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Year 5

Human geography of North and South America

I can describe key features of the human geography of the Americas, including population distribution and major cities.

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New
New
Year 5

Human geography of North and South America

I can describe key features of the human geography of the Americas, including population distribution and major cities.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Settlements are established and grow for different reasons.
  2. Some areas of North and South America are more populated than others.
  3. There are many major world cities in North and South America.
  4. The key human features of North and South America can be investigated using a wide range of resources, atlases and maps.

Common misconception

The capital city is always the country's largest city.

Use examples to explain that capital cities are chosen for various reasons.

Keywords

  • Settlement - Settlements are places where groups of people live and work.

  • Population - The population is the total number of people living in a particular area.

  • Major city - A major city is a large city with a population of over 100,000 people.

  • Landmark - A feature in the landscape which has a particular meaning attached to it, for example to help with directions, is called a landmark.

Digital mapping tools could be used to investigate the population distribution in North and South America. Learners could also explore and make comparisons with population distribution in the UK.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
__________ geographical features are natural features.
artifical
built
human
Correct answer: physical
Q2.
Which of these is not a human geographical feature?
canal
Correct answer: glacier
pier
viaduct
Q3.
What is a settlement?
a pile of tiny particles of rock
Correct answer: a place where people live and sometimes work
a river valley with steep sides
an ancient burial ground
Q4.
What does population distribution describe?
The age of the people living there
The total number of people living there
Correct answer: The way the population is spread out across an area or region
Q5.
A landmark can be a natural or human geographical feature
Correct answer: True
False
Q6.
Why is a capital city important?
It is in the centre of the country
It attracts the most tourists
Correct answer: It is where the government is located
It has the biggest population

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Order these types of settlement from smallest to biggest.
1 - hamlet
2 - village
3 - town
4 - city
Q2.
__________ resources are things that are produced by the environment.
biological
human
Correct answer: natural
physical
Q3.
Which of these is not a natural resource?
air
coal
petroleum
Correct answer: plastic
Q4.
Where are major cities often located?
Correct answer: near rivers or the coast
on top of a mountain
in deserts
in the middle of the country
Q5.
Match each North American capital city with its country.
Correct Answer:Havana,Cuba

Cuba

Correct Answer:Kingston,Jamaica

Jamaica

Correct Answer:Ottawa,Canada

Canada

Correct Answer:Washington DC,USA

USA

Q6.
Match each South American capital city with its country.
Correct Answer:Brasilia,Brazil

Brazil

Correct Answer:Buenos Aires,Argentina

Argentina

Correct Answer:Montevideo,Uruguay

Uruguay

Correct Answer:Quito,Ecuador

Ecuador