Date: October 8, 2014 Topic(s): 1. Texas Ecoregions Objective: TSW (The student will): 1. Begin to explore Texas Ecoregions by completing the “Exploring Texas Ecoregions” Activity. Assessment:

 City  Weather? (Hot, dry, does it rain a lot  Are there lots of trees and grass?  What kind of landforms are there? Mountains, hills flat plains?  Etc…

a. Amarillo b. Austin c. Corpus Christi d. Houston e. Galveston f. San Angelo g. El Paso h. Lubbock

Record the annual average wind speeds for the cities listed below. a. Amarillo 21.7 km/h (13.5 mph) b. Austin 14.3 km/h (8.9 mph) c. Corpus Christi 19.3 km/h (12.0 mph) d. Houston 12.2 km/h (7.6 mph) e. Galveston 17.7 km/h (11.0 mph) f. San Angelo 16.6 km/h (10.3 mph) g. El Paso 14.2 km/h (8.8 mph) h. Lubbock 20.0 km/h (12.4 mph)

Which feature on the list can be found and observed in Texas? a. Deserts b. Canyons c. Mountains d. Beaches e. Meadows of wildflowers f. Swamps g. Pine forests

 a. Deserts —Chihuahuan Desert  b. Canyons—Palo Duro Canyon  c. Mountains—Guadalupe Mountains  d. Beaches—Galveston Beach  e. Meadows of wildflowers—Hill Country/Central Texas  f. Swamps—Daisetta Swamp, Liberty County  g. Pine forests—Big Thicket National Preserve

What is the title of this map? (Ecoregions of Texas) What two words are joined together to create the word ecoregion? (ecological + region = ecoregion) What is the root word for ecological? (ecology) What does ecology mean? (Ecology is the study of the environment. This includes the study of the interactions of living organisms with their natural environment.)

What does region mean? (A region is an area of land.) What do you think ecoregion means? (the study of the environment of a particular area of land) How many ecoregions are shown on this map? (eleven)

A. Locate the Piney Woods ecoregion on the map. Color the area green and label the ecoregion. B. Repeat the step for the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes (blue), the Edwards Plateau(tan),Llano Uplift (yellow), the High Plains (orange), and the Trans Pecos(grey),etc. until you have completed coloring the map and key. Use the next slide to help you.

Date: October 8-10, 2014 Topic(s): 1. Texas Ecoregions Objective: TSW (The student will): 1. Begin to explore Texas Ecoregions by completing the “Exploring Texas Ecoregions” Activity.

Which part of Texas is coldest in January? Which part of Texas is warmest in January?

Which part of Texas is coolest in July? Which part of Texas is hottest in July? Which part of Texas has the biggest changes in temperature from season to season? Which part of Texas has the least change in temperature from season to season? Record information.

Why analyze the data of these two months when studying the environments of the Texas ecoregions? (January is in winter. July is in summer. An inference could be made that these two months show the extremes in temperature—coldest and hottest.) What valid conclusion can be drawn from the data represented in these maps? (The northern and northwestern areas of the state have a wide range in temperature. The summers are hotter and the winters are colder than the southern and southeastern areas of the state. On average, the temperatures of the southern and southeastern areas of the state are less extreme.)

What does Precipitation mean? What patterns of precipitation does this map show?

Do all the ecoregions receive the same amount of precipitation? Justify your answer. (No. The map is shaded in different colors to indicate the amount of rainfall an area receives according to the map key. ) Why is East Texas shaded green and West Texas shaded brown? (In general, East Texas receives more rain than West Texas.)

Satellite Map of Texas Showing Evidence of Plant Growth Why is East Texas shaded green and West Texas shaded brown? Why is central Texas shaded yellow? Which two ecoregions generally receive the most rainfall? Which two ecoregions generally receive the least rainfall?

Which two ecoregions generally receive the most amount of precipitation? (ecoregions 1— Piney Woods and 4—Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes) Which two regions generally receive the least amount of precipitation? (ecoregions 10—High Plains and 11—Trans Pecos/Chihuahuan) Record information about Annual Precipitation for each ecoregion.

How does precipitation affect soil? (The greater/more frequent the precipitation, the moister the soil; lesser precipitation results in a drier soil.) How does precipitation affect plants? (The greater/more frequent the precipitation, the greater the number and types of plants; lesser precipitation the fewer the number and types of plants.) What is the role(s) of plants in a particular environment? (hold soil in place to prevent erosion, provide food for animals, shelter/habitat)

 You will work with a group to research the ecoregion that you are assigned.  Use “Descriptions of Ecoregions of Texas”, the internet and other resources that your teacher provides.  ecoregions_of_texas/ ecoregions_of_texas/ Also for Llano Uplift: fc.burlesonisd.net/~jgonsoulin/FOV F5/.../Llano%20Uplift.pptx  Fill out your “Texas Ecoregions Data Sheet”  Be Prepared to share what you learn.

Date: October 13, 2014 (EARLY RELEASE DAY) Topic(s): SCIENCE FAIR TSW: 1. Adjust science fair topics once reviewed by me to obtain approval. 2. Begin background research Assessment:

Date: October 14, 2014 Topic(s): 1. Texas Ecoregions Objective: TSW (The student will): 1. Begin to explore Texas Ecoregions by completing the “Exploring Texas Ecoregions” Activity.

Pair with another person/group and compare what you learned. Create a Venn diagram that compares the two ecoregions using the given materials. What are some differences between the ecoregions in Texas? (Answers may vary but include varying amounts of precipitation, different temperature extremes, vegetation, soils, land features, etc.) What are some similarities between the ecoregions in Texas? (Answers may vary but could include that each ecoregion contains many types of environments to sustain living organisms.)

 Each paired group will present their Venn Diagram/research to the whole class  Finally: to elaborate, each student will write to explain how Texas ecoregions are similar and different.

What are some characteristics of the Piney Woods ecoregion? (tall pine trees, swamp, maple trees, sandy soil, shrubs, broad-leaved plants, grasses, etc.) What are some characteristics of the Gulf Coast Plains and Marshes/Coastal Sand Plains ecoregions? (barrier islands, marshes, flat plains, grasses, etc.)

What are some characteristics of the Edwards Plateau/Llano Uplift ecoregion? (Enchanted Rock—a dome of granite, canyonlands, streams, deciduous forests, etc.) What are some characteristics of the High Plains ecoregion? (hills, mountains, short grasses, not as many trees) What are some characteristics of the Trans Pecos ecoregion? (mountain ranges, desert, desert valleys, cactus, etc.)

Date: October 16-17, 2014 Topic(s): 1. Landforms (Texas Ecoregions) Objective: TSW (The student will):  Wrap up ecoregion presentations and notes.  List typical landforms and make a foldable to describe.  Identify which ecoregions of Texas are likely to have particular landforms.

 Open your science journal to P. 45  IF IT IS BLANK, get the paper from in front of your class tray.  Answer the questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES. 5 min

MUST HAVES  Beach  Canyon  Delta  Desert  Hill  Marsh  Mesa  Mountain  Plain  Plateau  Prairie  Swamp  Valley BONUS TERMS  Bay  Cliff  Flood Plain  Glacier  Island

 Plains are flat lands that have only small changes in elevation.

 A plateau is a large, flat area of land that is higher than the surrounding land

 A cliff is a steep face of rock and soil.

 A canyon is a deep valley with very steep sides - often carved from the Earth by a river.

 A glacier is a slowly moving river of ice.

 A mountain is a very tall high, natural place on Earth - higher than a hill. The tallest mountain on Earth is Mt. Everest.

 A mesa is a land formation with a flat area on top and steep walls - usually occurring in dry areas

 A desert is a very dry area.

 A prairie is a wide, relatively flat area of land that has grasses and only a few trees.

 A bay is a body of water that is partly enclosed by land (and is usually smaller than a gulf).

 Sea Level is the average height, or elevation, of the sea surface.

 A marsh is a type of freshwater, brackish water or saltwater wetland that is found along rivers, pond, lakes and coasts. Marsh plants grow up out of the water.

 A swamp is a type of freshwater wetland that has spongy, muddy land and a lot of water. Many trees and shrubs grow in swamps.

 An island is a piece of land that is surrounded by water.

 Floodplain is a flat region of a valley floor located on either side of a river channel. Floodplain is a flat region of a valley floor located on either side of a river channel.

 A delta is a low, watery land formed at the mouth of a river. It is formed from the silt, sand and small rocks that flow downstream in the river and are deposited in the delta. A delta is often (but not always) shaped like a triangle (hence its name, delta, a Greek letter that is shaped like a triangle).

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