The Magnificent Rocky Mountain Region

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

You may be surprised to find out that the Rocky Mountains contain 100 summits (or mountain peaks).

All these peaks reach up to 12,290 feet of elevation!

• Can you think of anything higher than that?

The Rocky Mountains are located in the Rocky Mountain Region. Take a look at the map below to see which states fall in this region.

This region is divided into three sections.

Southern Rockies

• New Mexico
• Colorado
• South Wyoming

Middle Rockies

• Northeast Utah
• West Wyoming

Northern Rockies

• North Central Idaho
• Northwest Wyoming
• West Montana

The summits, or mountain peaks, are higher in the Southern Rockies than in the Northern Rockies.

• Why do you think this is true?

This mountainous region creates what’s known as the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide separates rivers that drain into the Atlantic and Arctic oceans from those draining into the Pacific Ocean.

Major Landforms

Sawatch Mountains

Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive are the highest peaks in these mountains in Colorado.

Yellowstone National Park

• This national park is located in three states: Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
• It includes mountain ranges, trenches, and valleys.
• The Rocky Mountain Trench and Purcell Trench are distinct trenches in the park.

Other Landforms

• glaciers and icefields
• hot springs
• mountain lakes
• caves

The Rocky Mountains contain the deepest cave in North America, called Tears of the Turtle Cave, in Montana.

• Considering all these landforms, how might these natural creations affect the weather in the Rocky Mountains?
• How might the weather influence the people living in the mountains?

Climate

The Rocky Mountain Region experiences highland climates. This means that as altitudes increase, the climate changes.

The weather can be unpredictable, and change can come suddenly. The temperature is typically mild in the summer, and the winter produces heavy snow. In the spring, there is a lot of precipitation.

However, with any season in this region, the weather can take a turn in seconds. It may be sunny one minute and storming the next. The same is true with snow. It may be calm in the morning, but the afternoon may see hazardous blizzards.

Minerals

• lead
• zinc
• copper
• silver
• gold
• oil (though this has been in decline since the 1980s)

For more information about this region of the country, watch the following video and take notes of interesting facts you learn.

 Continue to the Got It? section to show off what you learned!