The Four Regions of Texas
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This is a paper reading activity about Texas. You will read four short region profiles, look at a map, and answer with a pencil. You do not need a computer or a book — everything you need is in this packet. Work by yourself. Write in full sentences when a question asks you to explain. If a question is hard, skip it, keep going, and come back. You may read the passages quietly aloud to yourself.
Start Find It on the Map 5 min
Warm up before you read. A region is a part of a place where the land and weather are much the same.
1Look at the map in the Build section (Figure 1). Find the region marked Mountains and Basins. Write which corner of Texas it is in (for example, far west or far east).
2People use the land around them to live and work. Name one way the land or weather might change how people work. (Guess in your own words.)
Build Read the Region Profiles 10 min
Mountains and Basins (written for this packet)
The Mountains and Basins region is in the far west corner of Texas. It has the tallest mountains in the state and wide, dry valleys called basins between them. It is the driest part of Texas and gets very little rain. Because water is hard to find, few people live here. Some people raise cattle on huge ranches, and there is some farming where water can be brought in. Texas's highest peak, Guadalupe Peak, is in this region.
Type: original region summary · Region: Mountains and Basins (far west)
Great Plains (written for this packet)
The Great Plains region covers the northwest and west-central part of Texas. Much of it is high, flat, open land, including the very flat top part called the High Plains, or Llano Estacado. The weather is dry, and there is lots of grass. This region is known for large cattle ranches and for growing crops like cotton and wheat. Wind and oil are also important, so you will see wind turbines and oil wells here.
Type: original region summary · Region: Great Plains (northwest)
North Central Plains (written for this packet)
The North Central Plains region sits in the north-central part of Texas, between the Great Plains to the west and the Coastal Plains to the east. It has rolling hills, prairies, and some woods. It gets more rain than the regions farther west. People here raise cattle, grow crops, and drill for oil and gas. The large city of Fort Worth grew up in this region as a center for cattle and railroads.
Type: original region summary · Region: North Central Plains (north-central)
Coastal Plains (written for this packet)
The Coastal Plains region covers the south and east part of Texas, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the largest region and where the most people live. The land is low and flat, and it gets the most rain, so the soil is good for farming. Along the warm coast there are busy ports, fishing, and oil found both on land and offshore. Many of Texas's biggest cities, like Houston and San Antonio, are in this region.
Type: original region summary · Region: Coastal Plains (south and east)
Word Bank
- region
- a part of a place where the land and weather are much the same.
- geography
- the land, water, and weather of a place.
- landform
- a natural shape of the land, like a mountain, hill, or plain.
- climate
- the usual weather of a place over time.
- plain
- a large area of flat or gently rolling land.
- basin
- a low, dry valley between mountains or hills.
- ranching
- raising cattle or other animals on a large area of land.
- port
- a place by the water where ships load and unload goods.
- fact
- something you can check and show is true.
- opinion
- what a person feels or likes; not proven true.
Table 1 — Comparing the regions (written for this packet)
| Region | Where in Texas | Land & climate | Common work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountains and Basins | Far west | Tall mountains, dry basins; driest | Ranching; some farming with added water |
| Great Plains | Northwest | High, flat, dry; grassy | Cattle ranching; cotton and wheat; wind and oil |
| North Central Plains | North-central | Rolling hills, prairies; more rain | Ranching, crops, oil and gas; city of Fort Worth |
| Coastal Plains | South and east | Low, flat; most rain; warm coast | Farming, ports, fishing, oil; big cities |
Type: original comparison table · Use it with the map to answer the questions.
Apply Read the Map & Table 20 min
3Map reading. Using Figure 1, which region is farthest west? Which region touches the Gulf of Mexico?
Farthest west: ______________________________
Touches the Gulf: ______________________________
4Table reading. Use Table 1 to fill in the blanks.
a) The region with the tallest mountains is the ______________________ region.
b) The region that gets the most rain is the ______________________ region.
c) The region where the city of Fort Worth grew up is the ______________________ region.
5Compare. Pick two regions. Use the profiles and Table 1.
Write your two regions here: ____________________ and ____________________
One way the two regions are alike:
Two ways the two regions are different:
6Cause and effect. Pick one region. Explain how its geography (its land, weather, or water) affects how people work there. Write 2–3 sentences.
Sentence starter: "In the ______ region, the ______ means that people ______."
7Fact or opinion? Write F for a fact you can check in the packet, or O for an opinion (what someone feels or likes).
____ a) The Mountains and Basins region is the driest part of Texas.
____ b) The Coastal Plains is the best region in Texas.
____ c) The Great Plains region is known for large cattle ranches.
____ d) Mountains are prettier than plains.
8Check the claim. A student says: "The land and weather are the same in all four regions of Texas." Does the packet support this?
- Yes — the packet says all four regions have the same land and weather.
- No — the packet shows dry mountains in the far west, dry flat plains, rolling hills, and a rainy low coast in the south and east.
- The packet does not talk about land or weather at all.
Explain your choice using one detail from a profile or Table 1:
Explain Claim–Evidence–Reasoning 10 min
Question 9. Pick two regions. How is the work people do different in those two regions, and why? Write a claim naming your two regions and how the work is different, give two pieces of evidence from the profiles, map, or Table 1, then explain your reasoning (how geography helps cause the difference).
Sentence stems you may use: "In ______ people mostly ______, but in ______ people mostly ______." · "One piece of evidence is… (from a profile / the map / Table 1)." · "A second piece of evidence is…" · "This happens because the land and weather are…"
Close ACE Wrap-Up 5 min
In your own words, tell a friend what a region is.
Name one place in this packet (the map, a profile, or Table 1) that shows the land changing how people work.
Which Texas region do you live in or live closest to? Name one way the land or weather there changes how people work or play.
Continue Early Finisher optional · ~15 min
Which region fits the job? On the back of this page, match each worker to the region that fits best, and tell why using the packet: (1) a rancher who raises cattle on very dry, high, flat grassland, (2) a dock worker who loads ships at a busy port near warm ocean water, (3) a mountain guide who leads hikers up the tallest peak in Texas. For each one, name the region and give one reason from a profile, the map, or Table 1.