Land of Bays and Sounds - New England Region

Land of Bays and Sounds - New England Region

Land of Bays and Sounds - New England Region
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 4 to 6
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	5.65

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		forestry, herring, definitely, medical, coastal, logging, northeastern, software, mainland, snowfall, stems, valuable, landforms, coastline, livestock, along
	content words:		United States, New England Region, New England, West Qoddy Head Peninsula, Nantucket Sound, Nantucket Island, Vineyard Island, Block Island, Rhode Island, Rhode Island Sound

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Land of Bays and Sounds - New England Region
By Trista L. Pollard

¹     Nestled along the northeastern coast of the United States (U.S.) is the New England Region. Filled with mountains, valleys, and forests, this is our smallest region. It is also one of our oldest. But don't let its age and size fool you! This region is packed with a variety of landforms that attract tourists year round. New England's natural resources are very important to its economy.

²     Our first stop on our tour is New England's coastline. It has high, rocky cliffs. If you look at a map of New England, you will notice that Maine's coastline is jagged. These areas of high rocky land are called promontories. Once we travel past Maine's peninsula, the coast becomes sandy beaches. This peninsula is called West Qoddy Head Peninsula. It is the eastern most point of the U.S. People visit these sandy beaches during the summer. There is also fishing year round.

³     The shape of the coastline has produced many bays, sounds, and islands. Sounds are long, wide areas of water. They separate the mainland from an island. Sounds may also connect larger bodies of water. Nantucket Sound separates Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard Island from Maine. Block Island is separated from Rhode Island by the Rhode Island Sound.

⁴     Bays are small bodies of water close to the coastline. They are surrounded by some areas of land. Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay are two of New England's famous bays. Penobscot Bay is hidden among Maine's rocky coastline. These bays, islands, and sounds contain one of New England's most valuable resources—fish. Shellfish like clams and other fish like cod are caught in these waters. Lobsters are one of Maine's most important products. In fact, people in New England and around the country enjoy this shellfish. Crabs, herring, and haddock are also caught in New England. You should definitely sample the seafood before your tour continues.

⁵     As we travel inland, we will see the mountains, valleys, and rivers of New England. The Connecticut River Valley is home to many farms. Fertile soil and flat land support the region's many vegetable and fruit farms. There are also farms that raise animals. Flowing through the center of this valley is the Connecticut River. It is the region's longest river. It begins in New Hampshire. The river then flows through New Hampshire and Vermont along their border. It finally empties into the Long Island Sound. Other rivers in New England are the Penobscot River, the St. Francis River, and the Merrimack River.

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