1. Plains States Kansas Missouri Nebraska Iowa North Dakota South Dakota

2. Regions of the United States PLAINS STATES

3. Climate: Continental PLAINS STATES

4. Climate  Climate is the prevailing weather conditions of a region over a period of time.  The Plains States all have a Continental climate  Warm to hot summers (50 - 90)  Cold winters (-10 - 45)  Tends to be found above 40 degree North latitude

5. Continental Climate Attributes  large seasonal temperature differences (-10 to 45 winter) (50-90s summer)  warm to hot (and often humid) summers  cold (sometimes severely cold) winter  year-round precipitation  "humid" does not mean that the humidity levels are necessarily high, but climate is not dry enough to be classified as semi-arid or arid.semi-aridarid  Humid continental climates tend to be found above 40° N latitude, within the central and northeastern portions of North America, Europe, and Asia.North AmericaEuropeAsia

6. Kansas (KS)  Industries: agriculture, manufacturing, and mining (oil and gas)  34 th state  January 29, 1861 Capital: Topeka Largest City: Wichita Resources:Agriculture: beef cattle, wheat

7. KS Flag  The state seal on the flag tells the history of Kansas:  The figures symbolize pioneer life  Landscape with a rising sun  River and steamboat  Settler's cabin and a man plowing a field  Wagon train heading west (American expansion)  Indians hunting American Bison(the buffalo are fleeing from the Indians)  Cluster of 34 stars (top of the seal)  State motto "Ad Astra per Aspera" -: "To the Stars through Difficulties" (above the stars)  The thirty-four stars clustered at the top of the seal identify Kansas as the 34th state to be accepted into the Union of the United States The official flag of Kansas has a dark background with the state seal in the center. Above the seal is a sunflower above a bar of gold and light blue. Below the seal is printed the name of the state "KANSAS"

8. Kansas National Monuments  In Gove County, Kansas, erosion has carved these chalk pyramids from what was once the floor of a vast inland sea.  Also called Monument Rocks  These limestone formations, originally formed 80 million years ago, stretch to 70 feet in height.  This site is a pueblo ruin thought to have been built by Taos Indians who sought refuge with the Apache during times of trouble with the Spanish. It is the north-easternmost example of a pueblo in the country. The site also illustrates Spanish explorations in the Great Plain sthat predates those of the United States.

9. Missouri (MO)  Capital: Jefferson City  Largest City: Kansas City  Resources: Minerals: oil, gas, lead, iron, coal  Industries: Service industries, transportation equipment, food processing  24 th state  August 10, 1821

10. MO Flag  The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of red, white and blue.  These represent valor, purity, vigilance, and justice. The colors also reflect the state's historic status as part of the French Louisiana (Louisiana Purchase).  In the center white stripe is the Seal of Missouri circled by a blue band containing 24 stars, symbolizing Missouri's admission as the 24th state. The flag of the State of Missouri was adopted on March 22, 1913.

11. Missouri National Monuments George Washington Carver Monument – Diamond, MO American Preserves his childhood home American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor First monument to a black American Gateway Arch – St. Louis, MO Tallest man-made monument in US Built as monument to the westward expansion of the United States

12. Iowa (IA)  Capital: Des Moines  Largest City: Des Moines  Resources: Agriculture, corn-based ethanol  Industries: agriculture, insurance, home appliances, air-flight control  29 th state  December 28, 1846

13. IA Flag  3 vertical stripes of blue, white and red, reflecting Iowa's history as part of the French Louisiana Territory. (Louisiana Purchase.)  The image of a bald eagle with a long ribbon reading "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain", taken from the Seal of Iowa, is centered in the middle white stripe.  The word "Iowa" is placed directly below it in red, letters.  The flag was adopted in 1921

14. Iowa National Monuments Effigy Moundbuilders  During tThe Late Woodland Period (1400-750 B.P.) along the Upper Mississippi River and extending east to Lake Michigan is associated lived a culture known today as the Effigy Moundbuilders.  The construction of effigy mounds was a regional cultural phenomenon. Mounds of earth in the shapes of birds, bear, deer, bison, lynx, turtle, panther or water spirit are the most common images.  The Effigy Moundbuilders continued to build conical mounds for burial purposes, but their burial sites lacked the trade goods of the preceding Middle Woodland Culture.  The Effigy Moundbuilders also built linear or long rectangular mounds that were used for ceremonial purposes that remain a mystery  The animal-shaped mounds remain the symbol of the Effigy Mounds Culture.

15. Nebraska (NE)  Capital: Lincoln  Largest City: Omaha  Resources: Agriculture: fertile soil, cattle, corn, hogs, soybean  Industries: Food processing, machinery, electrical equipment  37 th state  March 1, 1867

16. NE Flag  A field of national blue.  Centered in field of blue – is great seal of state.  Adopted March 28, 1925

17. Ash Hollow  Home of 4 distinct Native American cultures over 1,500 years. Agate Fossil Beds Nebraska National Monuments o Fossils of animals that lived in area 19-21 million years ago.

18. South Dakota (SD)  Capital: Pierre  Largest City: Sioux Falls  Resources: Mining, Agriculture  Industries: Mining: gold, silver, Food packing and processing, Machinery manufacturing  40 th state  November 2, 1889

19. SD Flag  The South Dakota flag features the state seal surrounded by a golden blazing sun in a field of sky blue.  Letters reading "South Dakota, The Mount Rushmore State“ the official state nickname, are arranged in a circle around the sun.  Adopted in 1909. Updated in 1963

20. South Dakota National Monuments Jewel Caves – Custer, SD  2 nd longest cave in world  Over 160 miles of mapped, surveyed passages Mount Rushmore – Keystone, SD: Sculpture of Presidents Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

21. North Dakota (ND)  Capital: Bismarck  Largest City: Fargo  Resources: Fertile soil for agriculture, mineral deposits  Industries: Food processing, agriculture, mining  39 th state  November 2, 1889

22. ND Flag  A dark blue field displays a Bald Eagle grasping an olive branch and a bundle of arrows in its claws.  The eagle carries a ribbon with the words "One nation made up of many states."  On its breast is a shield with thirteen stripes representing the original thirteen states.  Fan-shaped design above the eagle represents the birth of the United States and included thirteen stars echoing the thirteen stripes on the shield.  The red scroll below the eagle displays the state name, North Dakota.  Adopted on March 3,1911

23. Fort Mandan  Site where Lewis & Clark wintered over in 1804-1805 Wheat Monument North Dakota National Monuments o Commemorates area’s agricultural heritage and honors farmer’s hard work.