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  • Fall
  • 2025
  • » High Plains Ecoregion
  • Fall
  • 2025

High Plains Ecoregion

Texas is home to 10 different Gould’s ecoregions as seen on the map above. Ecoregions are areas of land that share similar climate, topography, and soils. In this series, we will dive into each of Texas’ 10 ecoregions one Critter Connections issue at a time. Next up – the High Plains!
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Classroom Lessons

Take your Critter Connections beyond science and reading with additional enrichment resources!

K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Observations with Leopold
Students will recognize Aldo Leopold as a famous conservationist and discover the methods he used to collect data through observation. These methods include the use of his senses and standard and non-standard measurement.

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6, 7, 8
Observations with Leopold
Students will recognize Aldo Leopold as a famous conservationist as they distinguish between observations he used to collect data, including both qualitative and quantitative information.

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K, 1, 2, 3
Texas Ecoregion Puzzle
Students will identify the basic needs of various animals in the ecoregions of Texas while emphasizing good stewardship practices.

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4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Texas Ecoregion Puzzle
Students will identify animals, plants, and habitats that exist among the ecoregions of Texas. Ecoregion biodiversity will provide reasons for making good choices regarding stewardship practices.

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RELATED VIDEO LESSONS

Distance Learning

Bring wildlife into your classroom with on-demand programs designed for K-8 students! Videos are 15-45 minutes long and are available 24/7. All programs include interactive questions and follow-along worksheets that are aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards.

More Videos
⏱︎ 17 min.

Prairie Dogs & Grassland Ecosystems

Explore prairie dog adaptations and discover their role as a keystone species in grassland ecosystems and underground habitats, providing shelter for several species and acting as a food source for predators.

Watch Now
⏱︎ 13 min.

Food Chain Fun

Discover the basic need of food and explore how energy flows from producers to consumers and decomposers, then identify the components of an ecosystem and witness the effects of a broken food chain.

Watch Now

External Resources

Answer Key – High Plains Food Web
  • Texas Wildlife Association
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Body Diagrams & Habitat Posters
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Coloring Page
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Drawing Lesson
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Labeling Page
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Maze
  • Exploring Nature
Burrowing Owl Coloring Page
  • Exploring Nature
Burrowing Owl Coloring Page, Prairie
  • Exploring Nature
Burrowing Owl Drawing Lesson
  • Exploring Nature
Gould Ecoregions of Texas
  • Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
High Plains Pop-up Craft Coloring Page
  • Texas Wildlife Association
Land of 20,000 Lakes: The Texas High Plains
  • Panhandle PBS
Pecos and Staked Plains of the Texas Panhandle
  • Exploring Nature
Playa Lakes
  • Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Rattlesnake Coloring Page
  • Exploring Nature
Rattlesnake Drawing Lesson
  • Exploring Nature
Rattlesnake Labeling Page
  • Exploring Nature
Texas Bird Bingo
  • Audubon Texas, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Texas Habitats Coloring Pages (3): Hill Country, Panhandle, Pineywoods
  • Exploring Nature
Texas Habitats Labeling Pages (3): Hill Country, Panhandle and Prairie, Pineywoods
  • Exploring Nature
Texas Bird Bingo
  • Audubon Texas, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Answer Key – High Plains Food Web
  • Texas Wildlife Association
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Coloring Page
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Drawing Lesson
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Labeling Page
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Maze
  • Exploring Nature
Burrowing Owl Coloring Page
  • Exploring Nature
Burrowing Owl Coloring Page, Prairie
  • Exploring Nature
Burrowing Owl Drawing Lesson
  • Exploring Nature
High Plains Pop-up Craft Coloring Page
  • Texas Wildlife Association
Rattlesnake Coloring Page
  • Exploring Nature
Rattlesnake Drawing Lesson
  • Exploring Nature
Rattlesnake Labeling Page
  • Exploring Nature
Texas Habitats Coloring Pages (3): Hill Country, Panhandle, Pineywoods
  • Exploring Nature
Texas Habitats Labeling Pages (3): Hill Country, Panhandle and Prairie, Pineywoods
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
  • Exploring Nature
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Body Diagrams & Habitat Posters
  • Exploring Nature
Pecos and Staked Plains of the Texas Panhandle
  • Exploring Nature
Playa Lakes
  • Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Gould Ecoregions of Texas
  • Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Land of 20,000 Lakes: The Texas High Plains
  • Panhandle PBS

Additional Subjects

Word Bank

Aquatic:

lives in, or is found in, water

Ectothermic:

critters whose body temperature is controlled by its surroundings; cold-blooded

Keystone Ecosystem:

an ecosystem that provides crucial resources for a wide variety of plants and animals

Keystone Species:

an animal or plant that holds their food web together

Metamorphosis:

the process by which a critter grows and changes

Symbiotic Relationship:

a close relationship between two different critters

Topography:

an area’s physical shape; for example rivers, hills, and valleys
  • Identify how people in different regions of Texas earn their living, past and present.
  • Explain how physical geographic factors such as climate and natural resources have influenced the location of economic activities in Texas.
  • Identify the effects of exploration, immigration, migration, and limited resources on the economic development and growth of Texas.
  • Explain how developments in transportation and communication have influenced economic activities in Texas.
  • Find your county on the Gould Ecoregion map.
    • Which ecoregion do you live in?
  • Identify, locate, describe, and compare the physical regions of Texas.
    • Examples include Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, and Coastal Plains.
    • Include characteristics such as landforms, climate, vegetation, and economic activities.
  • Identify cities within the High Plains Ecoregion.
    • Explain the geographic factors such as landforms and climate that influence patterns of settlement and the distribution of population in Texas, past and present.
    • Identify and explain patterns of settlement such as the location of towns and cities in Texas at different time periods.
  • Identify ways in which Texans have adapted to and modified the environment, past and present.
    • Examples include timber clearing, agricultural production, wetlands drainage, energy production, and construction of dams.
    • Explain and compare the positive and negative consequences of human modification of the environment in Texas, past and present.
    • Explain why people have adapted to and modified their environment in Texas, past and present, such as the use of natural resources to meet basic needs, facilitate transportation, and enhance recreational activities.
  • Explain ways in which geographic factors have affected the political, economic, and social development of Texas.
    • Examples include the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the Dust Bowl, limited water resources, and alternative energy sources.
  • Grades 4 and 7

Bring More Wildlife to Your Classroom

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Edwards Plateau Ecoregion

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  • 2024

Cross Timbers Ecoregion

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  • Fall
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Blackland Prairie Ecoregion

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Close & Re-Register

High Plains Ecoregion

Texas is home to 10 different Gould’s ecoregions as seen on the map above. Ecoregions are areas of land that share similar climate, topography, and soils. In this series, we will dive into each of Texas’ 10 ecoregions one Critter Connections issue at a time. Next up – the High Plains!
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