Regions of Texas: Mountains & Basins


Texas Studies Texas Geography and Its Indigenous People Regions of Texas: Mountains & Basins
Students first make predictions about physical characteristics of the Mountains and Basins region based on its name. Then they learn about and summarize the physical characteristics. Next they use a physical map to compare this region to the rest of Texas. Finally they create a map to encourage tourism to the region.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for Regions of Texas: Mountains & Basins:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


Overview

In this experience, students first make predictions about physical characteristics of the Mountains and Basins region based on its name. Then they learn about and summarize the physical characteristics. Next they use a physical map to compare this region to the rest of Texas. Finally they create a poster to encourage tourism to the region.

Note that geographers divide the United States into ten natural regions, and four of them are found in Texas: the Mountains and Basins, the Great Plains, the North Central Plains, and Coastal Plains. The Teacher Pack contains a link to educational resources on the different regions.

Estimated duration: 30-40 minutes, or more if you want to allow extra time for students to create their posters

Vocabulary words:

  • elevation
  • tourism

Objectives

  • Identify the physical characteristics of the Mountains and Basins region.
  • Interpret a physical map.


Engage


Texas is divided into four regions—the Mountains and Basins, the Great Plains, the North Central Plains, and Coastal Plains. The regions are determined by the physical geography, such as landforms, climate, and vegetation. In this experience, you will learn about the Mountains and Basins.

Objectives

  • Identify the physical characteristics of the Mountains and Basins region.
  • Interpret a physical map.


Map showing the four regions of Texas

Map of the Four Regions of Texas


Based on the region’s name “Mountains and Basins” and its location on the map shown above, what predictions can you make about this region?



Sample predictions: mountainous, desert, not many residents

Students are not expected to know much about this region yet. Do not correct any incorrect predictions at this point. You may want to revisit their predictions following Scene 3 and let students evaluate which predictions were right and which were wrong.

If your school is located within this region, ask students: What do you think are the important physical characteristics of our region?


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

End of Preview
The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Texas Geography and Its Indigenous People Unit.
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