3.3.1 PA Landforms and Bodies of Water

​Pennsylvania's Landforms and Bodies of Water
Learners can: 

• identify at least one landform region of Pennsylvania

• describe Pennsylvania's landforms

• explain how the major river systems affect the people who live in Pennsylvania

​The physical characteristics are the land's natural features, including landforms, bodies of water, climate, and natural resources.

Today, you will learn about the landforms and bodies of water in Pennsylvania.

​The states of this region share similarities in physical characteristics, such as landforms and bodies of water. EDIO VIDEO PAGE 3
The Northeast has many landforms and bodies of water, including mountains, lakes, oceans, plains, and plateaus.

Multiple Choice

Which landform covers 75 percent of the Northeastern region?

• Canyons

• Deserts

• Mountains

• Plains

​Pennsylvania has many landforms, including mountains, rolling hills, plateaus, ridges, plains, and valleys. About half of the state is covered in thick mountainous forests.

Landform Regions

Pennsylvania has six landform regions. From the Northwest part of the state to the Southeast, the regions include the:

• Central Lowlands;

• Appalachian Plateaus;

• Ridge and Valley;

• New England;

• Piedmont; and

• Atlantic Coastal Plain.

Three of the six regions make up 98 percent of the state. They are the Appalachian Plateaus, the Ridge and Valley, and the Piedmont.

Categorize

Options (6)

Many farms and growing cities

Rolling hills, caves and sinkholes

Appalachian Mountains

Deep River Valley

Largest landform region

Allegheny Mountains

Sort each example into the landform it describes.

Piedmont

Ridge and Valley

Appalachian Plateaus

​Pennsylvania's Watershed

Pennsylvania is a state that has a lot of water! Nearly 45,000 miles of rivers and streams wind across the state. It also has many lakes, especially in the mountain areas.

All of the water flowing in rivers, creeks, streams, and under the ground is part of a watershed.
A watershed is an area of land over which all water drains into a common, larger body of water or a basin.

The larger body of water is called a basin because it collects all the water from its watershed region
Pennsylvania has five major watershed regions or basins. They are the:

• Ohio River Basin;

• Susquehanna River Basin;

• Delaware River Basin;

• Great Lakes Basin (which includes the Genesee River and Lake Erie); and

• Potomac River Basin.

• The Ohio Watershed Region is named after the Ohio River because it is the larger body of water that collects all of the water in its watershed.

  For example, the Allegheny Reservoir is part of the Ohio River Basin. Its water travels through the Allegheny River and into the Ohio River.

Multiple Choice

What watershed region does the Schuylkill River belong to?

• Ohio River Basin

• Great Lakes Basin

• Delaware River Basin

• Susquehanna River Basin

​Pennsylvania's River Systems

Pennsylvania has three major river systems. A river system is made up of all the streams and rivers that flow into a larger river.

Pennsylvania's river systems are the:

• Delaware River system;

• Susquehanna River system; and,

• Ohio River system.

Match

Match the following

• The Susquehanna River System

• The Delaware River System

• The Ohio River System

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• 
  

  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Multiple Choice

Which landform covers most of Pennsylvania?

• Canyons

• Coastal Plains

• Mountains

• Valleys

Word Cloud

How do the river systems affect people living in Pennsylvania?

Today, you learned about the landforms and bodies of water that shape Pennsylvania.

There are three major landform regions in Pennsylvania, which are mostly forested mountains, deep valleys, and rolling hills.

The streams, rivers, and lakes are all part of the state's five major watersheds.

You also learned that there are three major rivers and lakes within the watersheds of Pennsylvania.

Great job today!