Georgia Regions and Habitats

							  Georgia
  Regions
and Habitats
 Gathered from the internet and adapted for use from another teacher.
             I apologize for not seeing a name to credit.
   Before we get
started, where in the
 world is Georgia?


   Do you know?
Georgia is in the Southeastern
part of the United States, on
the continent of North America.

                      There it is!
Georgia itself is
divided into
different regions.
Each region is
different from the
others in their own
The northern-most
part of Georgia is
called the
Mountain Region.
The central part of
Georgia is called
the   Piedmont
Region.
The southern-most
part of Georgia is
called the
Coastal Plain
Region.
Georgia borders
the Atlantic Ocean,
so it also has a
coastline and an
abundance of
barrier islands.
Neat!
Are you ready to find
out what makes each
region special?
Do you want to know
what kinds of plants
and animals might be
found in each?
Let’s start in
Georgia’s Mountain
Region!
Have you ever
been to the
mountains?


Let’s take a little
field trip, shall we?
The Georgia
Mountains…
The Georgia
Mountains…
•The elevation is higher, and it’s
shaded by trees. These things
make the temperature cooler.
•The terrain also makes it harder
to get around. Some people live in
the mountains, but it’s not highly
populated. Can you think of some
In the mountains, you
might see…..
          beautiful
          waterfalls.


          This is Amicola
          Falls in the North
In the mountains, you
might see…..




really tall trees like the Tulip
Poplar and the Hemlock.
You might also see
some cool animals
that call the Georgia
Mountains their home.
Let’s see what
we can find!
              Mudpuppies and
              American Toads are
              two amphibians
              which live in this
              habitat.

Both need to live by
mountain streams,
but they love to
hang out in the
woods!
Box Turtles and
Copperhead
Snakes are two
reptiles which live
in this mountain
habitat.
                      Can you think of a
                      reason why these
                      two would be
                      perfectly at home
                      in the woods?
Lots of animals love to
be high in the trees of
the Georgia Mountains!
Can you name these
three?
                    Black Bears,
                    Mountain Lions,
                    and Coyotes are
                    major predators
                    in the mountains!




They’re so furry!
The Black Vulture is
a scavenger that
keeps this habitat
clean- they have an
important job here!
Sadly, they were
almost wiped out
due to DDT- it made
their eggs too soft
to hatch. Now they
are on the
Humans’ use of DDT changed this
habit just enough to almost kill
off an entire species of bird.




Can you think of other ways
humans could possibly change
this habitat, thus affecting the
plants and animals that thrive
Hop back on the bus! It’s time to
leave the Mountain Region!




                   We’re heading
                   south to the
                   Piedmont
                   Region of
                   Georgia! Let’s
                   go!
The Piedmont
Region…
The Piedmont
Region…
•It’s farther south, so the
temperature is warmer than in the
mountains.
•The land consists of rolling hills,
lakes, and rivers.
•Atlanta is in the Piedmont,
In the Piedmont, you
might see…..
          lots of tall
          buildings and
          twisting
          highways.
          Hey… what’s that
          building with the
          gold dome?
In the Piedmont, you
might see…..




          Dogwood, Sweet
          Gum, and Hickory
          Trees!
Let’s see what animals
we can find here!


No hiking boots
needed this time!
We could use a canoe
though! Let’s check
out the lakes and
rivers first!
Near the Chattahoochee River and
Lake Lanier, we might find some
interesting critters! Water makes a
great habitat!
Snapping Turtles
and River Otters
thrive in the
Piedmont
Region.

                   Can you think of
                   some reasons why
                   these two would be
                   perfectly at home
                   in the water?
            The Piedmont is home
             to the Red-Cockaded
             Woodpecker and the
                Mourning Dove.




Peck, peck, peck,
peck, peck, peck,
peck…..
The Piedmont is also
home to White-tailed
Deer. They prefer wooded
areas, but as we continue
to populate the area, we
force them into unsafe
territory.

                 Don’t do it little
                 guy!
                 Look both ways!
As we increase the human population in
this region, we continue to push animals
out of their natural habitats. Here are some
coyotes in downtown Atlanta- if caught,
they are most likely re-released outside of
the state. They are not a threat to humans,
but they do prey upon family pets now that
we share a habitat with them.
Can you think of other ways
humans could possibly change
this habitat, thus affecting the
plants and animals that thrive
here? How can we protect the
environment?
Load up! Let’s head farther south
into the Coastal Plain Region! It’s
a big region, so we have lots to
explore!




                    Coastal Plain
The Coastal Plain
Region…
The Coastal Plain
Region…
•It makes up southern Georgia, so
it’s the warmest region of the
state.
•The land is flat, and the soil is
mostly sandy. This creates a
unique environment for many
different plants and animals.
In the Coastal Plain,
you might see…..
           a lack of hills and
           an abundance of
           water. Actually,
           most of the water
           is on the east
           side of the state.
           The western side
           is pretty, but flat.
In the Coastal Plain,
you might see…..
          marshes and
          swamps. The
          Okefenokee
          Swamp one of the
          largest swamps in
          the U.S. and is a
          habitat for many
          different species of
The
Okefenokee
Swamp is
obviously a
very wet,
mucky place   Most trees
to be!        would drown in
              this habitat, but
              not the Cypress-
              it loves all that
              muck!
That muck is
also a great
habitat for
American
Alligators. They
call the swamps
Want to go for a little swim???
          (I’ll pass!)
Since
mosquitoes
need warm
temperatures
and water in
which to lay
their eggs….   The swamps are a
               perfect habitat for
                the little blood-
                suckers! Ouch!
      Closer to the
      coast, there are
      lots of tall pines
      and Saw
      Palmettos.
Georgia’s
state bird, the
Brown
Thrasher,
might nest in
trees like
                      If I were a bird, I’d
                      make my home in
                      one of Georgia’s
                      Live Oaks! (It’s
                      the Georgia State
It has lots of huge   Tree!)
branches to
choose from, and
the moss that
grows on them
would make
perfect nesting
Wire grass and sea
weed are two type of
vegetation that
abound near the
coast.
                  Southern Toads love the
                  nestle among the vegetation
                  and catch mosquitoes!
                  Yummy!
Double-crested Cormorants, Snowy
Egrets, and Blue Heron love to live near
the coastal waters.
          Can you guess why?
This region is also home to the
   venomous Coral Snake!




 Red on black, friend of Jack.
  Red on yellow, kill a fellow!
                   The Little Grass
                   Frog is one of the
                   tiniest critters that
                   live in this coastal
                   habitat.


The armadillo is one of
the most unique
animals that make this
region their home.
(They just don’t fare so
Can you brainstorm some things
that humans might do to try to
conserve this habitat for all of the
plants and animals that live here?
 Where the warm, salty waters of
the Atlantic Ocean meet our state,
 a very unique habitat is created.




  Welcome to the beaches and
   barrier islands of Georgia!
Jekyll Islalnd and St.
 Simon’s Island are
two of many barrier
   islands along
  Georgia’s coast.

                   Let’s make our field
                      trip a bit more
                        interesting!
                         Want to?
To see some of Georgia’s coolest
animals, we’ll need one of these!
   Sub=Below Marine=Water
 The Right Whale is Georgia’s State
            Mammal!




They were named “Right” because when
  they were hunted long ago, they were
 easy to catch, they floated when killed,
and they held lots of oil and meat. They
 were just right for hunting. Sadly, they
Pilot Whales
     and
 Bottlenose
Dolphins also
 live in this
   habitat!      Ok, so this habitat
                extends beyond our
                  state, but we are
                  lucky enough to
                have these animals
                call Georgia waters
  Loggerhead Sea
Turtles and Manatees
can also be found in
     waters off of
  Georgia’s coast!
   Both are also          Manatees like to
    considered           swim close to the
   endangered.             surface, and so
                         many get killed or
                       injured by boats. Sea
                        turtles are caught in
                          fishing traps and
Can you think of other ways that
humans put the sea creatures in
            danger?
Can you think of some ways we
   can try to protect them?
I hope you enjoyed our field trip
   through Georgia’s Habitats!




Keep going for some cool ideas
to take your learning to the next
              level!
 Think about the features that some
  animals have that make them feel
perfectly at home in one of Georgia’s
               habitats.
Can you design or create a brand new
animal that has similar features so that
 they could survive happily in one of
         Georgia’s habitats?
  Which of Georgia’s regions is your
 favorite? Which of these regions has
plants, animals, and climate you would
      enjoy learning more about?
Create a 3-D Diorama ( no bigger than
a man’s shoebox) of one of Georgia’s
  habitats. What animals and plants
  must you include to make it seem
            more life-like?
Use your Georgia this power point,
habitats booklet, and sites linked
on Bandy’s website to gather the
information you need to make your
diorama. Your focus for this
project is to make a habitat with a
“star” animal within a Georgia
region. Plants and other animals
should those found in that region.
PROJECT NOTEBOOK
Page 1- Title page: detailed, related colored
picture and title of project

Page 2-Make a list of animals that don’t live
in any of Georgia’s habitats.
Write a paragraph: Why do they not live here?
Why are they not suited to any of the habitats
here?
Page 3 – Make a list of plants and animals
that do belong in the Georgia region you
have chosen to research.

Write a paragraph telling why do they live
there? Why are they suited to live in the
Georgia region you have created? Could
they live in any other place?
Page 4 – Using facts you have learned
about Georgia regions, write a narrative
story from the viewpoint of the focus
animal in your diorama.

Your story should include facts about
the region and life in that region in a
creative manner! You may brainstorm
and gather ideas for this page at home
but the story must be written at school.
Extension 1: Create a web
    coming ….. Not due til 20th
    Other components need to be complete
first
Extension 2: Habitats disappearing
   coming ….. Not due til 20th
   Other components need to be complete first
Project Due Dates
Due date for diorama Sept 15
        complete at HOME

Due date for notebook Sept 15
        complete at HOME and school

Due date for story Sept 16
        complete IN SCHOOL

Extensions due: Sept 20
        explanation coming