Prairie Grasslands

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A Sea of Grass
Social Studies Power Point By Ms. Cozzie
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Prairie Grasslands

• What is a prairie?
• A large area of flat or rolling grass, mainly
  treeless and located in the large plain of
  central North America. There are also specific
  animals and plants that live in this habitat.
• Where are prairie grasslands located on a map?

- This map shows the locations of prairie
grasslands. The brown features show the major
prairie areas.
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Today's "Super" Social Studies LessonChapter 8
"A Sea of Grass" Pg. 33

• After todays lesson you will learn
• Where a prairie town is located
• What animals live there and what they do to
  protect themselves
• What it was like before the settlers came across
  these lands
• What happened when the settlers settled these
  lands
• What the journey out west through the grasslands
  was like

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A Brief History Video of the North American
Grasslands
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What would you see if you were standing in a
prairie?

• A.) Tress everywhere
• B.) Rivers and Lakes
• C.) Grass and hills everywhere
• D.) Dinosaurs grazing the land
• - This is how the prairie looked when the
  settlers were traveling through the prairie land
  to move out west.

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What would you see if you were standing in a
prairie?

• A.) Tress everywhere
• B.) Rivers and Lakes
• C.) Grass and hills everywhere
• D.) Dinosaurs grazing the land

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The Correct Answer is.

• C.) Grass and hills everywhere

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Before Settlers vs. After Settlers

• Before
• - A lot of animal life
• -All grass areas
• After
• - Farms and ranches
• are now built up
• - Roads go through the land
• leading to the west

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Why did the setellers name prairies"A Sea of of
Grass"?

• When the settlers made the big journey out west,
  they traveled hundreds of miles of all
  grasslands. They thought it was similar to the
  journey across the sea. Hence the name sea of
  grass.

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Life on the Trail to the West through the Prairie
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2 Different Kinds of Prairies

• Short-grasslands
• Short-grass dry areas of grass, with hotter
  summers and colder winters than the tall-grass
  prairie. There prairies are located more towards
  the rocky mountain because of the climate change.
  

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2 Different Kinds of Prairies

• Tall-grasslands
• Tall-grass Wet and very humid areas. This helps
  the grass grow faster and higher.

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What are short-grass prairies like?

• A.) Tall and wet
• B.) Grass with rivers throughout the land
• C.) Dry with climate changing features
• D.) Land covered with grass and polar bears

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What are short-grass prairies like?

• A.) Tall and wet
• B.) Grass with rivers throughout the land
• C.) Dry with climate changing features
• D.) Land covered with grass and polar bears

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Prairie Wild Life

• When the settlers first founded the prairies they
  contained more than 80 species of animals and 300
  species of birds, and hundreds of species of
  plants.
• Prey Animal hunted or caught for prey
• Predator An organism that lives by preying on
  other organisms. One that victimizes, plunders,
  or destroys, especially for one's own gain.

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Prey vs. Predator
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Prairie Animals

• Buffalo, antelope, prairie dogs, and coyotes are
  the main animals who live in the prairies. There
  are still over 300 other species of animals that
  call the prairie their home.

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Animals of the North American Grasslands
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Which animal is a predator?

• A.) Dinosaur
• B.) Coyote
• C.) Prairie Dog
• D.) Prairie Snake

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Which animal is a predator?

• A.) Dinosaur
• B.) Coyote
• C.) Prairie Dog
• D.) Prairie Snake

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The Life of a Prairie Dog

• The prairie dogs protect themselves by living
  together as families, in holes they have dug deep
  in the grasslands.

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A day in the Shoes of a Prairie Dog
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Why do you think the prairie is a perfect place
for the prairie dog to live?

• A.) They can go swimming deep underground
• B.) It is underground so the predators cant get
  in and harm them
• C.) There are not a lot of rooms in their home
• D.) Prairie dogs do not live in the prairie

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Why do you think the prairie is a perfect place
for the prairie dog to live?

• A.) They can go swimming deep underground
• B.) It is underground so the predators cant get
  in and harm them
• C.) There are not a lot of rooms in their home
• D.) Prairie dogs do not live in the prairie

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Check Understanding!!!!!

• Where is a prairie located?
• What animals live there?
• How do they protect themselves from predators?
• How are forests and prairies different?
• Why did the settlers call it A Sea of Grass?