This "crack" in the Earth is more than one (1) mile deep, and shades of purple, orange, and gold adorn its walls.
Pages 296-297, 346
What is the Grand Canyon?
This human-made structure controls how much water flows from the Colorado River to people in towns and cities in Arizona.
Photo caption, page 313
What is the Hoover Dam?
In this part of the Southwest, temperatures can climb to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Page 312
What is a desert?
This industry is very important, and much of it comes out of the ground in the state of Texas to be processed in to a product that Americans use in vehicles and to heat homes.
Timeline, page 297 and page 341
What is oil?
These people built Chaco Canyon, where approximately 1,000 years ago more than 5,000 people lived in homes built of rock and mud in what we know today as the state of New Mexico.
Page 324
Who were the Ancient Puebloans?
Starting in the country of Mexico, this desert extends in to both the states of Texas and New Mexico.
Page 311
What is the Chihuahuan Desert?
This long stretch of water between United States and Mexico has been the source of many conflicts (disagreements) and compromises (cooperation) for decades.
Page 330
What is the Rio Grande River?
In this part of the Southwest, the climate is more humid than a desert and still hot.
Page 312
What is the Gulf Coast?
To conserve this precious natural resource, many people xeriscape their yards with cactus and other native desert plants.
Page 349
What is water?
Page 348
What is Kitt Peak Observatory?
This large arid (dry) and flat land has little vegetation or variation and stretches across parts of northern Arizona and wester New Mexico.
Page 311
What is the Colorado Plateau?
This human-made body of water sits on the border of the states of Arizona and Nevada.
Map, page 300
What is Lake Mead?
In 1985, she became the Chief of the Cherokee (Native American) Nation, which is in the state of Oklahoma.
Timeline, page 343
Who is Wilma Mankiller?
These are raised on ranches in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Map, page 314 and photo caption, page 301
What are sheep and cattle?
The long journey - which is now honored - made in the 1800s by thousands of Native Americans references the emotion "sad" because so many people died after being forced to leave their homes by the U.S. government.
Page 322
What is the Trail of Tears?
Many plants and animals - including tortoises - call this area in Southern Arizona home because of its hot, arid climate.
Pages 304-305, 311
What is the Sonoran Desert?
In this large canal or pipe that is popular in the Southwest, water is transported from dams to thirsty cities.
Page 313
What is an aqueduct?
This brightly colored food is popular in the Southwest, and it can be spicy!
Photo caption, page 315
What are peppers?
Many farmers in the Southwest use irrigation to transport this precious resource.
Photo caption, page 314
What is water?
In this national park in Texas, visitors may river raft.
Photo caption, page 331
What is Big Bend National Park?
In these areas of Oklahoma and Texas, grasses gross because the climate is wetter.
Page 311
What are plains?
The Hoover Dam sits along part of this important river, which helps create electricity and provides water.
Page 313
What is the Colorado River?
Because of its arid climate, many of these have been built to store water, where people also have fun boating, swimming, and rafting.
Page 313
What are reservoirs?
These minerals are mined in the state of Arizona.
Map, page 314
What are gold and copper?
This place honors Americans and Mexicans who fought over the water in the Rio Grande River.
Photo caption, page 333
What is the Chamizal National Memorial?