Adventures in Time and Place

Adventures in Time and Place
Grade 4: Regions
Infographic #12: Economy of the Southwest
Page 296

1. Cattle is one of the most important resources to the economy of the Southwest. Did you know that over half of all beef supplied to the United States is raised in Texas and Oklahoma? Learn how cowboys and ranchers built the economy of the Southwest. To find out about real and entertainment cowboys in U.S. history, go to National Cowboy Museum Galleries.
http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/fs1_g.html

Click American Cowboy Gallery. Then click Selected Gallery Images.
Read about the exhibits and about cowboy life.
In the left frame, click Western Entertainment Gallery and then Selected Gallery Images.
Find out about cowboys in entertainment and art. Pay attention to the names and cowboy terms. You'll use them in the activity below.
Pay attention to the names and cowboy terms. You'll use them in the activity below.

Online Activity: Cowboy Concentration
Match the cowboy terms and names with the statements that tell about them.
Click two cards. Wait to see them turn over. Try again until you find all of the matches!

2. Cotton is King! Each year states in the Southwest grow enough cotton to make 3 billion pairs of jeans and 8 billion dress shirts! To read more about this valuable cash crop go to Frequently Asked Questions About Cotton.
http://www.cotton.org/ncc/education/cotton_faq.htm

Scroll down and read questions 1-12.
Then return to the first question.
Click cotton-producing state to find out how much cotton is produced in the top states.
Select Oklahoma and the year 1995. Click State Production and you will see a chart for the years 1995 to 1999.
Look at the last column. Make note of the number of thousands of bales produced each year. You'll need the numbers to make a graph.
You may want to select and view the production history of another Southwestern state also.

Offline Activity: Graphing Cotton Production
Create a bar graph that compares the cotton production of Oklahoma for the years 1995 to 1999. Be sure to label your graph! Why do you think some states produce more cotton than others? From looking at the list of leading cotton-producing states, what kind of climate and geographical area do you think is needed to grow cotton?