1. Texas, Our Texas
7.8B: Analyze the effects of weathering, erosion, and deposition on the environment in ecoregions of Texas

2. Engage As a group, discuss the meaning of the word environment.
On a piece of paper, draw a picture, define it in your own words, and use it in a sentence.

3. Environment
Environment includes the external conditions or surroundings around you.
What does your environment look like at home? At school? On vacation?

4. Map of Texas Who has traveled to this part of Texas?
What was the weather?
In the natural environment of the area, what types of trees or plants did you see?
What kinds of animals did you see?

5. Which feature on the list can be found and observed in Texas?
Deserts
Canyons
Mountains
Beaches
Meadows of wildflowers
Swamps
Pine Forests

6. ALL of these features can be found and observed in the natural environments of Texas!
Deserts
Canyons
Mountains
Beaches
Meadows of wildflowers
Swamps
Pine Forests

7. Desert- Chihuahuan Desert

8. Canyon- Palo Duro Canyon

9. Mountains: Guadalupe Mountains

10. Beaches: Galveston Beach

11. Meadows of Wildflowers: Hill Country/Central Texas

12. Swamps: Daisetta Swamp, Liberty County

13. Pine Forests: Big Thicket National Preserve

14. On Your Paper…
What valid conclusion can you make about the natural environments of Texas?

15. Valid Conclusion:
The natural environments of Texas are diverse.

16. What is an ECOREGION?!?!
What two words are joined together to create the word ecoregion?

17. What is an ECOREGION?!?! Ecological + Region= ECOREGION
What is the root word for Ecological?

18. What is an ECOREGION?!?! Ecological + Region= ECOREGION
What is the root word for Ecological?
The root word for Ecological is ecology.
Ecology is the study of the environment. This includes the study of the interactions of living organisms with their natural environment.

19. What is an ECOREGION?!?! Ecological + Region= ECOREGION
What does region mean?

20. What is an ECOREGION?!?! Ecological + Region= ECOREGION
What does region mean?
Region is an area of land.
What do you think ecoregion means?

21. What is an ECOREGION?!?! Ecological + Region= ECOREGION
What do you think ecoregion means?

22. What is an ECOREGION?!?! Ecological + Region= ECOREGION
What do you think ecoregion means?
An ecoregion is the study of the environment of a particular area of land.

23. Ecoregions of Texas MAP
Look at your Ecoregions of Texas Map
How many ecoregions are shown on this map?
Find the Piney Woods ecoregion on the map.
Color this area green and label the ecoregion.
Do the same for the following ecoregions: Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes (blue), the Edwards Plateau/Llano Uplift (yellow), High Plains (red), and the Trans Pecos/Chihuahuan Desert (brown).
These are the five ecoregions of Texas that we will be focusing on.

24. Use RM 3 and RM 4 to answer these questions on the left side page
1) What is the title of each map?
2) What unit of measurement is used on these maps? Justify your answer.
3) Why are we analyzing the months of January and July when studying the environments of the Texas ecoregions?
4) What valid conclusion can be drawn from the data represented in these maps?