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Place
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__ What are the unique human made and natural characteristics of the region? __ What are the advantages or disadvantages for human habitation? |
| Anything you needed to know about the American deserts in the southwest is here! Learn about desert animals. Most scientists believe that the desert is formed from a rain shadow effect, but how does it work? Also check out the Colossal Cave Mountain Park in AZ. | |
| This virtual field trip takes you on a tour of deserts in general. There are links to American deserts, however, it is useful for comparing US deserts versus deserts around the world. | |
| Choose geographical region: GULF & CANYON | |
| Two of the biggest growing forms of cheap and clean energy are solar and wind. With little cloud cover and strong winds, the southwest is a great spot for these methods. Of course, the southwest's most famous fuel source is fossil fuels. Read how they all work from the California Energy Commission. | |
| So you understand energy and how it’s made. But maybe you still need to understand how and where people use it every day? Check out this interactive site! | |
Location
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__ Where is the region? |
| Satellites using latitude and longitude can pinpoint anywhere from space. If you’re at all curious how amazing these machines are, use this program. I tried to locate my school, but it is difficult. Try using the advanced features to find a specific place. | |
| One of the most noted mapping companies around. | |
| You’re flying from one point to the other in your region or in the nation and you have no clue how far it is. If there’s no map handy, use this reference tool! | |
| Do you have a question about volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains, rocks, maps, ground water, lakes, or rivers? | |
| How does it work? So I used the Terra Server (above) and found my area, but how can any one point on the Earth be identified with invisible lines? | |
Check out the HRW World Atlas (this link is to the USA only). Each region has a different location and topography. Hey...what does "topography" mean? Look it up in the online geography dictionary! |
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Movement
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__ What physical movement has helped form this region? __ How has geography affected interaction between this region and other regions? |
| This simple animations shows the date and size of the United States as it grew. Click here for a printable color map with much more detail. | |
| I don’t know what the general climate is for a state, but you can find yours here! If this isn’t helpful enough, ask Weather.com. Oh wait, you need historical data? Use the Climate Diagnostics Center's climate maps dating back to 1895! | |
| How does geography influence where people live? Find out here with landform maps of all fifty states. | |
| Hurricanes ravage the coast of the United States every year. Learn all about how they’re formed, move, and destroy with Hurricane Harry. | |
| You’ve won a vacation in your favorite biome. How are you going to survive? With the research and help of a Botanist, Meteorologist, Zoologist, Cartographer, Environmentalist, Sociologist you will. (made for 6th graders) | |
| The fight for Texan independence caused one of the most famous battles in American history. The Alamo is still around and you can view it from a web cam or look at a 360 view of the plaza outside. | |
| Human
Interaction with Environment |
__ How have people past and present interacted with the environment? __ How do people adapt to change and depend on this region? |
| Design a presentation for the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival held every year during the July 4th holiday. This year the Smithsonian Institution wishes to celebrate Native American culture. | |
| Why were the Native Americans pushed from their ancestral homes in the southeast to the radically different climate of the southwest? Find out the answers and be prepared to debate them in this WebQuest or another one here. | |
| It’s 2050. You and a group are on a mission to research the people who lived in the southwest region many years ago and present your findings to the Society of History at the University of the Future. | |
| "The Southwest Native Americans come from the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Colorado, and the northern part of Mexico. Most of the land is desert covered with cactus. The main tribes that come from the Southwest area are the Apache, Hopi, Navajo, Pueblo, & Zuni. Some tribes spoke their own languages, had their own religious customs, and laws they followed. Most of the Southwest Native Americans became farmers and lived in villages." (copied from index page) | |
| This is a third grade project covering Native Americans in the five regions of the United States. While it doesn’t describe many tribes, it does generally explain how they lived with pictures. | |
| Learn about the Alamo through research and five interactive projects. Conclude by making an argument for or against Texas becoming a state in the Union. | |
| National Geographic has hired you to make a brochure highlighting the southwestern region. Are you up to the taks? | |
| The Native Americans who settled in southern Arizona learned how important water was because it was so scarce. Today their irrigation techniques are still used and taught us how we can live in the southwest. Other great southwestern tribes are listed here. | |
| Too dry to farm? Not thanks to irrigation! Check out the local produce from Texas. | |
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Part
of an Independent Learning Project for Cambridge
College |
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Backgrounds
from Absolute Background
Textures Archive
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Updated:
April 22, 2004
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*All
graphics were created by author, unless otherwise noted.
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