Students brainstorm place names that have Spanish origins. Then they learn about the physical geography of the Southwest, focusing on climate, land use, energy production, and hurricanes. Next they learn about the human geography and examine the tall tale of Pecos Bill. Finally, they prepare a travel brochure for one state in the region.
Students are introduced to the Southwest region (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) and the lesson objectives. They view an image of a Texas bluebonnet field and respond to a word cloud prompt by posting place names of Spanish origin from the United States, especially the Southwest.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview, vocabulary, and objectives. Prompt students with examples of Spanish place names and extend the discussion by asking for Native American–derived place names in the region. Clarify that the Southwest has layered cultural influences that will be explored throughout the lesson.
Students read an informational text describing the physical geography of the Southwest, including its borders, arid climate and drought, landforms and vegetation, ranching and livestock, energy production (oil, solar, and wind), and the impact of hurricanes and tornadoes. As they read, they complete a graphic organizer to create a geographic profile of the region, organizing details under climate, land, energy production, and hurricanes and tornadoes.
Teacher MovesGuide students through the reading, clarifying key terms such as arid, drought, plateau, livestock, and sustainable. Support students in completing the graphic organizer by modeling how to pull key details from the text and then prompting them to summarize the physical geography of the Southwest in their own words.
Students read about the human geography of the Southwest, including the presence of large Native American reservations, historic Indian settlements, and the influence of Spanish and Mexican culture. They then read a brief excerpt from the tall tale of Pecos Bill to see how folklore reflects life in the Southwest. Using a class wall, they explain why so many tall tales developed about the Southwest.
Teacher MovesExplain the concepts of folklore and tall tales, connecting them to the history and environment of the Southwest. Optionally extend the activity using the full text of Pecos Bill as an ELAR lesson. After students post their ideas on the wall, highlight strong or interesting responses and share Mary Pope Osborne’s explanation of tall tales to deepen understanding of how exaggerated stories helped people make sense of the vast and challenging western landscape. Assign each student a Southwest state for the upcoming travel brochure task and set clear expectations for research time and product quality.
Students research their assigned Southwest state and create a travel brochure that highlights reasons to visit, including at least one representative photo. They may use resources such as U.S. States to gather information. Students post a link to their completed brochure on a shared wall, then review classmates’ brochures and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesDirect students to appropriate research resources, including the linked National Geographic site, and model how to extract relevant geographic and cultural details for a travel brochure. Clarify criteria for the brochure (content, visuals, organization, and citation expectations as appropriate) and monitor students’ work, offering feedback on accuracy and clarity. Encourage constructive peer feedback on the posted brochures and facilitate brief sharing or discussion to compare how the four states are similar and different.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
©2026 Exploros. All rights reserved.