1. Focus on Tennessee’s Physical Regions
Tennessee geography 101
Focus on Tennessee’s Physical Regions

2. Tennessee State Standards
K.13 Identify the student’s street address, city/town, school name, and Tennessee as the state in which they live.
K.14 Locate Tennessee and the United States on a map.
1.17 Identify the shapes of Tennessee and the United States on maps and globes.
1.22 Construct a map showing Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Mississippi River, Cumberland River, Tennessee River, Great Smoky Mountains, Norris Lake, Reelfoot Lake, and Clingmans Dome.
1.23 Identify the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee on a map and compare and contrast each division’s major physical features.

3. Tennessee State Standards (cont.)
2.17 Locate major cities, bodies of water, mountain ranges and rivers in the United States
Cities: Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville
Rivers: Cumberland, Mississippi, Tennessee
Mountain Ranges: Appalachian
3.20 Identify on a map major cities of the continent (Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville)
3.22 Identify major physical features on a map
Rivers –Cumberland, Mississippi, Tennessee
Mountains –Appalachian
3.27 Compare and contrast landforms, climates, population, natural resources, and major cities of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee.

4. A Few Sources for Building Content
Tennessee History for Kids (tnhistoryforkids.org)
Basic Map Drawing
Trek Across Tennessee Video
Informational Texts
Children’s Books such as
V is for Volunteer: A Tennessee Alphabet Book
T is for Tennessee: A State Alphabet Book

5. How does the geography of Tennessee impact the lives of its residents?
To think about…
How does the geography of Tennessee impact the lives of its residents?

6. Make a Prediction…
Why are Bradley County schools open during the winter even when other school systems are closed?

7. Draw the shape shown. Use your entire page.

8. Tennessee’s Physical Regions
Draw the dividing lines shown on the map.

9. Follow the directions shown above the map.
Directions: Draw and label each physical region. Color each one according to the map key.
Map A
Color each physical region according to the following map key:
Gulf Coastal Plain Cumberland Plateau
Highland Rim Great Valley of TN
Central Basin Unaka Mountains
Follow the directions shown above the map.

10. Wikki Stix

11. Wikki Stix Maps Use a piece of paper for the base of your map.
Recreate the projected map onto your paper using the Wikki Stix.
Rearrange the Wikki Stix as needed.
When you are satisfied with your map, raise your hand and the teacher will check your work.
After the teacher approves the map, use a pencil to trace around the Wikki Stix.
Label and color each physical region of Tennessee. Use the colors listed below:
Black—state outline
Red—Unaka Mtns.
Orange—Valley and Ridge
Yellow—Cumberland Plateau
Green—Highland Rim
Blue—Central Basin
Purple—Coastal Plain

12. Use your imagination…

13. Describe the Unaka Mountains.
Unaka Mtns.
Describe the Unaka Mountains.

14. Blue arrows? Yellow arrows?
East Tennessee Valley and Ridge
Blue arrows? Yellow arrows?

15. Cumberland Plateau Describe a plateau.

16. Highland Rim Central Basin
How do the elevations of the Highland Rim and the Central Basin differ?

17. Describe a plain. How does it differ from a plateau?
Gulf Coastal Plain
Describe a plain. How does it differ from a plateau?

18. Sheet Maps Use labels to identify Use arrows to show directional
Countries
States
Cities
Geographic features
Use arrows to show directional
flow for rivers

19. More Sheet Map Activities
Use different colors of yarn to outline/show
countries
cities
geographic features
Place objects on top of the sheet or under it to show different land elevations
blocks
stacked textbooks

20. Classroom Examples

21. Tennessee: Physical What colors represent the highest elevations?
What colors represent the lowest elevations?
Tennessee: Physical

24. Was your prediction correct?
Snow falls in the higher elevations first and
sometimes does not reach the lower elevations.
Bradley County is low in elevation,
compared to surrounding counties,
so school is rarely cancelled
due to inclement weather!

25. How does the geography of Tennessee impact the lives of its residents?
To think about…
How does the geography of Tennessee impact the lives of its residents?

26. This is a satellite image of Tennessee.
What do you notice about the colors? How are they different from the elevation map?
tennessee-satellite-image.shtml

27. Send a Postcard Home… Dear Mom and Dad,
Choose one of Tennessee’s six natural regions. On the front of the postcard, draw a picture of the landform region you chose. On the back, create a space for your message, the recipient’s address, and postage. In your message, include at least three facts about the landform region you “visited.”
Dear Mom and Dad,
Having a great time on the Unaka Mountains! You wouldn’t believe what it is like! Did you know that…? See you soon!
Love, Jane
Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
123 Any Street
Sometown, TN

29. Tennessee Postcard Series Award UNAKA MOUNTAINS presented to __________________
Presenter Name and Title
Date 29

30. EXIT 12C
Choose one of Tennessee’s physical regions from the pictures on the next slide. After selecting a picture, answer the question using complete sentences. You must write a minimum of three sentences.
EXIT ONLY

31. Exit Ticket Valley and Ridge Cumberland Plateau Unaka Mountains
Highland Rim
Central Basin
Gulf Coastal Plain
Based on its physical geography, explain one benefit or one challenge of living in your selected region.
Exit Ticket

32. Write the letter that correctly identifies each region.
TENNESSEE’S 6 PHYSICAL REGIONS
MAP QUIZ B E D C A F
Central Basin
Cumberland Plateau
East TN Valley and Ridge
Gulf Coastal Plain
Highland Rim
Unaka Mountains
Write the letter that correctly identifies each region.

33. Warm up those vocal chords…
I feel a song coming on!

34. “The Tennessee Landforms” (Tune: “The Beverly Hillbillies”)
Well, listen to my story ‘bout the State of Tennessee. There’s so much to see and do it’s a great place to be. You can hike the many trails of the mountains in the east, Called the Unaka by the Native Cherokee… The Smokies that is, part of the Appalachians.
Photo:

35. is the next place we’ll see. We’ll go fishing in the river
Great Valley and Ridge
is the next place we’ll see.
We’ll go fishing in the river
that is called the Tennessee.
The Cumberland Plateau
will be our next stop,
With its really steep sides
and its high flat top.
Photo: tnhistoryforkids.org

36. We can travel on to the Highland Rim; On its western side,
in the Cumberland we’ll swim.
It flows through the Central Basin also,
Which is shaped like
the bottom of a bowl…
Our capital is here, Nashville that is.
We can travel on to the Highland Rim;
On its western side,
in the Cumberland we’ll swim.
It flows through the Central Basin also,
Which is shaped like
the bottom of a bowl…
Our capital is here, Nashville that is.
Photo: tnhistoryforkids.org

37. Well, we’ve finally reached the western side Where the Tennessee River
two places does divide.
The coastal plain is very low and flat.
The southwest corner—
where Memphis is at…
Along the Mississippi River that is,
the western boundary of the state.
Well, we’ve finally reached
the western side
Where the Tennessee River
two places does divide.
The coastal plain is very low and flat.
The southwest corner—
where Memphis is at…
Along the Mississippi River that is,
the western boundary of the state.
Photo: tnhistoryforkids.org

38. Well, now we’ve been all across our state.
We hope you can tell that it is really great.
The six natural regions
show all kinds of land.
The three major rivers,
they are all really grand…
In Tennessee that is,
ya’ll come back and see us now, ya hear.

39. Julie Mitchell, Ed.D. jmitchell@bradleyschools.org
Lake Forest Middle School
Select “School Staff”
Select “Mitchell, Julie”
Select “Starter Activities, Handouts, and Learning Target Notebook”
Select “TCSS/TGA 2017”