Unit 7, The West
Studyguide
Vocabulary
Bison- large shaggy-maned, bovine mammals, also known as buffalo, Native Americans joined the Plains people in hunting these animals
Conservationist- someone who wants to protect wildlife and the natural environment
Earthquake- the forceful movement of one plate against another plate can cause this
Geyser- an underground hot spring that can shoot water several feet into the air
Magma- melted rock under Earth’s surface
Rodeo- a western show that highlights horseback riding skills, roping, and other cowboy skills.
Telecommunications- the technology that sends images and messages over long distances
Timberline- an elevation where it is too cold for trees to grow, you reach this as you climb higher up a mountain
Be able to answer questions about a road map.
The Central Valley produces more fruit, nuts, and vegetables than any other area.
Conservations in the west take care of the many national parks there. These parks were wet aside by conservationists to preserve the natural beauty and wildlife of the area.
Earthquakes happen quite often along the Pacific coast.
Alaska is the largest and most northern state.
The Great Salt Lake is very salty because rivers and streams flow into the Great Salt Lake and leave salt. The water evaporates and the salt is left since no rivers flow out of the lake. It is saltier than the oceans and is home to many animals.
The federal government is a big employer and land owner in the West.
The Golden Gate Bridge is located in San Francisco, California.
Hollywood, California is known for the entertainment and movie industry. Besides actors, movies provide jobs for writers, artists, designers, camera crews, special effects, technicians, and musicians. There is also a lot of tourism in this area related to the movie industry.
The people who first settled in Hawaii came from the South Pacific islands about 1,000 years ago.
Mining Minerals is still an important part of the economy of many western states.
The source of the Rio Grande begins as melting snow in the Rocky Mountains.
The foods of Native Americans depended on geography. Some Native Americans of the West joined other tribes to hunt on the Plains. Many Native Americans on the Pacific coast depended on the ocean for food and the cedar forests to build their homes. The Inuit who lived to the north went ice fishing and hunted on the frozen tundra.