Why We Live Where We Live

Why do you live where you do? The answer is a lot more complicated than it might seem. Why that house? Why this community? Why do cities sprout where they do? And what makes living there even possible? Geography, topography, climate, landscape, food, politics, economics, and more all play a role in how we choose the place we call home. This book takes readers on a tour of various ways humans adapt to our environments — or change them to suit our needs. It considers the big picture — we live on Earth because it has a breathable atmosphere — right down to the little things, like friendly neighbors, that simply make us happy. Why We Live Where We Live looks back in history at the transition from nomadic hunting to farming and the rise of cities following the Industrial Revolution. It also looks ahead to anticipate new concerns: how will climate change and rising water affect people who live near the ocean? Can humans survive in space? This comprehensive, cross-curricular resource will equip readers with solid background in human habitation and context about their place on the planet.

Grade: 5
Fountas & Pinnel: T
Lexile Measure: 930L
Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.4,4a,4c,6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.3,3a,4,4a,4c
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2,2a,2b,2d,2e,4,7,8,9b,10

Kira Vermond is an award-winning writer with over 1,000 articles to her name. She is a frequent contributor to The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and Today's Parent and is the author of The Secret Life of Money: A Kid's Guide to Cash and Growing Up: Inside and Out. She lives in Guelph, Ontario. Julie McLaughlin is an illustrator living in Vancouver, Canada.