Hey everyone, Justin here for the final destination on our road trip around the
United States. We've made it all the way here, to the West. Along the way we've
learned so much about maps. We've talked about location, how to use map symbols,
and the different types of maps there are to help us learn about places. Now it's
time to put it all together to use maps in a whole new way. Today we're going to analyze
or carefully study the information we learn about places from maps. Then we're going to
draw conclusions and make inferences about what life is like in those places. Let's get into it.
The last time we were together, we looked at different types of maps to learn about
the Midwest as a region. Based on what we learned from the map, we could tell a lot about it. When
we read the maps of the Midwest, we were drawing conclusions. Drawing conclusions from maps means
using the information presented to form ideas and understandings. When we looked at this physical
map of the Midwest, I noticed that South Dakota has different colors. Using the key, I can draw
the conclusion that South Dakota has different types of land, with some flat grassy planes,
but also some hills and mountains. We could do the same thing to learn more about the West,
but we can go one step further and use our conclusions to make inferences about what life in
that place must be like. Making inferences means using the information provided to you and what you
already know to make guesses about something not directly shown to you. You connect the knowledge
you already have to the new knowledge from the map. Take a look at Montana. Using a key,
I can come to the conclusion that there are some areas with flat lands, but most of the
land is mountainous. Now that I know a big part of the state is made up of mountains,
I can make some inferences. I already know that mountains allow for lots of fun activities like
hiking and skiing. I know they create beautiful scenery for the people who live in the area,
and I also know that certain animals usually live in mountain ranges. Using that background
knowledge plus what I learned from the map helps me infer what life must be like in these parts
of Montana. Now you try it. Take a look at California on this physical map. Pause the
video here to complete the chart in your PDF to organize your conclusions and inferences.
I noticed that in California there's a lot of flat land with some mountains in the north and
east. It also borders the Pacific Ocean. I already know a lot about the activities people can do on
mountains and in the ocean. This must mean that people in California can also hike and ski in
the mountains, and they can swim, surf, and fish in the ocean. The information from the physical
map helps me use what I know to make inferences about life in California. Now let's take a look
at a climate map. Remember, climate maps show us information about the typical weather of an area.
I can see from this map that Montana experiences average temperatures that range from between 40°
Fahrenheit and 60° Fahrenheit. Temperatures colder than 40° are really cold, and temperatures warmer
than 60° are pretty warm. Hey, I can draw the conclusion that Montana must experience seasons
of colder weather and warmer weather. Based on what I already know, and the information from the
climate map, I can make inferences that people in Montana can do both cold weather activities
like sledding and ice skating, and warm weather activities like swimming and riding bikes. Your
turn to try. What do you notice about the climate of California? How might that affect life there?
Pause the video here to complete the chart on your PDF to organize your ideas about California.
I noticed that California experiences different types of weather, but a lot of the state is warm
and even very hot. People in the Northern and Eastern parts of California can do some cold
weather activities, but life in the majority of California is probably mostly full of sunny,
warm days where people are playing sports, taking walks, and finding ways to cool off.
Our next type of map, an economic map, shows the natural resources that come from the states
in the West. When I look at Montana, I see that the state has been divided up and has
a few different colors on it. According to the key and the colors in Montana,
I can come to the conclusion that a few different natural resources come from this area. Lumber,
oil, coal, and other minerals. I can infer that there must be businesses and jobs there related
to these resources, like logging, oil field production, and coal mining. What natural
resources do you notice come from California? And what inferences can you make about the
types of jobs and businesses that might exist in the state using these natural resources?
Pause the video here to draw conclusions and make inferences related to the economics of California.
Based on the key, I can see that in California, they also have lumber and oil. I can infer that
they probably have some similar businesses and jobs to those in Montana. All right,
one last map to go. This population map shows us how many people live within certain areas
in the West. Looking at Montana, I can come to the conclusion that Montana is not very
populated. In some areas, fewer than 20 people live within a mile of each other. I can infer
that their homes are spread apart and probably are on farms or ranches. This means that people
have to drive further to see each other and go to stores and other places. They might
know and interact with fewer people because it's harder to see a big group at a time,
since everyone is spread out. Or they might live in small towns, where everyone and everything
is really close together, but far away from everything else. What about California? What
conclusions and inferences can you make about how people interact based on population? Pause
the video here to write down your ideas about what life is like in California based on population.
Based on this map, I can see that California has a lot of people. There are a few areas
that are very populated, which I can infer are cities. This means people live close together,
maybe in apartment buildings. They can easily visit a variety of stores and other places like
parks and restaurants. They might walk or use public transportation that can carry a
lot of passengers at one time. They might know and interact with a lot of people every day,
since they're all sharing the same space. Wow, maps really can help us draw conclusions and make
inferences about places. Although they can't ever tell us the whole story about a place,
they can get our minds thinking about what life is like there. This can help us make all sorts
of decisions, like where to visit on vacation, or even where to move. Thanks for joining me on
this road trip around America, learning all about maps on the way. You've been a great
navigator and map reader, and I know even more about the United States after our trip together.
Now to make my way back home using all of those map skills I've acquired. See you next time.