Lesson 4: West Region Essential Questions: 1) What are the geographical features of the West region and their effect on the natural resources/economy? 2) How has migration to the West influenced the cultural identity of that region?

Lesson 4: West Region Vocabulary 1) Canyon- a deep narrow valley with steep sides. 2) Erosion- the wearing away of rock and soil (Rain, snow, wind) 3) Rainforest-forest characterized by 98-177 inches of rain 4) Tundra-a vast, flat and treeless plain with permanently frozen soil

Lesson 4: West Region 5) Fault line- a place where sections of the earth’s crust move 6) archipelago- a group of islands (Hawaii)

West Region- Land and Water 1) Rocky Mountains, Coast Ranges, Cascade, and Sierra Nevada Ranges.

West Region- Land and Water 2) A basin is a low, bowl shaped landform that is lower than the land around it. This is the Great Basin in Nevada and Utah that covers 200,000 square miles.

West Region- Land and Water 3) The Great Salt lake is only about 3 feet deep. It is full of very salty water. Several rivers flow into the lake but no water flows out of it.

West Region- Land and Water 4) Alaska and Hawaii are not connected by land to the other 48 states. This means they are not part of the 48 contiguous states. Alaska is the largest state in the United States, but it has the smallest population of all the states.

West Region- Climate 1) Areas along the coast receive a lot of rain. They have mild, wet winters and cool, foggy or cloudy summers. Across the basin, there is less rainfall and the temperatures get much warmer. 2) The state of Alaska is the furthest state from the equator. They have short summers and very cold, long winters.

West Region- Climate San Andreas Fault

West Region- Climate 3) Hawaii is close to the equator but the ocean winds help to keep it cool so it does not get too hot, even in the summer time.

West Region- Products and Natural Resources Dams on the Columbia River help make a lot of electricity. Farmers use water to irrigate their crops. It is also used for transportation. Many goods travel on the Columbia to ports along the Pacific Ocean.

West Region- Products and Natural Resources 2) Aircraft and ships are two major products made from steel in the West region.

West Region- Products and Natural Resources 3)They evaporate the water in big ponds and this process leaves the salt behind.

West Region- Products and Natural Resources 4)Hawaii is known for the production of pineapples, sugar cane, bananas, rice and coffee.

West Region- Landmarks Old Faithful is a geyser in Yellowstone National Park. It erupts about every 91 minutes.

West Region- Landmarks 2) A ghost town is a town that was built as a result of the mining industry. Whenever the gold or silver ran out, people left the towns and eventually, no one was there.

West Region-Culture Hangtown Fry

West Region- Culture 1)The Iditarod is a dogsled race that covers 1,150 miles from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.

West Region- Culture 2) Eskimo ice cream is not a creamy ice cream like you eat. It is a concoction made from reindeer fat, seal oil, fresh snow, fresh berries and ground up fish.