Video Transcript – Operation Exploration: The South, Part 1 – U.S. Geography for Kids! Video
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Transcribed by YouTube Transcription for www.Miacademy.co
Justin [0:00]
Ah, hello there! Welcome, welcome. Justin here. I just got back from the beach. Oh, it was so nice. There were sand dunes, and crabs, and palm trees, and it was just packed with people all enjoying the beach just like me. I already want to go back. I want to build a sand castle that’s as tall as I am next time. Definitely going to need a bigger shovel though. So, I’ve always wanted to explore the different regions of the United States and I thought I’d start by going to a nice sunny beach along the southern coast. And it was so beautiful that I figured, well, I might as well explore the rest of the southern region, huh! Why don’t we do that together? Welcome to Operation Exploration, where we will be exploring… regions of the United States!
[1:07]
In this video, we’re going to be talking about the landforms, climate, and wildlife that can be found in the southern region of the U.S. The southern states that we’re going to be talking about today are Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. Maybe you already live in one of these states and know some of the things that we’re going to discover today!
[1:45]
Now, the south isn’t just sunny beaches. It’s full of thick forests, like here at Table Rock State Park in South Carolina. And it’s also got plenty of coastal swamps, like here in Charleston. And it’s got lush greenery and mountain ranges too, like, uh, here at the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. Ooh, look at this beautiful waterfall found in the Georgia mountainside. I wonder if I could pop in for a quick swim. You know if we head west from these mountains, we’ll eventually reach the ocean. As a matter of fact, a lot of the southern states all border the Atlantic Ocean. Let’s take a look at the coastline starting from the top.
[2:38]
First, we’ve got Delaware’s Cape Henlopen State Park, surrounded by lush forests and wildlife. Then, we have the very popular Virginia Beach, visited by 10 million tourists per year. There you can visit this 26 miles long island named after old pirate tales – Top Sail Island. A little further south and we’ll reach South Carolina, which we’ll definitely have to stop by and visit Charleston to see those historic cobblestone streets. A hop, skip, and a jump from there and we’ll reach Georgia again, just in time to see this beautiful sunset on St. Simon’s Island.
[3:20]
When we wake up the next day, we can go around the coast of Florida to reach another one of America’s most popular tourist destinations – Destin Beach. Look at this photo of Crab Island! If we keep heading further west, we’ll eventually run, or squish into, Louisiana’s wetlands. Like, look at how big this cypress tree is in the marsh. There’s got to be some creatures hiding in there. Speaking of creatures, the kinds of wildlife that you can find in this part of the Atlantic Ocean is super exciting. We’ve got alligators, seagulls, fiddler crabs – aww, cutie – all these and more can be found swimming around here.
[4:09]
The ocean isn’t the only important water source in the region. The Mississippi River flows from Minnesota all the way into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s 2,340 miles long and it’s the longest river in North America. The Mississippi River gets water from the Missouri River to the west and the Ohio River to the east as it flows through New Orleans and out into the gulf. These two rivers are major tributaries for the Mississippi River.
[4:43]
A tributary is a river or a stream that flows directly into a larger river, or a lake. So, here’s the Missouri to the west, and there’s the Ohio to the east. Do you see how they feed into the Mississippi? These three rivers have been super important in American History. Before planes, trains, and cars were invented, boats were the fastest way to travel and the best way to transport resources over long distances. Plus, the fertile soil that’s around these rivers is very important for farming and animal life.
[5:24]
Remember how I said that the Mississippi river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico? Well, a gulf is a part, or inlet, of an ocean that comes into the land. So, the Gulf of Mexico is a part of the Atlantic Ocean. And it’s the largest gulf in the world. Look at this beach. The Gulf of Mexico has got tons of them, stretching from Florida all the way through the Louisiana coastline, even into Texas. Speaking of Louisiana, take a look at this bayou. A bayou is a bit of still or slow moving water between an ocean and land.
[6:07]
It’s part of Louisiana’s wetlands, and it’s important for protecting the mainland from hurricanes that come from the ocean. The wetlands are also home to some pretty amazing wildlife, too. The alligator, snapping turtle, the banded water snake, and otters, just to name a few. Look at this little guy. You know, otters can swim really fast because they have webbed feet. Aww, look at this one taking a swim. You know what he wanted me to tell you? He wanted me to say “The otter’s fine!” Okay, okay, but seriously, but seriously, we “otter” move on! Anyways…
[7:02]
Okay, we’ve been talking about water a lot, but there’s also plenty of impressive landforms on land in the south too. The Appalachian Mountain Range starts in Canada, with the main portion of it – the Blue Ridge Mountains – covering the southern states. Look at this picture. The mountains look blue over the horizon. This mountain range covers Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Lots of animals call the mountains here their home, such as the bobcat, or the red lynx. These guys can be twice as big as your domesticated, or pet, cat.
[7:46]
Speaking of red, the red fox also calls the mountains his home. The largest member of the fox species, many of these foxes aren’t actually red. Alongside them in the mountain range, we have the white-tailed deer, wild boar, and the song birds. I should also probably talk about the coyote too. They kind of look like a smaller version of a wolf, but they are only found in North America. Like wolves, coyotes are carnivores, meaning they’re meat eaters. But they’ll pretty much eat anything they can to survive. I almost forgot to talk about my favorite animal, the moose. Oh, these guys can be seven feet long and can run as fast as 35 miles an hour. That’s fast!
[8:38]
I mustn’t forget about another important landform in the south – the Piedmont. The Piedmont stretches 600 miles from New Jersey in the northeast to Alabama in the south. This rolling, hilly area lies between the Appalachian Mountain Range and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. What’s the Atlantic Coastal Plain, you ask? Well, it’s a large flat area of land that leads into the Atlantic Coast. Hey, I was just there! While we’re back at the ocean, I want to talk to you about another one of my favorite animals – the manatee.
[9:15]
Manatees are so cool because even though they kind of look like a seal and people will call them sea cows, their closest living relative is actually the elephant. Manatees can eat up to 100 pounds of food a day. They’re vegetarians, so that’s a lot of underwater sea grass. They need that much food in order to create body heat. Manatees are usually kind of slow-moving, but they can burst forward at speeds of up to 20 miles an hour with those powerful tails. You know, I think we gotta stop calling mermaids “mermaids” and start calling them “humanatees.” That was good, that was a good one!
[10:02]
Before we wrap up for today, I want to introduce you to a few more of my animal friends, as well as the climate for the southern region. Let’s start with the Tennessee and North Carolina Mountains where we’ll meet this little guy – the Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel. This cold climate animal finds the most frigid peaks of the Appalachian Mountain Range the perfect place to munch on fruits and insects. Another endangered animal found in North Carolina is the red wolf. Red wolves will travel in packs, or families, of five to eight wolves. They’re actually multicolored, only the ears, head, and legs have any kind of red tint on them. You know, I think animals with red in their name were “red-ily” available in this region. Get it? “Red-ily available…” We can move on.
[11:01]
Look! Black bears! Now, you could find black bears all over the country, but over 2,000 of them live at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park at the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. During the winter, a black bear can go a hundred days without eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom. This is called their dormant state, and it allows the bear to conserve energy for when it gets warmer outside in the spring. Then, you’ll find these black bears wherever there’s food. They usually like foraging for berries and nuts. You know, I wonder if you’d like a salad? You know what animal would like a salad? The swamp rabbit!
[11:47]
These cute little fellas are found all over the south, but they’re mainly concentrated in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. These guys are herbivores, meaning they love to munch on plants and other grasses. Luckily, they tend to live in wetlands and swamps where there’s tons of green stuff to chew on. See, told you they like salad. While we’re in the lower part of the southern region, let’s talk about another amazing animal – the American alligator. These thousand-pound, ten to fifteen foot long dudes are the dominant predator in this area, and I would bet these guys do not enjoy a salad. No, alligators are carnivores, meaning they like to eat other animals. So, uh, maybe I’ll put you down for a tuna salad then.
[12:41]
People who want to catch a glimpse of the American alligator can do so at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia where there’s about 12,000 of them. You know, while we’re here, let’s talk about another amazing predator in the south. Float over to Florida and meet the Florida Panther. That’s right, I said panther. As in the family puma. These are the only big cats you can really find in the southern region. I will say, the Florida panther is mostly tan, there’s never been any sighting of a black panther in North or South America. These guys are hunters. They like to live in forests, swamps, and grasslands where there’s plenty of small animals for them to hunt.
[13:32]
Okay, okay, last animal we’re gonna talk about today is the eastern spotted skunk. So let’s float on over to South Carolina and Georgia for this one. These furry fellas are not very friendly towards humans. When they feel threatened, they’ll stomp their feet, turn around, lift up their tails, and spray you with a smelly solution. In the fall, skunks, like many other animals, will forage for food in order to stock up on supplies for their dens for the winter. So, people will be more likely to see them outside if they leave out food or trash.
[14:09]
You know, the seasons are very important for animals in a given region. And the weather over time for a region or specific area is called the climate. So, what’s the climate like in the southern region? Well, first we should say that Florida practically has its own climate, especially Southern Florida. It’s because of the Gulf Stream, a powerful ocean current. The Gulf Stream brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic and it extends up the coast of the United States and Canada. The warm waters coming in keep Florida’s temperatures warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer than the rest of the southern states.
[15:01]
Now, the climate of the rest of the south, while considered mild, can be hot and sunny, or cold and wet, or even snowy and icy. That’s because the weather changes with the seasons. The southern region of the U.S. experiences all four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Hurricane season happens between June and November on the eastern coast of the U.S.A. These big tropical cyclones that form out in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean will often hit Florida or all of the other states bordering the coast. These storms can have heavy winds, rain, and storm surges, giant waves that come onto the land.
[15:54]
Well, I don’t know about you, but I certainly enjoyed our time exploring the landforms, climate, and wildlife of the southern region of the U.S. Remember, we just scratched the surface here today, there’s plenty more for you to read up on and discover on your own. So, check out our other videos to see more fun and exciting things about the different regions of the U.S. And in the meantime, remember to always be clever!