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Geography · Grade 1

Landforms and Bodies of Water

Learners name the shapes of the land (mountain, hill, valley, plain) and the kinds of water (ocean, lake, river, pond), tell salt water from fresh water, and tell islands from peninsulas on simple grid maps. They then find four real places on a world map (the Pacific Ocean, the Rocky Mountains, Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River) and explain why so many towns and cities grow up beside water.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 60 minutes
  • Land and water check: 8 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, count, label a picture, pin a map and pick map regions
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What learners will discover

  • Name and describe four landforms: mountain, hill, valley and plain.
  • Name bodies of water (ocean, lake, river, pond), tell salt water from fresh water, and tell an island from a peninsula.
  • Find real examples on a world map: the Pacific Ocean, the Rocky Mountains, Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River.
  • Explain why many people live near water, and name one danger water can bring.

Lessons

  1. High land, low land, flat land 8 steps4 practiceabout 14 min
  2. Water all around 8 steps5 practiceabout 15 min
  3. Real places on the world map 8 steps4 practiceabout 16 min
  4. Why people live near water 7 steps4 practiceabout 12 min
  5. Land and water check 8 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Globe ExplorerSpin a real 3D globe, flip to the flat map, and find continents, oceans and countries.
  • Mapmaker QuestFollow directions to make a map, then read its legend, compass rose and scale.
  • Landform ExplorerMountains, valleys, peninsulas and deltas — learn the shapes of the land and find them on Earth.

More 1st grade geography

Guide for grown-ups