Natural Texas and its People:

Module 1

Describe San Antonio in a few words.

◦Climate, soil, landforms, animal life, vegetation, language, religion, population distribution, political/economic systems

◦Think back to 6th grade.

On the top of page 4…

You just named the physical and human characteristics of San Antonio. We learned about this in 6th grade and now we are going to apply what we learned to the Texas regions.

BUT FIRST…….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwNLp6lbQRw&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Intro to Texas

Landforms: features on Earth’s surface.

Can you name some landforms?

Texas has 4 major landforms: hills, mountains, plains, and plateaus.

Physical CharacteristicsLandforms

Plains are areas of flat land without a sharp rise or fall in elevation.

Plains

Areas of flat elevated land that drops sharply on one or more sides.

Plateaus

Hills and Mountains

Texas has several water features: lakes, rivers and streams

Water from all of the rivers and streams in Texas eventually flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

Texas has few natural lakes but many man made.

Aquifers are formations of natural gravel, rock and sand that trap and hold rainwater underground. Aquifers provide water for farms, homes and industry.

Water

LBJ Lake (man made)

Water pics

Caddo Lake(natural lake)

Edwards Aquifer

Climate is the weather at a particular place over a period of years.

Climate is affected by location: distance from equator, proximity to large bodies of water

Climate

Climate, landforms and soil all help to determine where a plant will grow.◦ Brush, bushes, grasses, trees, wildflowers

Vegetation of Texas provides a habitat to a wide variety of animals.◦ Armadillos, bears, deer, javelinas, prairie hens,

raccoons, wildcats, skunks, wild turkey and wolves

◦ Alligators, catfish, oysters, redfish, shrimp

Vegetation and Wildlife

Agricultural◦Crops and animals◦Timber

Energy◦Oil, coal and natural gas

Natural Resources

◦Geographers used climate, landforms, plant life and soil to divide the United States into geographic regions (think back to 6th grade!). They do the same for Texas…dividing it into 4 natural regions:

Coastal Plains - Piney Woods (sub-region)North Central PlainsGreat PlainsMountains and Basins

Mountains & Basins

Great Plains

N. Central Plains

Coastal Plains

Piney Woods

(sub-region)

Let’s color and label the regions…

The Coastal Plains Region

Covers 1/3 of the land of Texas Includes the Piney Woods (sub

region)

Location

Flat and low Wooded land and coastal sands Good soil along riversGulf of Mexico is main border

Geographic Features:

Hot, humid summers, mild winters

Weather Problems:HurricanesTornadoes Droughts

Climate:

Bodies of waterGood soil/climate for farmingOil and gasFactories Ports

Natural Resources:

Houston San Antonio Brownsville Galveston

This is the most populated region

Major Cities (southern part):

The Karankawa

The Coastal Plains

Look at your IAN and your notes about the Coastal Plains Region.

Based on what you know about the region, make at least 2 assumptions about the Karankawa.◦Shelter, food, clothing, tools….

Coastal Plains Settlements near present-day Galveston

south to Corpus Christi Bay nomads

◦ Fall/Winter- near Gulf Coast◦ Spring/Summer-near rivers and springs on the

coastal prairie

Location

Portable wigwams (circular huts)◦ Made from bent

poles◦ Covered with

animal skin◦ Floors were

covered with reed mats

◦ Could house 7-8 people

Shelter

Hunters and gatherers Hunters

◦ Men◦ Wooden bows and arrows to hunt/fish◦ Fish traps◦ Dugout canoes

Gatherers◦ Women◦ Collected plants, birds’ eggs, shellfish

Rumored to be cannibals- not true◦ Not for food but for “magic power”

Food

Deer skin or grass skirtsMen and women painted themselves with bright colors

Used alligator fat and dirt to repel the insects

Is this an example of adapting or modifying? Why?

Clothing

Unusually tall ◦ Skeleton found of person 6 feet

Kept dogs similar to coyotes or fox◦ Name believed to mean dog-lovers

Treated children with kindness Given 2 names

◦ One was secret which only family members knew

◦ Secret name was thought to carry magic and protection from danger

Culture

1500s- Cabeza de Vaca◦Feared by Europeans who wanted their

land ◦Why did Europeans want their land?

Diseases killed many Fought with other groups Vanished by the mid-1800s

Why do you think they vanished? How could they have adapted/modified?

Contact with Europeans

Cabeza de Vaca

Look back at your notes about the Coastal Plains region and the Karankawa Native Americans.

Write a diary entry from the view point of a Karankawa teenager. (at least 5 sentences)

What was life like for them?◦ Hardships, entertainment, food…

** Complete in your IAN

Output

What are the characteristics of the Coastal Plains

Warm Up

The Piney Woods (Sub-Region)

Part of the pine forest that covers the entire southern United States from the Atlantic Ocean to Texas.

Located in far east Texas

Location

Most of the land is rolling hillsTall pine trees

Geographical Features

Wettest climate in TexasPart of tornado alley

Climate

Timber◦ Gum, hickory, oak, and pine trees

Farming◦ Rich soil and wet climate

Oil Water sources

◦ Creeks, lakes, rivers Big Thicket National Preserve

Natural Resources

Longview

Dallas

Texarkana

Major Cities

The Piney WoodsThe Caddo

The Caddo were found in East Texas This is in the Piney Woods region

Location

They lived in Dome shaped homes Some were very large They were a settled community…non-

nomadic

Shelter

The Caddo were hunters (buffalo), gatherers (seeds, etc), and farmers(Corn, beans, squash)

The Caddo wore buffalo hide

They often tattooed their faces

The Caddo were a very peaceful group

The men were expert hunters

The women made pottery

Both men and women tended to the crops

The adults often bound children’s heads to

make them longer and narrow

The Caddo had contact with both the Spanish and the French

“Caddo” comes from the French word meaning “real chief”

European Contact

Output Compare and contrast the Karankawa with

the Caddo tribes using a Venn Diagram.

Give as many similarities and as many differences for each

** Complete in your IAN

What Adaptations did the Caddo Native American Tribe make to live in the Piney Woods?

Warm Up

The North Central Plains

Part of the Great Central Plains of the US and Canada

Location:

Rolling grassy lands Thick grasses Limestone rock Higher elevation because limestone doesn't wear down easily

Geographic Features:

Dry air Tornadoes

Climate:

Fertile lands: watermelons, oats, cattle, angora goats

Cedar trees: fenceposts Oil and gasLimestone Minerals Streams

Resources:

Fort Worth Abilene Wichita Falls

Major Cities:

The WichitaThe North Central

Plains

Look at your IAN and your notes about the North Central Plains region.

Based on what you know about the region, make at least 2 assumptions about the Wichita.

Shelter, food, clothing, tools….

Wee-Ta-Ra-Sha-Ro, Head Chief of the Wichita. Painted by George Catlin in 1834

Central PlainsAlong the Red RiverOriginally from Kansas/Oklahoma moved to Texas in 1700s

Lived along creeks and rivers

Location

Lived in permanent villagesRound house

◦Made with cedar poles◦Covered with dried grass◦Very durable◦Large◦Hole in center for smoke from fire

Is this adapting or modifying?

Shelter

Hunted buffalo◦Ate it raw◦Did NOT eat fish

Farmers: Grew beans, corn, melons, and squash

Food

Made from tanned hideMen◦Shirts, loin cloths, leggings, moccasins

Women◦Dresses that covered chin to ankle decorated with elk teeth, moccasins

Clothing

Organized into 4 confederacies◦ Waco, Tonkawa, Tawakoni and the

Wichita

Tattooed their bodies◦ Many and unusual designs◦ Called selves Kitikiti’sh

(raccoon eyes)

Culture

First with Coronado in late 1500s Traded tanned hide disease Later moved to reservation in Oklahoma

Contact with Europeans

Using your notes on the Wichita and North Central Plains: Draw a sketch of what a Wichita Village would look like.

Make sure you include the homes, food, clothing…

** Complete in your IAN

Output

Great Plains

Part of the Great Plains of the US and Canada

Most of the Panhandle and Edwards Plateau

Location

Flat Few trees Canyons in North (Palo Duro Canyon) Higher elevation than Central Plains Cap Rock Escarpment Edwards Plateau

Geographic Features

Dry air Hot summers Cold winters Dust storms

Climate

Farming - cotton, wheat (irrigation from wells)

Ranching - cattle, sheep, goat

Oil and gas in the Permian Basin

Resources

Amarillo Lubbock Midland Odessa Kerrville

Major Cities

ComancheGreat Plains

Look at your IAN and your notes about the Great Plains region.

Based on what you know about the region, make at least 2 assumptions about the Comanche.

Shelter, food, clothing, tools….

Great Plains Moved to Texas in

1700s after acquiring horses

Drove out other tribes for the land◦ Jumanos, Apache

Location

Tepees◦ Nomadic- covered hundreds of miles a year

Items were lightweight and sturdy(leather and woven basket)-Little pottery

◦ Women would pack and move the tepees

Shelter

http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Pictures/old_photos_pg01.html

Buffalo Hunters-gatherers

◦ Men-hunt ◦ Women- gathered plants

On a daily basis women gathered most of the foods.

Food

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPA64RTfNiI&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

(Preparing for buffalo hunt)

Well dressed◦ Leaders wore European

clothing with many silver conchos

◦ Leather boots

Clothing

Lived in bands headed by a peace chief (older man)

When at war one temporary chief and War chief- best rider and fighter Skilled buffalo hunters

◦ Made them wealthy◦ Traded for goods

Skilled fighters◦ Controlled most of the plains

Culture

1680- from Spanish Called “finest light cavalry

in the world”◦ Expert riders and fighters

Used horses to have advantage in fights

Horses

Traded with Spanish Came to trade in organized groups

◦ One Comanche who could speak Spanish, French and 4 or 5 languages

◦ One Comanche who was skilled trader and diplomat Most of what they sold they had stolen

◦ Horses◦ Kidnapped people whose family would come to buy

them back (ransom) This later would cause big problems with the American

settlers Kept Spanish from moving north- Spanish could

not defeat them

Contact with Europeans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbd1trNz9bY&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

(Speaking the Dakota language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ICbZVs9TU&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

(Lakota people from the Great Plains were actual natives depicted in the movie)

Compare and contrast the Comanche with another Native American tribe using a Venn Diagram. You may chose any that we have studied.

Give at least 2 similarities and 2 differences for each

** Complete in your IAN

Output

Mountains and Basins

Far west Texas East border is Great Plains South border is the country of Mexico North border is the state of New Mexico

Location

150 mountains in the mountain ranges Plateaus and basins (think back to 6th

grade) Deserts Pecos and Rio Grande Rivers Big Bend National Park

Geographic Features

Driest part of state Only 8 inches of rain per year on average Hot days, cool nights

Climate

Plants - short grasses, shrubs, desert plants in plateaus and basins; pine forests in mountains

Ranching - cattle, sheep, goat Farming - cotton, fruits,

vegetables, cantaloupes (irrigation in El Paso and Pecos River Valley)

Oil and gas - part of Permian Basin

Resources

El Paso Pecos Fort Davis Alpine

Major Cities

The JumanoMountains and Basins

Look at your IAN and your notes about the Mountains and Basins region.

Based on what you know about the region, make at least 2 assumptions about the Jumano.

Shelter, food, clothing, tools….

Mountains and Basins Region Along the Rio Grande

Location

Permanent houses of adobe brick◦ Dried clay◦ Cool in summer◦ 30-40 people in house◦ Flat roofs◦ Painted black, red, white and yellow stripes on the

inside wall Large villages

Shelter

Grew corn and other crops near river◦ River would overflow and water fields

Gathered wild plants Hunted buffalo with bow and arrow

Food

Animal hide◦ Softened by beating with stones

Moccasins Jewelry made from copper, coral and

turquoise Hair

◦ Women- long and tied◦ Men- short on sides, long in middle and curled

with paint, decorated with feathers

Clothing

Tattooed and painted their faces

Decline began with a drought in 1500s ◦ Crops died and buffalo moved

Under constant attack by Apache

Eventually joined other Native American groups

Culture

Traded with Spanish

Contact with Europeans

List 2 ways the Jumanos did or could have adapted to their Texas environment and 2 ways they did or could havemodified their Texas environment.

** Complete in your IAN

Output