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Locating the United States

An interactive map that helps students understand where the United States is located in North America and its relationship to neighboring countries and oceans.

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About This MicroSim

This interactive map helps students learn the geographic position of the United States by exploring:

  • The US location within North America
  • Bordering countries (Canada and Mexico)
  • Surrounding oceans (Atlantic and Pacific)
  • The positions of Alaska and Hawaii
  • Cardinal directions and hemispheres

How to Use

  1. Hover over any region (country or ocean) to see detailed information in the info panel
  2. Click on a region to zoom in for closer inspection
  3. Use the Quiz Me! button to test your knowledge with location questions
  4. Toggle Labels to show or hide country/region names
  5. Reset View to return to the default map position
  6. Track your Score as you answer quiz questions correctly

Key Concepts Demonstrated

  • United States Location: Position in the middle of North America
  • Hemispheres: The US is in both the Northern and Western Hemispheres
  • Neighboring Countries: Canada (north) and Mexico (south)
  • Coastal Oceans: Atlantic Ocean (east) and Pacific Ocean (west)
  • Non-contiguous States: Alaska and Hawaii are part of the US but not connected to the main landmass

Lesson Plan

Learning Objective: Students will locate and describe the position of the United States relative to neighboring countries, oceans, and hemispheres.

Bloom's Taxonomy Level: Understand (L2)

Activities:

  1. Explore Mode (5 min): Have students hover over each region and read the facts displayed in the info panel
  2. Quiz Challenge (10 min): Students use Quiz Mode to answer location questions and track their scores
  3. Label Practice (5 min): Toggle labels off and have students verbally identify each region from memory
  4. Discussion (5 min): Ask students to explain why the US has borders with only two countries but touches three oceans

Assessment: Students should be able to correctly answer at least 6 of 8 quiz questions and verbally describe the US position using cardinal directions.

References

Technical Notes

  • Built with Leaflet.js for interactive mapping
  • Uses CARTO light basemap tiles for clean visualization
  • Simplified polygon boundaries for educational clarity
  • Responsive design adapts to container width
  • Cardinal Directions
  • Hemispheres
  • Continents
  • US Borders
  • North America