Changes to Texas Land
Earth and Space
Changes to Texas Land
Part I: Ecoregions of Texas
Color Legend, Ecoregion and Number
□ 1. ____________________________
□ 2. ____________________________
□ 3. ____________________________
□ 4. ____________________________
□ 5. ____________________________
□ 6. ____________________________
□ 7. ____________________________
□ 8. ____________________________
□ 9. ____________________________
□ 10. ___________________________
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Changes to Texas Land
Earth and Space
Part I: Ecoregions of Texas, continued
1.
Ecoregions in Texas
Ecoregions
General Location and Description
Photo # and Key
Characteristic
Piney Woods
Gulf Coast Prairies
and Marshes
Post Oak Woods and
Prairies
Blackland Prairie
South Texas Plains
Edwards Plateau
Llano Uplift
Rolling Plains
High Plains
Mountains and Basins
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Changes to Texas Land
Earth and Space
Part I: Ecoregions of Texas, continued
2.  Use Map #2, #3, and #4 to explain which abiotic or biotic factor or combination of factors would
be the most influential in creating the ecoregions in west Texas.
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3.  Use Map #2, #3, and #4 to explain which abiotic or biotic factor or combination of factors would
be the most influential in creating the ecoregions in east Texas.
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4.  Why does vegetation vary so greatly from west to east and from north to south in Texas?
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Part II: Weathering Models
Mechanical weathering
1. Draw “before” and “after” diagrams of the salt.
before weathering
2
3
after weathering
2
3
2.  Describe what occurred in this model.
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Changes to Texas Land
Earth and Space
Part II: Weathering Models, continued
3.  How does the mechanical weathering model accurately represent nature?
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4.  How does the mechanical weathering model misrepresent nature?
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Chemical weathering
5.  What did you observe when you dropped acetic acid on the limestone sample?
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6.  What did you observe in the petri dish after removing the limestone sample?
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7.  What evidence did you observe that indicates a chemical reaction has occurred?
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8.  What evidence did you observe that indicates decomposition or weathering has occurred?
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Changes to Texas Land
Earth and Space
Part II: Weathering Models, continued
9.  Complete the diagram about weathering.
WEATHERING
Type:
Processes
Type:
Agents
Processes
Agents
10. What is the difference between the two types of weathering?
____________________________________________________________________________
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11. Look at the photo of weathered limestone in the photo gallery. Which weathering process most
frequently affects limestone?
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12. Look at the photo of shale and gypsum layers in Palo Duro Canyon. Which weathering process
most frequently affects the shale and gypsum layers?
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5
Changes to Texas Land
Earth and Space
Part III: Mix and Match – Pick It Up or Drop It Off
Use the Mix and Match Photos in Groups A – F to complete the chart
Group 1 (A and B)
Circle one: Deposition or Erosion
Agent: _________________
Group 2 (C and D)
Circle one: Deposition or Erosion
Agent:_________________
Group 3 (E and F)
Circle one: Deposition or Erosion
Agent:_________________
Group 4 (G and H)
Circle one: Deposition or Erosion
Agent:_________________
Group 5 (I and J)
Circle one: Deposition or Erosion
Agent:_________________
Group 6 (K and L)
Circle one: Deposition or Erosion
Agent:_________________
1.  What is the meaning of the title of this activity? What does pick it up refer to? What does drop it
off refer to?
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_________________________________________________________
2.  What kind of damage would wind erosion do to property and livestock?
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3. What are the two types of glaciers? How are they different?
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4. Why do you find large mounds of rock at the end of a glacier?
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5.  Why would the velocity of a river affect its ability to erode sediment?
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6. Why would the volume of a river affect its ability to erode sediment?
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Changes to Texas Land
Earth and Space
Reflections and Conclusions
1.  Which ecoregion of Texas do you live in? ___________________________________________
2.  What are key characteristics of the region you live in?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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3.  How are the ecoregions of Texas determined? What factors are considered?
____________________________________________________________________________
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4.  Do human activities have an effect on these regions? Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________
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5.  Give key information about weathering, erosion and deposition in the chart below.
Weathering
Erosion
Deposition
Definition
Types or
Agents
Other
Fact(s)
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