The Appalachians and the Rockies

Locate and compare the older, lower Appalachians and the tall Rocky Mountains.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 13

A mountain range is a long row of mountains. The United States has two big ones: the Appalachians in the east and the Rockies in the west.
The Appalachian Mountains run from Alabama and Georgia north to Maine. They are very old, so wind and water have worn them lower and rounder. Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains are part of them!
The Rocky Mountains run from Canada south to New Mexico. They are younger, taller, and sharper, with snow on their peaks for much of the year.
Compare: the Appalachians are east, older, and lower. The Rockies are west, younger, and taller. The Great Plains lie between them.
Try it with a grown-up: find the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains on a map or globe. Which is closer to your home?

Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:

SS3G1.b — Locate major mountain ranges of the United States of America: Appalachian, Rocky.