Video Transcript – Operation Exploration: The Northeast Part 1 – U.S. Geography for Kids! Video

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Transcribed by YouTube Transcription for www.Miacademy.co

Caroline [0:00]
Hi everyone! I’m Caroline. You know, I had this crazy dream last night. I was soaring over mountains, running along a sandy beach, picking apples in an apple orchard, petting dairy cows, and… then I woke up! And I got to thinking… those scenes reminded me of parts of the United States and I realized that it actually is a real lifelong dream of mine. I’ve always wanted to explore the different regions of the U.S. So, let’s do that together! Welcome to Operation Exploration, where we’re exploring regions of the United States!

[0:52]
In this video, we’re going to explore some of the landforms, the climate, and the wildlife in the Northeast Region of the U.S. The northeastern states we’ll be talking about today are: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Maybe you live in one of these states and you already know about some of the things we’re going to discover!

[1:23]
So, tell me, Caroline… does the northeast region have rocky beaches or rolling hills, tall mountains or deep valleys, dense forests or farmland, rivers or lakes? Yes. Huh? Let me repeat that. Are the landforms… Yes, it has all of these! The northeast region has an amazing variety of landforms. And my dream is to one day see them all!

[2:00]
Many of these states border the Atlantic Ocean. You’ve got Maine’s rocky coastline, New York’s busy harbors, the low-lying beaches of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Rhode Island’s lighthouses and sailing competitions, Connecticut’s Mystic Seaport, and New Jersey’s beautiful sandy beaches. The Atlantic Ocean in this region of the U.S. is home to incredible wildlife too! Beluga whales, humpback whales, harbor seals, lobsters, crabs, cod, and sea turtles are just some of the creatures that swim here.

[2:38]
The Atlantic Ocean isn’t the only important water source in this region. Niagara Falls in New York State has more water than any other waterfall in the United States. It’s the widest waterfall in the U.S. and sees more than 700,000 gallons of water per second gushing over its edges. The water power harnessed from Niagara Falls creates electricity for New York State as well as parts of Canada. The water that comes down over Niagara Falls begins at the Great Lakes, two of which are in the northeast region: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Great Lakes are pretty great! They’re so big that they can be seen from space and they hold a fifth of all the fresh water in the world!

[3:31]
Many people who live in the northeast spend their time boating, sailing, water skiing, swimming, fishing, and just relaxing on the different lakes throughout the region. There are so many! The largest lake in the eastern United States is in Maine. It’s called Moosehead Lake. Vermont is home to crystal clear Lake Willoughby. New York has the Finger Lakes – see? They’re shaped like fingers! And New Hampshire’s largest lake is Lake Winnipesaukee. Try saying that three times fast! Winnipesaukee, Winnipesaukee, Winnipesaukee.

[4:12]
Plenty of rivers flow in this region too. You’ve got the Connecticut River. In fact, the name of the state Connecticut is a Native American word meaning “beside the long, tidal river.” The Blackstone River in Rhode Island is where the Industrial Revolution began. You can often see folks in Massachusetts rowing along the Charles River and sailing on a windy day. Sigh. Someday I’d like to see the state of Pennsylvania and take a boat ride on the rivers there. They’ve got the Ohio River, Allegheny River, Delaware River, the Susquehanna River… just to name a few!

[4:56]
Another important waterway in the northeast is the Erie Canal, a man-made water route in New York State. It was built in the 1800s and created a boom in transportation and industry by opening up – for the first time – a trade route from New York City and the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. Freshwater fish such as trout and bass live in the northwestern rivers and lakes. You know who else lives among these waterways? Beavers, turtles, frogs, blue herons, ducks, and eagles!

[5:34]
You can see that the northeast has plenty of water! But it also has its share of mountains. A large chain of mountains known as the Appalachian Mountain range runs through the northeast. These mountains start at our neighbor up in Canada and run all the way down to the state of Alabama. Following the Appalachian Mountain range you’ll find the Appalachian Trail. It’s over 2,000 miles long and it goes through 14 states from Maine down to Georgia.

[6:09]
Thousands of hikers set off each year, determined to spend several months walking the entire trail, camping along the way. Many people get too tired and don’t make it all the way! However, many do make it and love to talk about their experiences along the trail. One of the cool things about hiking the Appalachian Trail is that hikers make up a trail name that they use on the trail instead of their real name – like Chipmunk, or Wildflower, or August Pigeon. I wonder what I would call myself…

[6:47]
Besides the Appalachian Mountains, you’ve got your Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains, White Mountains, and Green Mountains. Mt. Washington in New Hampshire is the highest mountain in the northeast. And it’s one of the windiest places on Earth. The wind speed there was once recorded at 231 miles per hour!

[7:13]
Speaking of windy and cold… tell me, Caroline, what’s the climate like in the northeast? Does it get freezing cold, does it snow, does it get sweltering hot, does it rain, sleet, or hail? Does it get dry, does it get hurricanes? Yes. Huh? Well, let me repeat that. What is the climate… Yes, it gets all of those.

[7:49]
The northeastern region of the U.S. sees all four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. The climate in the northeast can range from being mild and sunny with comfortable temperatures, to… Freezing cold, snowstorms, and ice storms in the winter. It has seen its fair share of hurricanes too. And you’ve got your nor’easters! That’s a storm in which powerful winds blow over these northeastern states bringing torrential rain or heavy snow.

[8:29]
Well, anyway. Have I mentioned the animals? No? Oh, well, the different animals that live in this region have adapted quite well to the climate and weather patterns. In the forest, you’ll find white-tailed deer, owls, chipmunks, snakes, coyotes, and moose, the official state animal of Maine. Moose are the largest member of the deer family. And yes, they’re big! A moose can weigh more than 1,000 pounds! Moose are fast runners, reaching speeds of 35 miles per hour – that’s as fast as a car driving along the city streets. And they are great swimmers too!

[9:12]
Opossum, North America’s only marsupial (that’s an animal that carries its baby in a pouch like a kangaroo), lives in the northeast region. Once the babies come out of their mom’s pouch, she carries them everywhere for about a year. These shy animals are great at helping people stay comfortable because they’ll eat thousands of nasty ticks over several months. And there are lots of squirrels in the northeast. Squirrels adapt to the seasons by burying nuts they find in the summer so that they can go back and dig them up to eat in the harsh winter months when there’s less food to eat.

[9:54]
Black bears fatten up during the summer because they slow way down and aren’t very active during the cold winter months. Sometimes after I eat a big meal, I feel like a black bear. Just hanging around like a couch potato. Couch potato… That might be a good name for me to use when I hike the Appalachian Trail. Maybe I’ll add “lady” to it. Lady Couch Potato. What do you think?

[10:30]
Well, I’ve really enjoyed our time today exploring the landforms, climate, and wildlife of the northeast region of the United States. Remember, we just scratched the surface. There’s a lot more you can read about and discover on your own. Check out our other videos where we explore more fun and interesting things about the U.S. And in the meantime, remember to always be clever!