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Discover how people adapt to dry climates and extract valuable minerals from the earth.
Imagine living in a place so dry that it only rains a few inches a year, yet you can still find 'black gold' underground and grow giant fields of green crops. How do people turn a dusty desert into a land of riches?
The Southwest region of the United States includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. This area is famous for its arid climate, which means it is very dry with very little rain. Because it is so dry, much of the land is a desert. In the desert, plants and animals have to find special ways to survive the heat. Temperatures can often soar above during the day! Even though it looks empty, this land is full of hidden treasures called natural resources.
Quick Check
What does the word 'arid' tell us about the climate in the Southwest?
Answer
It means the climate is very dry with very little rainfall.
The Southwest is like a giant treasure chest. Deep in the earth, miners find minerals that we use every day. Copper is a shiny, reddish-orange metal used for electrical wires and pennies. Silver is used for beautiful jewelry and even in some electronics. Perhaps the most famous resource is oil, often called 'black gold' because it is so valuable. We use oil to make gasoline for cars and to create plastics. These resources bring many jobs to the region and help power the entire country.
1. Look at a copper penny. 2. That metal likely came from a large 'open-pit' mine in a state like Arizona. 3. Arizona produces about of the copper in the United States!
Quick Check
Which mineral found in the Southwest is often called 'black gold'?
Answer
Oil
How do people grow food in a place with so little rain? They use irrigation. Irrigation is a way of bringing water from distant rivers or underground wells to dry fields using pipes, canals, and sprinklers. The Colorado River is a major source of water for the Southwest. By 'moving' the water, farmers can grow crops like cotton, citrus fruits, and hay in the middle of the desert. Without irrigation, many of the big cities in the Southwest, like Phoenix or Las Vegas, could not exist!
Imagine a farm is miles away from a river. 1. Engineers build a long concrete ditch called a canal. 2. Gravity or pumps move the water down the canal. 3. Smaller pipes take the water directly to the roots of the plants. 4. This allows the farmer to grow acres of crops even if it never rains!
If a city needs gallons of water and a farm needs gallons, but the river only has gallons, leaders must decide how to share. This is called water conservation. 1. The city might limit watering lawns. 2. The farm might use 'drip irrigation' to save water. 3. Both groups work together to make sure the gallons lasts all year.
Which of these states is part of the Southwest region?
What is the main purpose of irrigation?
Copper is a mineral used for electrical wiring that is commonly mined in the Southwest.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to name the three main minerals found in the Southwest and explain to a friend how a canal helps a farmer.
Practice Activity
Look around your house for items made of copper or plastic (which comes from oil). Make a list of how many Southwest resources you use every day!