Imagine you're playing with a bunch of different toys that are all different heights. Some toys are taller than others, and some are shorter. A USGS DEM is like a map that shows you how tall different parts of the ground are, just like how you have toys of different heights.
The USGS (which stands for United States Geological Survey) is a group of scientists who study the earth and all its different parts. They use special equipment to take measurements of the height of the ground in different places all over the United States. They take all these measurements and put them together to create a big map that shows the height of all the ground in lots of detail.
Now, this map isn't like the paper maps you might use to find your way around. Instead, it's a special kind of map that a computer can read. We call it a digital elevation model, or DEM for short. You can think of it like a big puzzle made of numbers that tells the computer how tall different parts of the ground are.
This USGS DEM is really important because it can help all kinds of people do all kinds of things. For example, if you're trying to build a new road or a bridge, you need to know how tall the ground is in different places so you can plan things correctly. Likewise, if you're a scientist studying the earth, you need to know how tall different parts of the ground are so you can understand how the land has changed over time.
Overall, a USGS DEM is like a big map that shows you how tall different parts of the ground are all across the United States. It's made by a group of scientists who study the earth, and it can help lots of people do all kinds of important things.