Key Vocabulary
mountain
the highest type of land. Mt. Everest.
plain
a large flat piece of land.
desert
a very dry area of land.
river
a large stream of moving water.
valley
the low land between mountains and hills.
lake
a large area of fresh water.
hill
a higher area of land. rolling hills.
island
a piece of land with water all around it.
Visual Summary
Types of Land and Water
| type | Picture |
|---|---|
| mountain |  |
| desert |  |
| plain |  |
| valley |  |
| stream |  |
| river |  |
| lake |  |
| ocean |  |
Exercise
Match each word with its definition:
- a very dry area of land. (desert)
- the highest type of land. (mountain)
- a large flat piece of land. (plain)
- a large area of fresh water. (lake)
- a large stream of moving water. (river)
- the low land between mountains and hills. (valley)
Up Close
Two kinds of Waters on Earth
| kind | features |
|---|---|
| salt water | An ocean is made up of salt water. |
| fresh water | Fresh water is water without salt. Streams, rivers and lakes are fresh water |
The Earth has different kinds of (land) and water.
True of False
| Statement | True or False |
|---|---|
| A lake is smaller than an ocean. | T |
| Lakes and rivers are salt water. | F |
| A hill is a piece of land with water all around it. | F |
Reading passage/section
There are many different types of land and water. A mountain is the highest kind of land. A hill is also hight but it is smaller than a mountain. There are low valleys between mountains and hills.
Rivers flow toward the ocean. They sometimes go through flat plains. We can grow many kinds of food on plains whether they are high or low. We cannot grow food in a dry desert.
A lake, another area of water, has land all around it, so it doesn’t flow to the ocean like a river. An island is the opposite of a lake. It is an area of land with water all around.
Reading skill
Classify
Land:
A mountain is the (highest) kind of land.
A (hill) is smaller than a mountain.
Valleys are low lands (between) mountains and hills.
Plains are (flat) and we grow food on them.
Deserts are dry.
Water:
A lake is an area of water that has (land) around it.
(Rivers) flow toward the ocean.
Comprehension
- What is a place where we can grow food? (plain)
- On Earth, there are valleys between (hills and mountains).
- An island is not the same as a lake because (an island has water all around it).
- Rivers sometimes go through plains, (and they flow toward the ocean).
source
From American Textbook Reading Social Studies 15 37:21