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All Aboard!!. A Train Ride to the Southwest. Train Rules . Be an active traveler – ask lots of questions! Don’t bother the other passengers – hold conversations after the train has arrived at it’s final stopping point! Raise your hand when you want to speak to the conductor, Miss Stern .
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All Aboard!! A Train Ride to the Southwest
Train Rules • Be an active traveler – ask lots of questions! • Don’t bother the other passengers – hold conversations after the train has arrived at it’s final stopping point! • Raise your hand when you want to speak to the conductor, Miss Stern
The Whistle is Blowing!! • We will now be departing the rolling hills of the Midwest. • Off we go… • Our first stop is one of the Wonders of the World. Do you know what it is??
Grand Canyon Interesting Facts • The Grand Canyon was formed partly due to erosion. (wearing away of soil and rock) • Many scientists thinkthat the rushing water of the Colorado River helped dissolve and wear away the rock of the Grand Canyon. • Rainwater also causes erosion. • Windplays a part in the canyon’s continued erosion as well.
Train Trivia Time! • Would you expect wind erosion to create sharp or smooth edges on the rock walls of the Grand Canyon? Why? • Was the canyon always as deep as it is today?
People of the Canyon • The Pueblo peoples (Native Americans) still live in the canyon area today. • They live in adobe, or mud brick, homes. • John Wesley Powell named this natural wonder the “Grand Canyon.” • In 1903, Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon.
Fun Fact • The Grand Canyon is about 277 miles long and about 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point. That is the height of four Sears Towers!!
Southwest Climate • Let’s make some predictions... • What do you think the climate of the Southwest region is like???
Adjectives to describe the climate • A variety (or mixture) of climates can be found in the Southwest. • Desert • Arid – dry, but not a desert • Hot, humid • Humid and windy • Thunderstorms, blizzards, tornadoes (in Oklahoma)
Meet a famous cactus… Saguaro A symbol of the Southwest
Saguaro Facts • Arizona’s state flower • Spreads its long, shallow roots to drink in the rainwater from the desert • Can store enough water to stay alive through long, dry periods • Provides shelter for animals • Animals return the favor by eating insects that could hurt the cactus
Oil in the area • By 1902, more than 500 Texas companies were doing business in Beaumont and other Texas towns. • Oil is a natural resource, and it is nonrenewable. • Anthony Lucas was an important mining engineer.
The Oil Process • 1) Oil is pumped from the ground and sent to a refinery. • 2) At a refinery, oil is heated so that it separates into different chemicals. • 3) Groups of chemicals are made into products. • Can you think of some products made from oil?
Train Trivia Time! • What effect did the discovery of oil have on Texas?
Technology • Technology is important to the economy of the Southwest. • Computers, radios, and calculators are produced in Texas! • Albuquerque, Los Alamos, and Houston (important cities in the Southwest) all are important to technology.
Arrival!! • We are now arriving in… Austin, Texas Enjoy the warm weather!