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Lone Star: The Story of Texas
Chapter 1
The Geographic Setting
of Texas
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
Lone Star: The Story of Texas
Chapter 1: The Geographic Setting of Texas
Section 1:
What is Geography?
Section 2:
The Five Themes of Geography
Section 3:
The Tools of the Trade
Section 4:
The Four Regions of Texas
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
What Is Geography?
Chapter 1, Section 1
• What is the study of geography?
• Why is it important to study geography?
• How do we study geography?
What Is Geography?
Chapter 1, Section 1
The Physical Earth
•
Geographers study the Earth’s landforms (shapes and types of land) and the forces
that created them.
•
The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s surface is broken into plates.
These plates float on top of a layer of liquid rock called magma. The movement of
these plates causes different landforms.
Climate and Vegetation
•
Climate is the average weather of a place over a period of 20–30 years.
•
Vegetation is the plant life that grows in an area.
•
Climate determines the growth of vegetation.
The Human Element
•
People help shape and define a place.
•
Culture is the customs, ideas, beliefs, and skills of a people.
People and Places
•
Physical geography is learning about the land and its features.
•
Human geography is learning about the people and their ways.
•
Understanding the connection between both is the key to understanding a place.
Why Study Geography?
Chapter 1, Section 1
There are many varied reasons to study the
geography of a place.
• To learn what a place is like, and how it got that
way
• To gain a better appreciation of a place
• To prepare for extreme weather
• To help predict the future of a place
• To learn how a region uses resources
How Do We Study Geography?
Chapter 1, Section 1
To understand fully the geography of a region,
geographers use information from other disciplines:
• Geology, to understand the physical structure of a
region
• History - to understand the past events that shaped a
region
• Archaeology - to study objects made by ancient
people
• Anthropology - to study the developments of humans
• Biology - to study the living things in a region
• Economics - to learn how people make, distribute,
and consume goods
What Is Geography?
Chapter 1, Section 1
What is the average weather of a place over a period of 20 to 30 years
called?
(A) Forecast
(B) Humidity
(C) Temperature
(D) Climate
___________ is the customs, ideas, beliefs, and skills of a people?
(A) Heritage
(B) Inheritance
(C) Culture
(D) Destiny
Want to link to the Lone Star Internet activity for this chapter? Click here!
What Is Geography?
Chapter 1, Section 1
What is the average weather of a place over a period of 20 to 30 years
called?
(A) Forecast
(B) Humidity
(C) Temperature
(D) Climate
___________ is the customs, ideas, beliefs, and skills of a people?
(A) Heritage
(B) Inheritance
(C) Culture
(D) Destiny
Want to link to the Lone Star Internet activity for this chapter? Click here!
The Five Themes of Geography
Chapter 1, Section 2
• Describe the theme of location.
• What is the theme of place?
• What does the theme of interaction
involve?
• Describe the theme of movement.
• What is the theme of region?
The Five Themes of Geography
Chapter 1, Section 2
Location
• In latitude and longitude
• In relation to another place
Place
• Physical features
• Human features
Interaction
• People adapt to the
environment
• People change the
environment
Movement
• Travel from place to
place
• Exchange of goods and
ideas
Region
• United by similar physical
characteristics
• United by similar cultural
traits
Location
Chapter 1, Section 2
• The exact location of a place is its absolute location.
• Absolute location is determined using a grid of
numbered lines on a map or globe.
• Latitude measures the distance north and south from
the equator.
• Lines of longitude (also known as meridians) measure
the distance east and west from the prime meridian.
• The prime meridian is a line that runs through
Greenwich, England. It divides the Earth into eastern
and western hemispheres.
• Relative location is the location of a place compared
to, or relative to, another place.
Place
Chapter 1, Section 2
Geographers use a
number of features to
describe a place.
Physical features
Human features
Interaction
Chapter 1, Section 2
People have always adapted to the environment in
which they live. They also change the places in
which they live. Examples of change include:
• Irrigation
• Farming
• The railroad
• Oil drilling
• Removing forests for new buildings
These changes to the environment have brought
many benefits and some problems.
Movement
Chapter 1, Section 2
Movement of People
and Goods
• Transportation is the
movement of people
and goods.
• People move from place
to place to get what they
need.
• The movement of goods
links Texas to the rest of
the world.
Movement of Ideas
• Communication is the
movement of ideas.
• People exchange ideas
and information as they
travel.
• Today, the use of the
Internet and television
speeds the movement of
ideas.
Region
Chapter 1, Section 2
A region is an area of the world that has similar,
unifying characteristics. Any kind of trait can define
a region. For example:
• Physical - climate, or a type of landform
• Culture - ethnic neighborhoods
• Economic activity - farming, ranching, oil drilling
A region can be any size.
The Five Themes of Geography
Chapter 1, Section 2
Lines of longitude are also known as________________
(A) grids.
(B) parallels.
(C) meridians.
(D) latitude.
Using irrigation to bring water to crops is an example of what theme of
geography?
(A) Place
(B) Location
(C) Movement
(D) Interaction
Want to link to the Lone Star Internet activity for this chapter? Click here!
The Five Themes of Geography
Chapter 1, Section 2
Lines of longitude are also known as________________
(A) grids.
(B) parallels.
(C) meridians.
(D) latitude.
Using irrigation to bring water to crops is an example of what theme of
geography?
(A) Place
(B) Location
(C) Movement
(D) Interaction
Want to link to the Lone Star Internet activity for this chapter? Click here!
The Tools of the Trade
Chapter 1, Section 3
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of
globes?
• What different types of maps are available
to aid in understanding a place?
• How can graphs, diagrams, and tables aid
in the study of geography?
Globes
Chapter 1, Section 3
A globe is a sphere with a map of the Earth printed on it.
Globes show the shapes of places and their relation to
each other. Some globes show relief, or changes in
elevation. Globes are the most accurate “picture” of the
Earth. However, they do have limits:
Convenience - Globes are difficult to carry around.
Scale - Scale is the size of the globe compared to the
Earth itself. Globes must greatly reduce the size of
everything, which makes it difficult to examine cities and
other small areas.
Maps to the Rescue
Chapter 1, Section 3
Benefits of Maps
• Portable
• Easy to reproduce
• Can show portions of the
globe at a larger scale
Different Types of Maps
• Special-purpose maps provide specific types of
information about a place
• Physical maps - highlight
physical features, such as
mountains, plains, rivers,
and lakes
• Political maps - show
political features, such as
countries, counties, states,
and cities
The Use of Projections
Chapter 1, Section 3
• Geographers use a projection to transfer the
Earth’s curved surface onto a flat map. There are
many different types of projections. Each one
distorts the Earth’s surface in some way.
• Distortion grows worse as you move farther away
from the equator.
Graphs, Diagrams, and Tables
Chapter 1, Section 3
Graphs
• Bar graphs are a simple way to compare two or more pieces of
information side by side.
• Line graphs show how two different kinds of information are related.
• Circle graphs show how the parts of something make up or fit into the
whole.
Diagrams
• A diagram is any type of illustration that presents information in a visual
way.
• A cross-sectional diagram shows how something would look if you could
view it from the side.
Tables
• Tables are grids that organize information into rows and columns.
• Tables are a good way to make comparisons between items in a number
of different categories.
• The information you are reading right now is presented in table form!
The Tools of the Trade
Chapter 1, Section 3
What is an example of a political feature on a map?
(A) A mountain
(B) A city
(C) A lake
(D) Voting patterns
Which type of graph best shows how two different kinds of information are
related?
(A) Photo graph
(B) Circle graph
(C) Line graph
(D) Bar graph
Want to link to the Lone Star Internet activity for this chapter? Click here!
The Tools of the Trade
Chapter 1, Section 3
What is an example of a political feature on a map?
(A) A mountain
(B) A city
(C) A lake
(D) Voting patterns
Which type of graph best shows how two different kinds of information are
related?
(A) Photo graph
(B) Circle graph
(C) Line graph
(D) Bar graph
Want to link to the Lone Star Internet activity for this chapter? Click here!
The Four Regions of Texas
Chapter 1, Section 4
• What are the common characteristics of
the Texas climates?
• What are some of the key features of the
Coastal Plains region?
• How would you describe the North Central
Plains region?
• What are the most notable features of the
Great Plains region?
• What features define the Mountains and
Basins region?
The Four Regions of Texas
Chapter 1, Section 4
Texas Climate
Chapter 1, Section 4
• Texas generally has hot summers and mild
winters.
• Snow may fall in many parts of Texas.
• Climate differs greatly across the state.
• Rainfall varies greatly across the state.
• Even in the wetter areas, Texas has had problems
with drought.
Drought is a long period in which rain falls at a
much lower rate than usual.
The Coastal Plains
Chapter 1, Section 4
Borders
• North: Red River
• South and West: Rio Grande
• West: Balcones Fault
• Southeast: Gulf of Mexico
The Coastal Plains
Chapter 1, Section 4
Land
• Western Edge: nearly 1000 ft
above sea level
• Along the Coast: Low and
Marshy
Vegetation
• Gulf Coast area: Coastal
Prairie supports rice industry
• East Texas: Pine forests of
the Piney Woods
• West of the Piney Woods:
Forests of the Post Oak Belt
and Eastern Cross Timbers
The North Central Plains
Chapter 1, Section 4
Borders
• North: Red River
• South: Edwards Plateau
• East: The North Cental Plains
Region
• West: Caprock Escarpment
The North Central Plains
Chapter 1, Section 4
Land
• Elevation: Decreases from west
to east
• Much of the region’s land is
rolling and hilly
• In the South: buttes (steep-sided
hills) and mesas (larger; similar
landforms with flat tops)
Vegetation
• East: the Grande Prairie
• Central: forests of the Western
Cross Timbers
• West: grasslands of the Rolling
Plains
• Farming and ranching dominate
the North Central Plains
The Great Plains
Chapter 1, Section 4
Borders
• North: Oklahoma
• South: Edwards Plateau
• East: Caprock Escarpment
• West: Edwards Plateau
The Great Plains
Chapter 1, Section 4
Land
• Northern High Plains: mostly flat;
some canyons
• Southern High Plains: The Llano
Estacado is smooth and level
• South: The Edwards Plateau has
hilly terrain
Vegetation
• The Great Plains region is dry
and has very few trees
• Much of the region is grassland
• Parts of the region are important
farming areas
The Mountains and Basins
Chapter 1, Section 4
Borders
• North: New Mexico
• South and West: Rio Grande
• East: Edwards Plateau
The Mountains and Basins
Chapter 1, Section 4
Land
• This region includes scattered
mountain ranges and flat desert
basins.
• Major mountain ranges include
the Guadalupe, Davis, Chalk, and
Glass Mountains.
• Big Bend National Park is in the
Mountains and Basins region.
Vegetation
• Desert: cacti, mesquite, and other
desert plants
• Mountains: some forest growth
The Four Regions of Texas
Chapter 1, Section 4
An escarpment is a___________________
(A) steep-sided hill.
(B) steep hill with a flat top.
(C) fault.
(D) steep cliff.
Which Texas region contains the most desert land?
(A) The Great Plains
(B) The Mountains and Basins
(C) The North Central Plains
(D) The Coastal Plains
Want to link to the Lone Star Internet activity for this chapter? Click here!
The Four Regions of Texas
Chapter 1, Section 4
An escarpment is a___________________
(A) steep-sided hill.
(B) steep hill with a flat top.
(C) fault.
(D) steep cliff.
Which Texas region contains the most desert land?
(A) The Great Plains
(B) The Mountains and Basins
(C) The North Central Plains
(D) The Coastal Plains
Want to link to the Lone Star Internet activity for this chapter? Click here!