Video Transcript – Operation Exploration The South, Part 2 – U.S. Geography for Kids! Video
Transcripts provide accessibility for students, parents, and educators who are Deaf or hard of hearing, need focus assistance, or alternative viewing options in sound-sensitive environments. Transcripts are also useful for note taking, study, and review. For graphics and illustrations, please refer to the video.
Transcribed by YouTube Transcription for www.Miacademy.co
Justin [0:00]
Hmm… Oh, hey there! Justin here. I’m really thirsty, are you thirsty? I was thinking about pouring myself a nice cold glass of tea. Oh sorry, nice cold glass of sweet tea. Have you ever had sweet tea? Oh, it’s so good. I had a glass of sweet tea the other day when I was visiting the beach. Hey, were you there? You seem really familiar… Anyway, so I wanted to pour myself a nice tall glass of sweet tea, but there’s a problem. I, uh, I’ve never actually made sweet tea before. I know there’s tea in it, but that’s about it. Do you think you could help me with this?
[0:47]
Yes! Great, thank you! Hey, did you know that tea is actually a pretty big part of the worldwide economy? And you know what the economy is, right? It’s the ways that people spend and make money. Hmm, maybe we should explore the different regions of the U.S. and see what the economies are like there and how their populations earn a living. Let’s do that! On today’s episode of Operation Exploration, where we’ll be exploring… regions of the United States!
[1:35]
In today’s video, we’re going to go over some of the industries, economies, and natural resources found in the south region of the U.S. The southern states we’re going to be talking about today are Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. Maybe you live in one of these states and already know some of the things we’re going to be exploring today.
[2:07]
First, I want to talk about agriculture, or as i like to call it, the art of farming. The south has plenty of farmlands. Its climate, as we learned in lesson one on the south region, is mild and the soil is great for growing crops. In the past, a really important crop for the south was cotton. The farmers in the south would sell the cotton to people in the north for them to use in their textile mills. In 1792, Eli Whitney invented a cotton gin, which could separate the cotton fibers from the seeds automatically. Suddenly, cotton production grew exponentially overnight, because now people could produce it a lot faster. In fact, production of cotton is still important in the south today.
[3:01]
Oh man, I am thirsty now. Oh, I want my sweet tea, I want my sweet tea. What do they put in it? What do they put in sweet tea to make it so sweet? Sugar! Hey, that reminds me of another agricultural product in the south – sugarcane. Let’s hop on over to Florida, Louisiana, and Texas for this crop. Okay, so how do you get sugar from a cane? Well first, the sugar cane is crushed and the resulting juice is heated up until it crystallizes. This gives you the raw sugar crystals you see here. After that, the rest of the juice that’s there is filtered out and you’re left with this.
[3:48]
Okay, so tea, sugar, boiling water, pour it over ice. Got it. Huh, well that’s a nice little tune! Reminds me of when I was in South Carolina. Hey, speaking of South Carolina and North Carolina and Tennessee and Kentucky, these states all have a huge agricultural product in tobacco. The history of this crop goes all the way back to the 1600s with the original Jamestown colony in Virginia. Now, although this crop is concerning because of its negative health effects, over 70 percent of all the tobacco products in the United States come from these southern states.
[4:36]
Since we are talking about crops, I would be a nut to not mention peanuts. You get it? Peanut? Okay, I got a really good one actually, ready? How do you make a traffic jam better? Put a little peanut butter on it. But seriously, peanuts are a huge crop in the south region. In fact, Georgia grows about half of the U.S. peanut crop all by itself. Here’s some fun facts about peanuts: did you know that it takes about 540 peanuts to make one 12 ounce jar of peanut butter? Or that an astronaut named Alan Shepard brought a peanut with him to the moon?
[5:21]
Did you know that the famous peanut butter and jelly sandwich first showed up in a cookbook in 1901? The two weren’t really seen together that often though until the 1930s and 40s. Oh, sorry, I got hungry. But now I’m even more thirsty! Okay, I gotta add some boiling water to this pitcher. While I do that, why don’t you enjoy this video of another tasty southern beverage? So, how about them oranges? Florida produces over 6 billion pounds of oranges a year. They’re almost always in the season. Orange you glad I showed you that video?
[6:20]
This ice makes this so refreshing. Listen, here’s something cool. An inventor named Andrew Mull invented the ice maker in Texas in 1871. And then he invented the air conditioner in 1874! Told you it was cool. So, while we’re on the subject of resources that the land provides, like cotton and peanuts, let’s talk about some of the other natural resources that provide for the economy here in the south region. A huge moneymaker is oil. Oil, or petroleum, is a natural resource that our society is dependent upon. This fossil fuel, or natural fuel, has three components first is petrol, which is used as a motor or aviation fuel. Think cars, trucks, and planes. It’s also used for dry cleaning. Next is paraffin wax, which is used to make candles and ointments. Finally, there’s diesel fuel, which is used as fuel for heavy motor vehicles or electric generators.
[7:33]
Currently, about 55 of all the oil production in the United States comes from these Gulf states. There are about 50 oil refineries located in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. It’s still a huge part of the southern economy, but there’s been a bit of a decline as people move towards solar and wind energy in order to decrease pollution. I better drink some more of this before the ice melts. Oh, so yummy! I see what all the hype is about. Speaking of, here’s some yummy things that some people in the south make to sell.
[8:17]
First up, we have a famous Louisiana recipe – jambalaya. This dish is made up of a mishmash of foods, like rice, seafood, sausage, ham, and peppers. Louisiana is also famous for its gumbo. This rich soup is filled with tomatoes, okra, seafood, and just about any meat you have available. You can find gumbo served all over the south. If you’re in the mood for a thicker soup, head on over to Texas for some chili con carne. While this stew has its roots in Mexico, it was born here in the south. Chili peppers, garlic, onions, and beef make up this dish. Now I kind of want to go to western North Carolina for some American barbecue! This southern dish has you slow cooking pork over a low heat until the meat can be pulled apart. The modern tradition of smoke cooking meat over a fire first started with the caribbean natives before colonists even arrived.
[9:26]
A popular side dish for barbecue is mac and cheese. Thomas Jefferson first popularized it here in America, where it was already eaten pretty often in Europe. He had the pasta machine shipped to his house in Virginia and his distant cousin, Mary Randolph, published the first ever mac and cheese recipe. Now, this dish first brought by Scottish immigrants is what makes me think of the south. Well, that and the sweet tea, of course. Fried chicken – also influenced by African slaves, this meal is enjoyed by Americans all over. But it’s especially adored in the south. They’ll sometimes even eat it for breakfast with waffles!
[10:15]
Okay, this is making me too hungry. I gotta talk about something besides food real quick. Um, let’s go to the top of the south region. Maryland’s economy is dependent on technology because it’s the home of the National Institutes of Health, NASA, and the Goddard Space Flight Center. But you can’t talk about the south and industry without bringing up fishing. For instance, North Carolina has a booming commercial fishing industry, with things like blue crabs, clams, flounder, and shrimp. Visitors will also flock from all over to see the beautiful historic Rainbow Row in Charleston, South Carolina. There is so much history and nature to explore.
[11:02]
Florida, also known as the Sunshine State, is the tourist capital of the world. It’s filled with things like sandy beaches, amusement parks, cruise ship ports, and golf courts. It’s because of this booming tourism industry that Florida is one of seven states in the U.S. to have no state income tax. People also like to go on trips to Tennessee to see places like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or to visit cities like Memphis and Nashville, the birthplace of some of our country’s most famous musicians.
[11:39]
Hmm, you know, there are definitely some industries that are important to the south that I did not get to cover in this video, so I think it’s a good idea for you to do some research on your own. What’s the economy like where you live? What kinds of industries and businesses employ people in your state? Maybe it’s a… sweet tea factory! Wait, is that a thing? Do some research on where you live! Who knows what you’ll discover. And in the meantime, remember to always be clever!