Transcript File

Unit 1
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Describe San Antonio in a few
words.
◦ Climate, soil, landforms, animal
life, vegetation, language,
religion, population distribution,
◦ Think back to 6th grade.
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You just name the physical and
human characteristics of San
Antonio. We learned about this in
6th grade and now we are going to
apply what we learned to Texas
regions.
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Landforms are features on Earth’s surface.
Texas has 4 major landforms: hills,
mountains, plains, and plateaus.
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Plains are areas
of flat or gently
rolling land
without a sharp
rise or fall in
elevation.
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Areas of flat elevated land
one that drop sharply on
one or more sides.
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Texas has several water features: lakes, rivers
and streams
Water from all of the rivers and streams in
Texas eventually flow into the Gulf of Mexico.
Texas has few natural lakes but many man
made.
Aquifers are formations of natural gravel,
rock and sand that trap and hold rainwater
underground. Aquifers provide water for
farms, homes and industry.
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Climate is the weather at a particular place
over a period of years.
Location affects climate: distance from
equator, proximity to large bodies of water
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Climate, landforms and soil all help to
determine where a plant will grow.
◦ Brush, bushes, grasses, trees, wildflowers
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Vegetation of Texas provide a habitat to a
wide variety of animals.
◦ Armadillos, deer, javelinas, prairie hens, raccoons,
wildcats, skunks, wild turkey and wolves
◦ Alligators, catfish, oysters, redfish, shrimp
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Agricultural
◦ Crops and animals
◦ Timber
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Energy
◦ Oil, coal and natural gas
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The state of Texas is divided into 4 regions.
How do you think it is divided?
What do you feel the divisions are based on?
Geographers used climate, landforms, plant
life and soil to divide Texas into 4 regions
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There are 4 natural regions in Texas
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Great Plains
Central Plains
Gulf Coastal Plains
Mountains and Basins
Great
Plains
Central
Plains
Mountains
and Basins
Gulf
Coastal
Plains
Gulf
Coastal
Plain
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Covers 1/3 of the land of Texas
Northeast border is the Sabine River
Southeast border is the Gulf of Mexico
West border is the Balcones Escarpment
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Flat and low
Wooded land and Coastal sands
Big Thicket National Preserve - forest in SE
Texas
Rivers - Brazos, Colorado, Trinity
Good soils along rivers
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Hot and damp,
humid
Tornadoes,
hurricanes
30-55 inches of
rain per year
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Plants - pine trees, hardwood trees (elm, oak,
cottonwood, pecan)
Various Animals
Minerals
Bodies of water
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Farming
Fishing
Ranching
Tree farms-lumber businesses
Oil and gas (Spindletop 1901)
Factories
Ports
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Austin
Houston
Dallas
San Antonio
Texarkana
Corpus Christi
Brownsville
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Most populated region
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How do people who live in the Gulf Coastal
Plain adapt to or modify their environment
and why?
◦ Houses, jobs, food, money
EX: Houses are made of lumber because of all
the trees.
Central
Plains
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Part of the Great Central Plains of the US and
Canada
East border is the Coastal Plains
South border is the Colorado River
North border is the Red River
West border is the Cap Rock Escarpment
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Rolling grassy lands
Thick grasses
Cross Timbers area - large areas of hardwood
trees
Limestone rock
Higher elevation because limestone doesn't
wear down easily
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Dry air
Tornadoes
20-30 inches of rain per year
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Limestone
Minerals
Streams
Fertile lands for crops
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Farming - fruits, vegetables, watermelons,
oats
Ranching - cattle, angora goats (mohair)
Cedar trees - fenceposts
Oil and gas
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Fort Worth
Abilene
Wichita Falls
San Angelo
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videohttp://www.texaslegacy.org/m/regions/
crosstimbers.html
Great Plains
Great
Plains
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Part of the Great Plains of the US and Canada
Most of the Panhandle and Edwards Plateau
East & South borders are escarpments
Southwest border is the Mountains and Basins
Region
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Flat
Few trees
Canyons in North (Palo Duro Canyon)
Higher elevation than Central Plains
Cap Rock Escarpment
Edwards Plateau
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Dry air
Hot summers
Cold winters
Dust storms
16-20 inches of rain per year
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Short grasses
Mesquite, cedar, pecan, and oak trees in
Edward Plateau area
Deer
Wild turkeys
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Farming - cotton, wheat
(irrigation from wells)
Ranching - cattle, sheep, goat
Oil and gas in the Permian
Basin
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Amarillo
Lubbock
Midland
Odessa
Kerrville
Fredericksburg
Del Rio
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In your IAN, give, me some examples of how
people who live in the Great Plains Region will
adapt to or modify their environment and
why.
◦ Houses, jobs, food, money
EX: Houses are made of lumber because of all
the trees.
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In your IAN, on the map.
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Color the Great Plains Region.
Create a map key.
Label 3 landforms.
Label 2 cities.
Label 2 natural resources.
Label 2 economic resources.
Label one example of climate.
Mountains
And Basins
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Far west Texas
East border near Pecos River
South border is the Rio Grande
North border is New Mexico
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150 mountains in the mountain ranges
Plateaus and basins
Deserts
Pecos and Rio Grande Rivers
Big Bend National Park
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Driest part of state
8 inches of rain per year, 20 in mountains
Hot days, cool nights
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Plants - short grasses,
shrubs, desert plants in
plateaus and basins; pine
forests in mountains
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Ranching - cattle, sheep, goat
Farming - cotton, fruits, vegetables,
cantaloupes (irrigation in El Paso and Pecos
River Valley)
Oil and gas - part of Permian Basin
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El Paso
Pecos
Kermit
Monahans
Fort Davis
Marfa
Alpine