West Region Lesson

West Region Lesson

By Miss Rogers

​

• Califor​nia

• Nevada

• Utah

• Colorado

• Wyoming

• Montana

​

The West

• ​Idaho

• Oregon

• Washington

• Alaska

• Hawaii​

​The West region of the U.S. is made up of eleven states;

Multiple Choice

True or False: Alaska is one of the states in the West region.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

There are ____ states in the West region.

• 5

• 9

• 10

• 11

​The History

Alaska and Hawaii are part of the West

region, but are not part of the contiguous

(connected) United States.

​

The contiguous western states have been populated by Native Americans since at least 11,000 BC.

​

Alaska’s history goes back even further than that. Around 14,000 BC nomads crossed an ancient land bridge that connected Asia and North America at that time.

​In modern history, Europeans made contact with the native people living on the Hawaiian Islands when Captain James Cook arrived in 1778.

In the late 1700s, Europeans also made contact in Alaska when Russians moved into the area. Over 80% of the native Inuit people died due to exposure to diseases for which they had no immunity.

​

For the contiguous western states, there was a major population boom in the mid-1800s. It began with the Oregon Trail, which was a 2,200 mile long wagon trail. That route began in Missouri and led settlers all the way to the Oregon valleys. The California Gold Rush also brought around 300,000 people west. They were called forty-niners, from ‘1849’ when many individuals arrived. They were hoping to strike it rich by panning or mining for gold.

Multiple Select

Which two states are not part of the contiguous United States?

• Hawaii

• Utah

• Oregon

• Alaska

• Colorado

Multiple Choice

True or False: There are 50 contiguous (connected) states in the United States.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

Which of the following are two reasons for a major population increase in the West region?

• The California Gold Rush

• The Oregon Trail

• The Film Industry

• The Continental Divide

​Climate

​The West is the largest of the five regions of the United States. It is also very spread out so the climate varies greatly in this region.

The lower coastal areas along the Pacific Ocean have very warm summers and mild winters.

The northwest states like Washington and Oregon usually don’t have extreme temperatures. It isn’t normally really hot or really cold there but they can get a lot of rain.

Inland states with mountains such as Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Colorado can get quite cold during the winter months at higher elevations. ​

Much of Nevada and Utah are dry desert. The climate there does not offer much precipitation.

​Alaska is the northern-most state in the United States. Since it is so far from the equator it is also the coldest state. Alaska receives a lot of precipitation throughout the year in the form of rain and lots of snow. Alaska has short summers and very long winters.

​

In contrast, Hawaii is the state located closest to the equator. As a result, it

is warm all year round. Hawaii also

receives a lot of precipitation. The

rains are heavy during the wet

season which lasts from October

until April.

Multiple Choice

The northern-most state in the United States is ______.

• Utah

• Washington

• Montana

• Alaska

Multiple Choice

True or False: Since Hawaii is located closest to the equator, it is warm all year round.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Both Hawaii and Alaska receive a lot of precipitation.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The West region climate is very ______.

• hot

• dry

• diverse

• cold

​The Land

​The West region has many mountain ranges. The longest mountain range is the Rocky Mountains which are over 3,000 miles long! Also called the Rockies, this range begins in Canada and stretches all the way down to New Mexico in the Southwest region of the United States.

Other large mountain ranges include the Sierra Nevada, located mostly in California, and the Cascade Range. Also called the Cascades, this range extends from Canada down through Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Mountains are also found in both Hawaii and Alaska.

​The Great Basin lies between the Sierra Nevada

and Rocky Mountains. The basin is a very large,

mostly dry area. It is about 200,000 square

miles of desert.

​

In addition to mountains and deserts, much of the land

in the west is covered with forests. For example,

about 45% of California’s surface area is covered by

forests. It contains more forestland than any other

state except Alaska.​

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​Alaska is connected by land to Canada and sits across a narrow sea from Russia.

​

Alaska is the largest state in the United States. Its land is more than twice the size of Texas. Alaska has mountains and flat land but very little farming takes place due to the cold climate. The short 100 day growing season limits the crops that can be grown.​

​Since Hawaii and Alaska are located so far away from the other states, the land there is very different as well. Hawaii is made up of eight main islands and many smaller islands. The islands were formed by volcanoes that erupted a long time ago. The land in Hawaii is made up of sandy beaches, tropical rainforests, mountains and volcanoes.

Today, two Hawaiian volcanoes are

active above ground and one is

active underwater.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a mountain range in the west region?

• Rocky Mountains (Rockies)

• Cascade Range

• Appalachians

• Sierra Nevada

Multiple Choice

Which state covers the MOST forestland in the United States?

• California

• Utah

• Alaska

• Texas

Multiple Choice

True or False: Alaska is the largest state.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Due to its long growing season, a lot of farming takes place in Alaska.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The land in Hawaii does NOT include...

• Tropical Rainforests

• Mountains

• Volcanoes

• Deserts

• Sandy Beaches

​Economy

​The location of so many states along the Pacific Ocean plays a big part in the

economy of this region. Fishing is important to many state and local economies along the Pacific Ocean. Deep-sea fisherman catch crab, tuna and cod off the coasts of Alaska, Washington and Oregon. There are also many ports along the Pacific coast that are important to the economy. Ships full of food or products dock at the ports. This access allows the United states to easily trade goods with other countries.

​Trade also happens within the states to provide resources that the country needs. Alaska provides a large amount of seafood that it ships to other states. Washington is a leading agricultural state. It grows a large amount of cherries, apples, raspberries and many other crops. Idaho supplies about one-third of all the potatoes grown in the U.S. California exports (sells) a lot of dairy products and grapes. Even Hawaii provides food by exporting coffee, pineapple and sugarcane.

​

​In addition to the crops grown, ranchers in rural areas raise cattle, horses and hogs. Timber is also a large industry that employs many people living in rural areas. The trees that are cut down can become wood to build houses, paper to write on or several other products that we see and use every day.

​

There are many large businesses found in the West region. For example, Boeing (builds airplanes) and Microsoft are located near Seattle, Washington. Silicon Valley is an area in northern California where many large technology companies are found. In southern California, Los Angeles is home

to a large entertainment industry where movies and

TV shows are made. Tourism is also a major part of

the economy in the West region, especially in California

and Hawaii.​

​

Multiple Choice

True or False: Since the western region is along the Atlantic Coast, fishing is a big part of the economy in many western states.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Crops, cattle, and timber are an important part of the economy in rural parts of the west region.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

Tourism is also a major part of

the economy in the West region, especially in __________ and _________.

Choose 2 states.

• Alaska

• California

• Idaho

• Oregon

• Hawaii

​Natural Resources

​Natural resources are materials that are found in the environment, not made by humans. Humans can then use the natural resources to make other helpful things.

​

The West region has several valuable natural resources. Oil is found underground and under the sea in Alaska. The oil is pumped out, then used for energy and turned into products such as gasoline.

​

Timber is another resource found in the West. There are many forests in the region that provide timber which can be made into a lot of different things that we use every day.

​

Gold, silver and copper have all been mined out of the Rocky Mountains.

​Water is also a natural resource. Dams have been built to harness the power that results from the force of falling or fast moving water.

Hydropower (water power) can be used to create electricity for people to use in their homes and businesses. This is a great way to create energy and it is not bad for the environment. The dams use the water’s power without creating dangerous pollution. Plus, it is a renewable resource.Renewable means that we won’t run out of it.

​

The largest location of hydropower creation in the U.S. is in the Columbia River basin. It is located in the Pacific Northwest

part of this region. It is the source of

almost half of the country’s

hydroelectricity.

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT a precious metal found in west region?

• gold

• platinum

• silver

• copper

Multiple Choice

True or False: Oil, metals, forests and water are natural resources found in the west region.

• True

• False

​Landmarks

​Landmarks are important places. They can be man-made things such as a monument. They can be historical locations that help to remind us of important events that happened

there. They can also be things

created by nature that are

unique in some way. There

are many landmarks in the

eleven states that make up

the West region. Here, we

will take a look at just a few

of them.

​The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge located in northern California. The bridge is about 1.7 miles long. The suspension design allows the bridge to move, swaying slightly in strong winds. Allowing movement in the bridge is a good thing in earthquake prone California. The design lets the bridge flex, if it needs to during an earthquake, rather than break. The bridge is very recognizable because of its orange coloring. That color was chosen because it blends well with the natural surroundings but it also stands out in the fog. San Francisco has very heavy fog at times.

​​Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, California)

Multiple Choice

True or False: The color of the Golden Gate Bridge was chosen so it would blend in well with the natural fog.

• True

• False

​This memorial, located at Pearl Harbor, marks the final resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and marines killed aboard the USS Arizona battleship. They died when the Japanese WWII military planes bombed Pearl Harbor in a surprise attack. The ship was sunk and the people on board were trapped inside. This memorial is accessible only by boat. It is located on the water above where the USS Arizona still rests.

​USS Arizona Memorial (Honolulu, Hawaii)

​Old Faithful ​(Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

​Old Faithful is a geyser. A geyser is a spring that shoots hot water and steam up from the ground.

The name Old Faithful was given to the geyser because it faithfully erupts at regular time intervals. With a margin of error of 10 minutes, Old Faithful will erupt 65 minutes after an eruption lasting less than 2.5 minutes or 91 minutes after an eruption lasting more than 2.5 minutes. When it erupts, it shoots boiling water into the air to a height of up to 185 feet!

Multiple Choice

True or False: Landmarks can be man-made, historical locations, or created by nature.

• True

• False