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Arizona & New Mexico

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Navajo Nation and Tribe - History for Kids

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The Navajo call themselves "Dine," which means "the People." Their land is referred to as "Dine Bikeyah," or "the land of the People." After the Navajo settled in the Southwest and gave up their nomadic way of life, they became sheepherders. Sheepherding is still an important part of Navajo life.

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video, will take some explaining from adults

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Southwest Indians - Pueblo - Native Americans in Olden Times for Kids

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Women taught the girls to cook and to make pottery. The men taught the boys how to hunt and weave. The kids had strong bonds with both parents, and a huge extended family that included grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Pueblo families shared their belongings. Kids did not have anything of their own.

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Ducksters

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Kids learn about Native American Indian Pueblo Tribe. Their history, language, clothing, food, homes, fun facts, and government.

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for kids

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Introduction | Pueblo Indian History for Kids

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This illustrated chronology for kids summarizes Pueblo Indian history in the American Southwest.

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Visit this site for history, facts and pictures of the 50 US State Flags. Pictures, history and descriptions of the State Flags of all 50 states. Pictures, history and symbolism of all 50 State Flags for kids.

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all 50 states

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Great site!

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Official state symbols, emblems, and icons of Arizona - places to see in Arizona - landmarks, parks, historic markers, cities and towns - learn the culture and history of Arizona!

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C/C states, animals, plants, weather, flags, etc.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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I observe, I wonder, I found out, I wonder

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Navajo code talkers sounds cool!

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To learn more about a place, immerse yourself in the literature of that region. I want to take you on a journey to the Southwestern part of the United States through literature written for children. Here are some selected books for young readers to delight, learn, challenge, and inspire.

(Alphabetized by author's last name)

*This book won the Belpre award from the American Library Association
in honor of the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library.

*****************************************************
Today's guest blogger is Dr. Marisa Macy, a writer from Las Cruces, New Mexico. She writes about early childhood topics. You can read more of her work at www.marisamacy.com. Her website is called, "Buttercup." Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC. If you'd like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at alscblog@gmail.com.

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Children's Literature of the Southwest - ALSC Blog

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To learn more about a place, immerse yourself in the literature of that region. I want to take you on a journey to the Southwestern part of the United States through literature written for children. Here are some selected books for young readers to delight, learn, challenge, and inspire.

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author website

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Awards

2004 Arizona Governor's Book Award

1996 Notable Books for a Global Society from the International Reading Association

1996 CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Center)

1996 Am&eacutericas Commended List

Confetti: Poems for Children
Lee & Low Books, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez
Download a hi-res jpeg of the book jacket.

Confeti: Poemas para Niños

In this joyful and spirited collection, award-winning poet Pat Mora and fine artist Enrique O. Sanchez celebrate the vivid landscape of the Southwest and the delightful rapport that children share with the natural world.

Through language that resounds with the harmony of both English and Spanish, Confetti is also an anthem to the power of a child's imagination and pride. It's a treasury to be shared with children everywhere.
I say yo soy libre
I am free
free, free,
free as confetti.
Highlighted Reviews
" Confeti: Poemas Para Niños is a collection of poems for children. The poems explore the world and imagination of a Mexican-American girl living in the Southwestern United States. Many of the poems are about nature. As seen in the cover, the illustrations are captivating, reflect the many colorful aspects of a child's imagination, and beautifully depict nature. The poems and illustrations in this book display the connections between the girl's perception of nature and the world around her. While some poems rhyme, most do not. There is a great deal of imaginative personification, which makes it fun and easy for children to use their own imagination. The poems, which include repeated lines, are easy for children to read and comprehend. Illustrations of brilliant color and design make the collection fun. This is a wonderful collection of poems for children."- Oneota Reading Journal
En Español

"Children will delight in the imagery and rhythm of these 13 lively, evocative poems."-"CCBC Choices 1996," Cooperative Children's Book Center

"This collection of poems is as much fun to look at as it is to read...A good choice for choral reading or for reading aloud."- Booklist

"Narrative poems in free verse capture the rhythms and uniqueness of the Southwest and its culture as seen through the eyes of a Mexican-American girl. ... A welcome addition."- School Library Journal

"This collection of poems which vibrantly reflects the Mexican American culture in the Southwest, appeals to the child in all of us. The lively rhythms, interspersed with Spanish words, depict the treasures of a child's life in the Southwest ... Recommended for all children's collections."- Review of Texas Books

"Mora's poems reflect vividly the Mexican-American culture and life in the desert Southwest. ... Pat Mora can evoke the desert and its features and creatures better than any other poet."-Mary Sarber, El Paso Herald Post

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Awards 2004 Arizona Governor's Book Award 1996 Notable Books for a Global Society from the International Reading Association 1996 CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Center) 1996 Am&eacutericas Commended List Confetti: Poems for Children Lee & Low Books, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez Download a hi-res jpeg of the book jacket.

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Every kid in Arizona has grown up on this book!

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The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell

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All 50 on this page

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Get facts and photos of the U.S. states and territories, and the District of Columbia.

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Kids learn about the Colorado River Toad. The largest native toad in the United States likes dry areas and deserts..

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Not all apply to the SW region, might confuse kids

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What animals live in the desert? How do animals survive in the desert? Learn about mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and amphibians that have adapted to the harsh desert ecosystems.

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National Park Service

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Plants & Animals - Science of the American Southwest (U.S. National Park Service)

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In the American Southwest, and across the continent, vegetation is a key component of vertebrate and invertebrate habitat. The photosynthetic process is fundamental to all ecosystems and provides the material base for energetic flow in the system. In addition, above-ground structures of vascular plants protect soil resources from erosion by water and wind.

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National Weather service site for kids

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Haboobs, Sun Dogs, Virga, Halos! Do you believe these are all words that describe various weather and atmospheric phenomena? Ever wonder about the ghostly precipitation that never makes it to the ground or on a summer night you wake up and the temperature has gone up 20 degrees in minutes or tornadoes over water or long pillars of multicolored light streaking the sky?

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Tornado Alley - Tree House Weather Kids - University of Illinois Extension

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The middle part of the United States is an area that has many tornadoes, particularly in the spring. This area is known as tornado alley. The reason is because it is an area where large cold air masses and large warm air masses collide.

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I love this guy!!

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Frommers Travel Guide

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The many charms of the Southwestern national parks, spiced with a lot of red rock and served with just a little bit of water, are gorgeous year-round. Here's where to go in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. From the wilds of West Texas to the Mojave Desert of California and that rugged quarter of the country in between, this swath of the U.S. remains untamed-and less crowded than some of the country's more famous national parks.

Photo: Park Avenue in Arches National Park in Utah

Every day during the busy season, rangers take visitors on guided hikes of the aptly named Fiery Furnace (pictured), a wonderland of red-rock formations in Arches National Park. (Tours often sell out; make reservations as far in advance as possible at www.recreation.gov.)

The Fiery Furnace is a maze-like network of deep slot canyons, featuring a number of rugged areas that require good boots and a fair amount of scurrying and squeezing. It's worth it: The route is populated by amazing arches and otherworldly landscapes around every corner.

Mesa Verde National Park attracts the crowds, but Hovenweep National Monument on the Utah-Colorado border offers a similar, bug-in-amber look at the life of the Anasazi people-without the modern bustle. You'll see into the past through a lens of the ruins of six villages built eight centuries ago. The largest such group of structures is the Square Tower Group; start here and hike the 2-mile loop trail for a view of multistory towers and castle-like lookouts. Cross into Colorado to see three other groups, then at the end of the day, head over to the Cajon Group (pictured) for a great vantage point to snap a picture of the sunset.

More Info: www.nps.gov/hove

Death Valley National Park is best visited before the summer heat arrives in full force. Get up early before the valley floor starts to sizzle, and visit Artist's Palette (pictured), one of the backdrops used in Star Wars when Death Valley stood in for Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine. After breakfast, head for the park's high country and hike to the summit of Telescope Peak, looming 11,331 feet above the valley floor's low point at Badwater (282 feet below sea level). The mountain sees its fair share of winter weather; spring hikes may involve crossing snowfields.

More Info: www.nps.gov/deva

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Best National Parks in the Southwest | Frommer's

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The many charms of the Southwestern national parks, spiced with a lot of red rock and served with just a little bit of water, are gorgeous year-round. Here's where to go in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah.

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Good pics, intro, some hotel advertising,

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Our research is editorially independent but we may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.

The American Southwest is filled with some of the country's most impressive national parks and monuments. One of the best ways to experience them is to head out on the road, an adventure of a lifetime with many destinations within relatively easy driving distance. From the Grand Canyon to fiery red rock landscapes and beyond, putting these must-visit parks and monuments on your itinerary is sure to make for the ultimate road trip.

Travel Deals

Save Up To $2,000 On Flights

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9 National Parks and Monuments in the American Southwest - TripsToDiscover

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The American Southwest is filled with some of the country's most impressive national parks and monuments. One of the best ways to experience them is to head out on the road, an adventure of a lifetime with many destinations within relatively easy driving distance. From the Grand Canyon to fiery red rock landscapes and beyond, [...]

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Higher level text, will need to read to/with students

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From towering peaks to deep basins, the southwestern region of the United States is home to a colorful assortment of distinctive landforms. The exact conclusion on which land areas constitute the southwestern region differs depending on the source, but it always includes the states of New Mexico and Arizona. Definitions of the Southwest may also include all or parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Texas and even Oklahoma.

The Rocky Mountains are an immense 3,000-mile chain extending through the western U.S. and Canada, and their southern portion covers segments of New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. In fact, the highest point in the entire chain is Colorado's Mt. Elbert, which rises to 4,399 meters (14,433 feet). Several subsidiary mountain ranges lie within the southern Rockies. Most notable are New Mexico's Jemez Mountains; the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which run in parallel curves through southern Colorado and northern New Mexico; and central Colorado's Front Range, which rises dramatically out of the flat terrain to its east. Other mountain ranges in the peripheral southwest states include California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, Utah's Wasatch Mountains and Texas's Guadalupe Mountains.

The southwestern U.S. landscape also features plateaus: elevated surfaces with relatively level tops. Arguably the most significant plateau in the Southwest is the Colorado Plateau, which covers nearly 337,000 square kilometers (130,000 square miles) in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. As with the Rocky Mountains, smaller plateaus are contained within the Colorado Plateau. For instance, the Kaibab Plateau adjoins Arizona's Grand Canyon and reaches a height of more than 2,804 meters (9,200 feet). The Paunsaugunt Plateau borders Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park, and the Grand Staircase comprises a linked series of plateaus between the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon.

Although much of the Southwest sits at high elevation and contains lofty mountain peaks, the region has lower-lying and flatter zones as well. The Great Basin, a bowl-like expanse interrupted by series of valleys and mountains, usurps most of Nevada as well as portions of Utah and California. The Badwater Basin within California's Death Valley is the lowest point in North America and lies within the Great Basin. On the opposite side of the region, the southern extent of the Great Plains -- America's breadbasket -- covers much of Texas and Oklahoma, plus the eastern third of Colorado and New Mexico.

The southwestern region's most famed canyon, the Grand Canyon, stretches for 446 kilometers (277 miles) along the Colorado River in northwestern Arizona. This canyon, among the most significant geological features on the planet, plunges more than 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) deep in spots. The other two most prominent canyons in the Southwest are southern Utah's Bryce Canyon and Zion Canyon, the latter of which is technically an escarpment, or steep slope, of Paunsaguant Plateau. One last major landform in the Southwest is Arizona's Mogollon Rim, a 610 meter (2,000 foot) high escarpment that forms the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau.

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From towering peaks to deep basins, the southwestern region of the United States is home to a colorful assortment of distinctive landforms. The exact conclusion on which land areas constitute the southwestern region differs depending on the source, but it always includes the states of New Mexico and Arizona.

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This place is amazing!!!! Good resources.

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Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ - Zoo, Botanical Garden and Art Gallery

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The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden, all in one place. Exhibits re-create the natural landscape of the Sonoran Desert Region with more than 300 animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants along almost 2 miles of paths traversing 21 acres of beautiful desert.

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University of Wisconson

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BOOKS:

Call No.: 811.008 Mya A collection of poems evocative of seven geographical regions of the United States, including the Northeast, Southeast, Great Lakes, Plains, Mountain, Southwest, and Pacific Coast States.

Call No.: 508.79 Wis Explores the Southwest region of the United States, looking at the major landmarks, biomes, ecosystems, and animals. Includes a related activity and quiz.

Call No.: 979 Fel Examines the Southwestern region of the United States, including the geography, climate, wildlife, history, economy, and more.

Call No.: 979 Rau Examines the Southwestern region of the United States, including the people, history, animals, resources, and economy.

VIDEO RECORDINGS:

Call No.: AV 917.9 JWM dvd Explores the history, culture, industry, and natural resources of the Southwest region of the United States, including Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Call No.: AV 970.4 Indians Explores how the Anasazi and other ancient desert tribes lived in the harsh conditions of the Southwestern United States.

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UWSSLEC LibGuides: 4th Grade U.S. Regions: Southwest

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BOOKS: Call No.: 811.008 Mya A collection of poems evocative of seven geographical regions of the United States, including the Northeast, Southeast, Great Lakes, Plains, Mountain, Southwest, and Pacific Coast States. Call No.: 508.79 Wis Explores the Southwest region of the United States, looking at the major landmarks, biomes, ecosystems, and animals.

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Some good stuff down at the bottom of the page

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The song above is all the states of the West, but the last few lines are devoted to the Southwest Region!