.

Geography Bee 3rd, 4th & 5th graders can participate Thursday, November 17 @ 7:30pm Mann Auditorium A chance to learn more about local, regional and world geography and to win a cool prize tickets to Great America! Youll already be at Mann for the INTERNATIONAL FUN FEST & you want to support your friends. Sign-up on the poster across from the office or email the contacts below.
Email Denise Roser [deniseroser@hotmail.com] or Sandy Tijerina [stijer@yahoo.com] with questions.

Geography Bee Study Guide

Bee starts at 7:30 pm on November 17th in the Mann Auditorium. Good luck! Round One - Local (Chicago/ Oak Park) Geography and Fun Facts Oak Park Facts North Avenue, Harlem, Roosevelt & Austin form the border of Oak Park. Berwyn & Cicero line the south border of Oak Park. Forest Park & River Forest line the west border of Oak Park. Chicago borders Oak Park and is east and north of Oak Park. Oak Park is 4.7 sq miles. The primary highway between Oak Park and Chicago is Interstate 290, also referred to as the Eisenhower Expressway. Oak Park Community Points of Interest and Geographical facts The river closest to Oak Park is the Des Plaines River. The continental divide is located on Lake Street at Forest Avenue. The largest park in Oak Park is Lindbergh Park. Oak Park village hall is located at 123 Madison Street. Frank Lloyd Wrights Home & Studio is on Chicago Avenue. Ernest Hemingway once lived on Grove Street and was born in a home on Oak Park Avenue. Oak Park Farmers' Market takes place at the Pilgrim Church lot on Lake Street. Oak Parks 3 libraries are Main, Dole, Maze. The Frank Lloyd Wright designed Unity Temple is on Lake Street. The Oak Park Conservatory is on Garfield Street. Two pools in Oak Park are Rehm Pool (north of I-290) and Ridgeland Commons (south of I-290). The two hospitals in Oak Park are Oak Park Rush & West Suburban Medical Center. The Grand Illinois Trail runs in Oak Park on Augusta Blvd. The 2 high schools in Oak Park are OPRF and Fenwick. The OPRF football field is located at the corner of Lake & Linden streets. Oak Park Public Transit Facts Oak Park is served by both Metras Union Pacific/West line and the CTA L Green and Blue lines. The Green line ends at Harlem/Lake and has more stops in Oak Park than the Blue line. The L is referring to the word elevated from our elevated train track system. The Chicago 'L' is the 2nd longest rapid transit system in total track mileage in the United States, second only to New Yorks Subway. And, only New Yorks Subway and DCs Metro are busier than Chicagos L. Chicago Facts Chicagos absolute location is 41 degrees north latitude & 87 degrees west longitude. Lake Michigan is on the east border of Chicago. The Chicago River, which runs through the loop, is famously dyed green on Saint Patrick's Day. Two buildings survived the Great Chicago Fire: Chicago Water Tower & Pumping Station. The Chicago Post Office located at 433 West Van Buren is the only one in the nation that you can drive a car through. Second City, a famous comedy showcase, was founded on North Wells Street. The 3 letter abbreviation for Chicago's O'Hare airport is ORD which refers to the airports original name Orchard Field. Wacker Drive has both an above and below ground level referred to as upper and lower Wacker. The Chicago Marathon starts at Grant Park, a park that is across from the Monroe Harbor. Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is the tallest building in Chicago. Daley Center Plaza holds the famous untitled Picasso sculpture. Navy Pier holds many attractions including the largest Ferris wheel in Chicago. Water Tower Place is on Michigan Avenue, an avenue often referred to as the Magnificent Mile. Lincoln Park Zoo is Chicagos free zoo. The Cubs Wrigley Field manual scoreboard has never been hit by a batted ball.

Round Two- Regional (Illinois & Neighboring States) Geography Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, & Missouri share a border with Illinois. The Mississippi River runs along the western border of Illinois. The highest point in Illinois is Charles Mound at 1235 feet above sea level. The lowest point in Illinois is the Mississippi River at 279 feet above sea level. Illinois ranks 25th in terms of largest area at 57,918 square miles. The US Corp of Engineers created Carlyle Lake, the largest man-made lake in Illinois. The only home Abraham Lincoln ever owned is located in Springfield, Illinois. The Illinois state insect is the Monarch butterfly. The Illinois state animal is the white tailed deer. The Illinois state tree (that grows in every Illinois county) is the white oak. The Illinois state bird is the cardinal. The largest city in Illinois is Chicago. The natural resources found in Illinois are coal, oil, clay, sand and gravel. The nickname for the Midwest is Americas breadbasket. More interstate highways intersect in Iowa than any other state in the country. Johnny Appleseed is buried in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Indianapolis 500 (Indy 500) takes place in Indiana. The two bordering rivers of Iowa are the Mississippi River (East) and the Missouri River (West). Iowa produces more corn, soybeans, hogs and eggs than any other state in the country. Pizza Hut, the worlds largest pizza company, opened their first store in Wichita, Kansas. Kansas produces more wheat than any other state in the country. The Straits of Mackinac separate the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Square dance is the state dance of Idaho. The largest enclosed mall in the US (The Mall of the Americas) is in Minnesota. The Mayo clinic is located in Rochester, Minnesota. The St. Louis Gateway arch spans the Mississippi River. Mark Twains Missouri hometown is Hannibal. Nebraska has more miles of river than any other state. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the only national park named for a president, is in North Dakota. The International Peace garden is in North Dakota & Manitoba, Canada. The Cincinnati Reds, the first professional baseball team in the US, was formed in Ohio. Presidents Washington, Roosevelt, Lincoln & Jefferson are found carved in Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. The geographic center of the US is in South Dakota.

Round Three - United States & International Geography The two oceans which border the US are the Pacific and the Atlantic. The only state which is a peninsula is Florida. The five great lakes are Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie & Ontario. The states which border the Gulf of Mexico are Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana & Texas. The states which border Mexico are California, Arizona, New Mexico & Texas. The state nearest to Vancouver, BC in Canada is Washington. The capital of the United States is Washington DC. The highest point in North America is Mt. McKinley, Alaska. The lowest point in North America is Death Valley, California. North America makes up 16% of the Earths land. The Cascade mountain range is found in Washington. D.C. stands for District of Columbia. The Everglades National Park is located in Florida. Yosemite National Park is located in California. The Badlands are located in North Dakota. The state which is the largest agricultural producer is California. Zero degrees longitude is called the Prime Meridian. Greenwich, England is located on the prime meridian.

Asia is the most populated continent in the world. Tropical rain forests grow near the equator. The abbreviation E.U. stands for the European Union. The latitude of the North Pole is 90 degrees north. The latitude line of zero degrees is called the equator. The sun rises in the East and sets in the West. The four directions which are called cardinal directions are North, South, East & West. The five oceans in the world are the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, South & Arctic. The largest of the four oceans is the Pacific. The highest point in the world is Mt. Everest. The lowest point in the world is the Dead Sea. The longest river in the world is the Nile (Africa). The largest desert in the world is the Sahara (Africa). United States Geographical Facts

State Alabama Alaska

Capital Montgomery Juneau

Nickname Heart of Dixie The Last Frontier

Fun Fact Home of the U. S. Space Camp. --Has the most miles of shoreline in the U. S. --Has the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost points in the U.S.

Arizona

Phoenix

Grand Canyon State

London Bridge, which once spanned Englands River Thames, was shipped across the Atlantic and reconstructed in the Arizona desert in Lake Havasu City. Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond producing area in the world that allows the public to keep what they find. Contains the tallest, biggest and oldest trees in the world.

Arkansas

Little Rock

The Natural State

California

Sacramento

Golden State

Colorado

Denver

Centennial State, Nutmeg State

The benefit of fluorides for healthy teeth were discovered when a study determined that fluoride in the drinking water of Colorado Springs caused residents to have fewer cavities. Birthplace of the Frisbee and the lollipop.

Connecticut

Hartford

Constitution State

Delaware

Dover

First State, Diamond State

Shares a round-shaped border with Pennsylvania.

District of Columbia Florida Tallahassee Sunshine State

No building is allowed to be taller than the Capitol.

The Overseas Highway from Key largo to Key West (113 miles) has more than 42 bridges and links more than 100 islands. --Coca-cola was invented in Atlanta. --Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta. More animals and plants native to Hawaii are on the endangered species list than in any other state. Known for its whitewater river rafting.

Georgia

Atlanta

Peach State, Empire State of the South Aloha State

Hawaii

Honolulu

Idaho

Boise

Gem State

Illinois

Springfield

Land of Lincoln, Prairie State

First controlled atomic chain reaction took place at the University of Chicago.

Indiana

Indianapolis

Hoosier State

Wabash was the first city in the country to be lighted by electric lights.

Iowa Kansas

Des Moines Topeka

Hawkeye State Sunflower State

Worlds largest popcorn factory is in Sioux City. An old underground salt mine has ideal conditions for storing valuables, including thousands of original Hollywood movies. Mammoth Cave, with 340 miles of mapped passageways, is the longest cave system in the world. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest bridge completely over water in the world. --Covers as much area as the rest of the other New England states combined. --Maines interior is 90% forest. The Mason-Dixon line, the line dividing the North from the South, forms part of the northern border of Maryland. --Revolutionary war started here in April 1775. --Susan B. Anthony and Theodore Geisel (Dr. Suess) were born here. Boasts the first tunnel that allowed motor vehicles to travel between two countries (U.S. & Canada). In-line skates were invented by two Minnesota students seeking a way to practice hockey in the summer. Leading supplier of catfish & cotton. Kansas City has a second level of roads, offices and storage areas built into natural caves below the streets of the city. Hold the record for rapid temperature changes.

Kentucky

Frankfort

Bluegrass State

Louisiana

Baton Rouge

Pelican State, Bayou State Pine Tree State

Maine

Augusta

Maryland

Annapolis

Free State, Old Line State

Massachusetts

Boston

Bay State, Old Colony

Michigan

Lansing

Wolverine State

Minnesota

St. Paul

North Star State

Mississippi Missouri

Jackson Jefferson City

Magnolia State Show Me State

Montana

Helena

Treasure State, Big Sky Country Cornhusker State, Silver State Silver State

Nebraska

Lincoln

The top-secret U.S. Air Force base known as Area 51, whose existence was denied for years, is located on Groom Lake. Fossils of prehistoric elephants called mammoths have been found in almost every county in Nebraska. This state clocked the highest wind velocity on record, in 1934 at 231 mph. --Salt water taffy originated here. --Atlantic City real estate inspired the board game, Monopoly. The roadrunner, the states official bird, can reach ground speeds of 15 miles per hour. --The only state to border both the Atlantic ocean and the Great Lakes. --Home of the Adirondack State Park, the largest state park in the country. --The Wright brothers made the 1st successful flight near Kitty Hawk. --The pirate Blackbeard used Ocracoke Island as a hideout. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the only such park named for a U.S. President. Fires set by anti-union workers in 1884 in coal mines around New Straitsville are still burning. The countrys first parking meters were installed in Oklahoma City.

Nevada

Carson City

New Hampshire New Jersey

Concord Trenton

Granite State Garden State

New Mexico

Santa Fe

Land Of Enchantment

New York

Albany

Empire State

North Carolina

Raleigh

Tar Heel State

North Dakota Ohio

Bismarck Columbus

Peace Garden State Buckeye State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City

Sooner State

Oregon Pennsylvania

Salem Harrisburg

Beaver State Keystone State

Largest producer of Christmas trees, peppermint and grass seed. --Contains Hershey, the Chocolate Capital of the World. --Americas number one producer of mushrooms. --The Liberty Bell is located in Philadelphia. --First state to declare independence from England but last of 13 to become a state because of concerns over being fairly represented in spite of size. The Civil War began here with an attack on Fort Sumter which guarded Charleston harbor. The worlds largest and best preserved specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex was unearthed on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in 1990. It is named Sue after the fossil hunter who found it. Graceland, Elvis Presleys mansion in Memphis, is the most visited house in the U.S. after the White House. Texas is bigger than the combined area of all seven countries in Central America. Rainbow Bridge is the worlds largest natural stone bridge.

Rhode Island

Providence

Ocean State, Little Rhody Palmetto State

South Carolina

Columbia

South Dakota

Pierre

Mount Rushmore State, Coyote State

Tennessee

Nashville

Volunteer State

Texas Utah

Austin Salt Lake City

Lone Star State Beehive State

Vermont Virginia Washington

Montpelier Richmond Olympia

Green Mountain State Old Dominion Evergreen State

Contains the worlds largest granite & underground marble quarry. There are more than 3,000 caves in Virginia, mostly near the Blue Ridge Mountains. --The only state named for a President. --Has more glaciers than all of the other 47 contiguous U.S. states combined. Moundsville is one of the nations oldest Indian burial grounds. The first kindergarten in the U.S. was opened in Watertown. The state with the fewest residents in the U.S.

West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Charleston Madison Cheyenne

Mountain State Badger State Equality State

Geographical Definitions (At the geography Bee you will not be required to give the definition as an answer, just the word) Atoll: A ring of coral that forms an island in an ocean or sea. Canal: A man made waterway used for transportation or irrigation. Canyon: A deep valley with very steep sides often carved from the Earth by a river. Cartography: The study of maps. Compass rose: A design on a map that shows direction. Equator: An imaginary circle around the earth, equally distant at all points from both the North and South Poles. It divides the earths surface into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Estuary: Where a river meets a sea or ocean. Geyser: A natural hot spring that occasionally sprays water and steam above the ground. Glacier: A slowly moving mass of ice that flows over landforms. Ice Shelf: A thick slab of floating ice that is next to land. Isthmus: A narrow strip of land with water on two sides which connects two larger landmasses. Legend: A small table accompanying a map that explains the symbols used on the map. Peninsula: A body of land surrounded by water on three sides. Plateau: A large flat area of land that is higher than the surrounding land. Prairie: A wide, large area of flat grassland. Strait: A narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water. Tundra: One of the vast cold treeless plains found in the Arctic regions. Latitude: The distance north or south of the equator.