Georgia Regions and Habitats

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Georgia Regionsand Habitats
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Before we get started, where in the world is
Georgia?Do you know?
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Georgia is in the Southeastern part of the United
States, on the continent of North America.
There it is!
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Georgia itself is divided into different regions.
Each region is different from the others in their
own special ways.
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The northern-most part of Georgia is called the
Mountain Region.
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The central part of Georgia is called the
Piedmont Region.
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The southern-most part of Georgia is called the
Coastal Plain Region.
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Georgia borders the Atlantic Ocean, so it also
has a coastline and an abundance of barrier
islands. Neat!
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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?
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Lets start in Georgias Mountain Region! Have
you ever been to the mountains? Lets take a
little field trip, shall we?
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The Georgia Mountains
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• The Georgia Mountains
• The land is higher, and shaded by trees. That
  makes it cooler.
• The ground is harder. Some people live in the
  mountains, but not a lot. Why do you think fewer
  people live in that region?

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In the mountains, you might see
beautiful waterfalls. This is Amicola Falls in
the North Georgia Mountains.
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In the mountains, you might see...
really tall trees like the Tulip Poplar and the
Hemlock.
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You might also see cool animals that call the
Georgia Mountains home. Lets see what
we can find!
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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!
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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?
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A lot of animals love to be high in the trees of
the Georgia mountains! Can you name these three?
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Black bears, mountain lions, and coyotes are
major predators in the mountains.
Theyre so furry! Why??
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• Did you know
• the black vulture is a scavenger,
• it helps clean this region,
• it was almost made extinct by chemicals,
• its on the comeback list.

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Humans use of that chemical, called DDT, changed
this habit. It almost killed off an entire bird
species. How else could humans hurt the habitat
and change the animal life?
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Hop back on the bus! Its time to leave the
mountain region!
Were heading south to the Piedmont region of
Georgia! Lets go!
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The Piedmont Region
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• The Piedmont region
• Its farther south, so the temperature is warmer
  than in the mountains.
• The land is rolling hills, lakes, and rivers.
• Atlanta is in the Piedmont, making it the highest
  populated region of Georgia. Why?

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In the Piedmont, you might see..

• lots of tall buildings and highways.
• Whats that building with the gold dome?
• Youve been there ?

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In the Piedmont, you might see..
Dogwood, Sweet Gum, and Hickory Trees!
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Lets see what animals we can find here! No
hiking boots needed this time!

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We could use a canoe though! Lets check out the
lakes and rivers first!

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Near the Chattahoochee River and Lake Lanier, we
might find some interesting critters! Water
makes a great habitat!
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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?
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The Piedmont is home to the Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker and the Mourning Dove.

Peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck..
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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.

Dont cross the road! Look out for cars!
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As we take over animal habitats, we push animals
out. Here are coyotes in downtown Atlanta. When
caught, they are given freedom outside of
Georgia.


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Load up! Lets head farther south into the
Coastal Plain region! Its a big region, so we
have lots to explore!
Coastal Plain
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The Coastal Plain Region
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• The Coastal Plain Region
• southern Georgia,
• warmest region of the state,
• the land is flat, the soil is mostly sandy,
• a unique environment for many different plants
  and animals.
• a great region in which to vacation in. Why?

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In the Coastal Plain, you might see
few hills and a lot of water. Most of the water
is on the east side of the state. The western
side is pretty, but flat.
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In the Coastal Plain, you might see
marshes and swamps. The Okefenokee Swamp one of
the largest swamps in the U.S.
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The Okefenokee Swamp is a very wet, mucky place!
Most trees would drown in this habitat, but not
the Cypress- it loves all that muck!
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That muck is also a great habitat for American
Alligators.
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Want to go for a little swim?
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Since mosquitoes need warm temperatures and water
in which to lay their eggs
The swamps are a perfect habitat for them.
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Closer to the coast, there are lots of tall
pines and Saw Palmettos.
Georgias state bird, the Brown Thrasher, might
nest in trees like these!
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If I were a bird, Id make my home in one of
Georgias Live Oaks! (Its the Georgia State
Tree!)
It has lots of huge branches to choose from and
the moss that grows on them is great for nesting.
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Wire grass and sea weed are two types of
vegetation that abound near the coast.
Southern Toads love the nestle among the
vegetation and catch mosquitoes! Yummy!
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Double-crested Cormorants, Snowy Egrets, and Blue
Heron love to live near the coastal waters. Can
you guess why?
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This region is also home to the venomous Coral
Snake!
Red on black, friend of Jack. Red on yellow, kill
a fellow!
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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.
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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?
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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!
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Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island are two of
many barrier islands along Georgias coast.
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To see some of Georgias coolest animals, well
need one of these! SubBelow MarineWater
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• The Right Whale
• They were named Right because
  when they were hunted long ago, they were just
  right for killing
• they were easy to catch,
• floated when killed,
• held lots of oil and meat.
• They were almost hunted to extinction.

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Pilot Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins also live in
the GA Ocean habitat!
We are lucky to have these animals call Georgia
waters home.
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Loggerhead Sea Turtles and Manatees can also be
found in waters off of Georgias coast! Both are
considered endangered.
Manatees like to swim close to the surface, many
are killed or injured by boats. Sea turtles are
often caught in fishing traps and nets.
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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?
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I hope you enjoyed our field trip through
Georgias Habitats!
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Which of Georgias regions is your favorite?
Write about what you love about it! If you could
be one of the many animals that live in Georgia,
which would you be? Write about a day in your
life as that animal.
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Make a list of animals that dont live in any of
Georgias habitats. Why do they not live here?
Why are they not suited to any of the habitats
here?
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Think about the features that some animals have
that make them feel perfectly at home in one of
Georgias habitats. Can you design or create a
brand new animal that has similar features so
that they could survive happily in one of
Georgias habitats?
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Create a 3-D Diorama of one of Georgias
habitats. What animals and plants must you
include to make it seem more life-like?
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Make posters to hang around the school
encouraging others to keep our environment clean.
Organize a team to periodically clean up garbage
around your school.
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Research ways in which we have impacted the
environment locally, thus making it harder for
plants or animals to survive. What steps can we
take to improve the environments for these
organisms?
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Take a trip to Zoo Atlanta! The zoo has many
wonderful animals that dont normally live in
Georgia. What special things must the zoo do in
order to make them feel like they are in their
natural habitats while they are in Georgia?
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