Geographic Regions and Backyard Geology Student Worksheet

Explore the Tapestry Map as you answer the questions below to get to know the topography and geology of your country, state, and backyard! Since the Tapestry map doesn’t have place names listed on it, look at the political map when you need to describe a location.

This map is a combination of two maps: a topographic map that shows the shape of the Earth’s surface and a geologic map that shows the age of rocks exposed at the Earth's surface. Shading on the sides of slopes shows topography on this map. Colors show the different ages of rock exposed at or near the surface of the land. Rocks of different ages are listed in different colors but those are not even close to the colors of the actual rocks!

Part 1: Getting to Know the Tapestry Map

1. There are

__ Mountains
__ Hills
__ Flat plains
__ Coastlines
In my part of the country. (Check the box or boxes that makes the statement true.)

2. Generally, my part of the country is

__ More mountainous
__ More flat
Than most other parts of the country. (Check the box or boxes that makes the statement true.)

Look at the key to the colors of the right side of the map.

4. What colors are the older rocks? _________________________

5. What colors are the younger rocks? _________________________

6. The oldest rocks are found in the: (Check the box that makes the statement true.)

__ Southeast
__ Southwest
__ Northwest
__ Northeast
__ North central
__ South central

7. The youngest rocks are found in the: (Check the box that makes the statement true.)

__ Southeast
__ Southwest
__ Northwest
__ Northeast
__ North central
__ South central

Part 2: My State

8. The rocks in my state come from several different time periods including:

 

 

 

9. There are no rocks exposed at the surface in my state from the following time periods:

 

 

 

10. The rocks under my house are probably from the time period called: ____________
(It is colored _____________ on the map.)

 

 

11. The rocks under my house are between ____________ and ___________ years old (approximately).

12. Rocks of the same age as those that are found under my house are found in other parts of the country too. They are found in these parts of the country too:

__ Southeast
__ Southwest
__ Northwest
__ Northeast
__ North central
__ South central

Part 3: Where I'd like to live someday...

13. Someday I might like to live in ______________ (choose a state, area, or city)

The rocks there are

__ Younger than
__ Older than
__ The same age as
the rocks under my current house. (Check the box that makes the statement true.)

14. The rocks in that place come from several different time periods including:

 

 

 

15. There are no rocks exposed at the surface of that place from the following time periods:

 

 

 

16. Generally, that part of the country is

__ More mountainous
__ More flat
than where I live now. (Check the box that makes the statement true.)


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