor around the North American map to “sketch” similar continuous regions, based solely on their appearance. If necessary, zoom in to see more details.
Step 7: Annotate and close each pop-up window. Try to draw unique regions for mountain ranges and plains along the coasts and the Midwest.
Step 8: Stop drawing by clicking the Edit button again.
Step 9: Click the Details button.
Is there more to landforms than texture?
Step 10: Turn off the layer, World Shaded Relief, and turn on the layer, North American Landforms.
Step 11: Click the Basemap button and select Topographic.
- What color is used to show the plains?
Step 12: Click several places across the plains.
- What types of plains are there?
- How do you think the plains along the Gulf Coast are different from the mid-continent plains?
What does the elevation have to do with it?
Step 13: Click the button, About. Click the Open Presentation link and view the presentation in a new tab. Go through the presentation slides.
Step 14: Close the tab that has the presentation and return to the online map.
Would a bay by another name, sound the same?
Step 15: Turn off all of the layers.
Step 16: Change the basemap to Imagery.
Step 17: Click on each bookmark. Identify and differentiate among the various types of landforms, as listed below.
- Coastal features
- Freshwater regions
- Ocean bodies
- River-formed landforms
- High elevation terrains
- Large ice features
What landforms do you have around where you live?
Step 18: Search for any of the landform types found in your local area. Use the Find Address Or Place search tool?
- Explain what the selected landform is and how it differs from similar features listed in Step 17.
The following video is not required for the assignment, but very interesting.
