Unit 2: Geography & Native Texans
Vocabulary
geography - the study of the spatial aspects of the earth and the people that live on it. Simplified Definition: the study of
the earth and people.
Parts of a Map
Compass Rose – a feature on a map that points to the four cardinal directions – north, south, east and west – and four
intermediate directions – northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest.
Legend – a key that helps explains the symbols, colors, and other features on a map.
Scale – a feature on a map that indicates the relationship between distance on a map and actual distance (example: 1 inch
= 200 miles)
Grid Map – a grid system that uses lines running east-west and north-south with corresponding numbers running across
the body and top of the map and letters running along one or both sides.
Latitude & Longitude
Latitude is the measurement in degrees north or south of the equator
Longitude is the measurement in degrees east or west of the prime meridian
5 Themes of Geography
Location – how do I get there?
Absolute Location - the exact position of a place on earth's surface.
Relative Location - the location of a place in relation to other places.
Places and Regions – what is the place like?
Place – refers to those features and characteristics that give an area its own identity and personality.
Regions – are areas that are united by one or more common characteristics.
Human-Environment Interaction – how people who live there interact with their surroundings.
Human Systems – how are those people in that place linked (or connected) with other people and places?
Movement – continual movement of people, ideas, and goods.
Cultural Diffusion – bringing ideas and cultures from other places and.
Physical Systems – how hurricanes, tornadoes, glaciers, earthquakes and other natural occurrences shape the world
around us.
4 Natural Regions of Texas
Gulf Coastal Plains
 Size - Largest
 Location – next to the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern Texas
 Climate – hot, rainy, humid
 Landforms – plains, prairies, forests, and rivers
 Products – lumber, farming, ranching, and oil
 Major Cities – Dallas, Galveston, Houston, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio
Central Plains
 Size – 3rd Largest
 Location – north central Texas
 Climate – hot summer, cold winter
 Landforms – plains, rivers, hills
 Products – farming, ranching, transportation center, manufacturing, and oil
 Major Cities – Fort Worth, Abilene, Wichita Falls, and Austin
Great Plains
 Size – 2nd Largest
 Location – northwest Texas (Panhandle down to the Rio Grande)
 Climate – little rainfall, hot summer, cold winter
 Landforms – plains, hills, rivers, plateaus
 Major Cities – Midland, Odessa, Lubbock, and Amarillo
Mountain and Basins
 Size – Smallest
 Location – western most part of Texas (west of Pecos River)
 Climate – dry, hot, desert
 Landforms – mountains, basins, plateaus
 Products – farming, ranching (sheep & goats), oil, sulphur, and silver
 Major Cities – El Paso
Native American Cultures
IMPORTANT TERMS TO REMEMBER:
Nomad – wandered from place to place
Sedentary – lived in permanent villages; stayed in one place
Remember that early people came to America from Asia over 35,000 over a land bridge.
Southeastern Culture
 Tribes – Caddo and Wichita
 Housing – domes homes made of poles, mud, & straw
 Food Sources – farming, hunting & gathering, and fishing
 Daily Life – men and women farmed together, painted their bodies
 Religions & Customs – Shaman leader of religious ceremonies, very religious society
Gulf Culture
 Tribes – Karankawa and Coahuiltecan
 Housing – wigwams
 Food Sources – farming, hunting & gathering, and fishing
 Daily Life – nomads, women ran the villages, men hunted
 Religions & Customs – children have two names, feast/dance celebrations, shaman’s
Puebloan Culture
 Tribes – Jumano
 Housing – very large adobe huts built into the side of cliffs
 Food Sources – hunting & gathering, limited farming, traded for food and other goods
 Daily Life – created pottery and other goods, traded goods with other tribes
 Religions & Customs – religious ceremonies to celebrate important events
Plains Culture
 Tribes - Tonkawa, Apache, Wichita, and Comanche
 Housing - teepees
 Food Sources - hunting the buffalo
 Daily Life - painted their bodies, were skilled fighters, raided others for what they needed
 Religions & Customs - Comanche had two chiefs - war and peace chief