Unit One: Lesson Nine. Connecting back to Lesson 1 – Circle of regions Dividing Michigan in to regions The Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula Other Michigan.

Unit One: Lesson Nine

• Connecting back to Lesson 1 – Circle of regions

• Dividing Michigan in to regions

• The Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula

• Other Michigan regions: e.g. the Thumb

• U.S. Regions to which Michigan belongs

A region is an area that has at least one feature that sets it apart from other areas.

Regions can be many different sizes.

One way to divide Michigan into regions is the Upper Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula.

Michigan also has some unique regions like the Thumb.

Michigan belongs to U.S. regions such as the Midwest Region and the Great Lakes Region.

an area with one or more common features   Example: The Upper Peninsula can be one

region of Michigan.

is an area with at least one feature, or characteristic that sets it apart from other areas.

Geographers say that these common features, or characteristics, help “bind a region together.”

Can be large or small.

Communities are examples of regions.

They can be defined as a region because the people of a community share a government.

Communities can also be divided into smaller regions.

Think of examples of regions in our local community.

state

county

community

country

continent

Regions to Which My Community Belongs

What regions could be identified in Michigan that are larger than communities but smaller than the state itself?

Counties can be considered regions.

What characteristics make counties qualify as regions?

People in a county share a government.

People in a county often share a park system and/ or a system of roads.

Like each of the fifty states in the United States, Michigan is a region. It has its own government and also other characteristics

that distinguish it from other states.

Michigan can be subdivided into smaller regions also.

You will work with a partner to try and find at least two different ways to divide Michigan into regions.

Use a map to help you.

Consider human and natural (physical) characteristics such as rivers, cities, highways, vegetation, population, etc. when dividing Michigan into regions.

You should make lines on the outline maps to show the regions and then describe why you divided Michigan in this way.

The Lower Peninsula has more people.

The Lower Peninsula has better farmland.

The Lower Peninsula has more roads, cities, and factories.

The Upper Peninsula is more dependent on lumbering and mining.

The Upper Peninsula has higher elevations.

The Upper Peninsula is less dependent on manufacturing.

They are two distinct land masses

Upper Peninsula: not very populated, short growing season, cold winters, two main land areas, lots of natural resources

Northern Lower Peninsula: sandy soil not very good for farming, less people than southern Lower Peninsula, higher elevation than southern Lower Peninsula, big tourist area

Southern Lower Peninsula: lots of industry, plenty of land that is good for farming, lower in elevation than other two regions, lots of cities.

Central Lowland (Great Lakes Plains)

•All of the Lower Peninsula and the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula

•Part of the Interior Plains of the United States

•A mainly flat area with a few areas of hills

Superior Upland

•Part of the Canadian Shield, a large rocky area

•Lots of natural resources

•Includes the Huron and Porcupine Mountains

There are several other ways to divide Michigan into regions.

This map, created by the Michigan Advantage, divides Michigan into five regions based in general on the economic activities of the regions.

The “Fruit Belt” located in the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula.

The “Thumb”

Metropolitan Detroit

The “Straits” region

Describe the unique human and natural (physical) characteristics that make each of these areas a region.

UniqueRegions ofMichigan

Michigan is also a part of larger regions.

Because the United States is such a large country, it would be difficult to study the country one state at a time.

Therefore, geographers have found ways to divide the country into regions.

One common way is to divide the United States into five regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and the West.

<http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/midwestus_nl.pdf>.

a region of the United States that includes the state of Michigan

  Example: States in the Midwest Region have

many things in common.

Which Midwest states do you think are most like Michigan?

What impact do you think the Mississippi River has had on this region?

Why do you think the region is also called “The Heartland” of the U.S.?

Why do you think the region is also called “The Breadbasket” of the U.S.?

The Midwest Region •Mainly flat land

•Lots of fertile farm land

•Includes with lots of manufacturing near cities

•Largest city is Chicago, which is an important port and railroad center.

•Includes four of the Great Lakes

•Also called the “Heartland”

•Also called the “Breadbasket” of the U.S. because a lot of food crops like corn and wheat come from here.

This map shows another U.S. region to which Michigan belongs.

This region is called the “Great Lakes Region.”

Each of the states borders one or more of the Great Lakes.

Explain that common characteristics distinguishing this region include: they border the Great Lakes, Great Lakes shipping, Great Lakes issues, and tourism.

the states of that border the Great Lakes along with the province of Ontario, Canada

  Example: Michigan belongs to the Great

Lakes Region

Lesson 9: Michigan and the Theme of Regions

Lesson 9: Michigan and the Theme of Regions

Dividing Michigan

intoRegions

Lesson 9: Michigan and the Theme of Regions

Dividing Michigan

intoRegions

Regions to which

Michigan belongs

Lesson 9: Michigan and the Theme of Regions

Dividing Michigan

intoRegions

Unique Regions

of Michigan

Regions to which

Michigan belongs

Lesson 9: Michigan and the Theme of Regions

Dividing Michigan

intoRegions

Unique Regions

of Michigan

Regions to which

Michigan belongs