Class Outline Texas History

Texas Weather and Geography

I. Check role. Handout student info sheets, how to be successful in

history, and the syllabus.

II. Go over syllabus and WebCT.

III. Student info sheets are due in class on Thursday.

IV. Lecture

A. Texas weather—why is weather so important to Texas History.

i. ‘Nowhere but in Texas statement’

ii. Worst droughts in the history of the state

iii. Temperature Extremes

B. Origin of the Texas Name

i. Tejas—Caddo Indians

C. Geographical Regions of Texas

i. Natural Borders include Gulf of Mexico, the Rio

Grande, the Sabine, and the Red Rivers. The remaining

borders were constructed through various treaties.

ii. Four Natural Regions of Texas

1. Coastal Plains

a. Piney Woods
2. North Central Plains

a. Cross Timbers

3. Great Plains

a. Edwards Plateau

4. Mountain and Basin Region lies west of the Pecos

River and is the Natural Region that is not divided

into geographic sections.