Unit 6
Chapter 11
Environment of the West
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington
Lesson 1
I. Western peaks
A. Alaska is one fifth the size of all the 49 states put together.
B. California has more people than any other state.
C. The West is a region of low valleys and tall mountains.
D. Mt. McKinley, the country’s highest peak, is in the West.
II, Midwestern Landforms
A. Several mountain ranges there are the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and the
Coast Ranges
B. The Great Basin covers most of Nevada and parts of Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and
California.
C. The Great Basic is a low, bowl shaped area almost completely surrounded by
higher land.
III. Earthquakes and Volcanoes
A. Earthquakes often strike along the Pacific Coast.
B. An earthquake is a sudden shaking of the ground caused when rock layers beneath
the Earth’s surface shift or crack suddenly.
C. Large earthquakes can cause buildings and bridges to collapse, waves to swell,
landslides to occur.
D. A volcano is a break the Earth’s surface where hot gases and rock shoot out.
E. They can be dormant for thousands of years until the pressure of hot gas breaks
through and lava (liquid molten rock) _ pours out.
F. Over time volcano uses can create mountains as the lava cools and builds up.
G. The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean.
H. In 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted killing 57 people.
I. Earthquakes and eruptions cannot be prevented but the damage they cause can be
reduced.
J. Scientists are working to find ways to predict future activity to prevent damage
and save lives.
K. Scientists measure earthquakes with a seismograph.
Chapter 11
Environment of the West
Deserts and Rain forests
Lesson 2
I.
Extreme climates
A. The West has many different climates.
B. In the north, Alaska lies partly in the Arctic Circle and the climate is cold
for much of the year.
C. In the south, Hawaii sits close to the equator and the climate is warm all
year.
II.
Desert Plains
A. Desert plains are found east o f the Sierra Nevada and receive about five
inches of rain each year.
B. Temperatures are high during the day because clear desert skies allow
Earth’s surface to heat up and in the evening the temperatures drop
quickly.
C. Death Valley is located in this area along the California-Nevada border
and is a National park.
III.
Warm Rain Forests
A. West of the mountains, the amount of rain increases.
B. Rain forests are found in Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.
C. Rain forest is a warm, wet forest where many trees and plants grow
closely together.
D. Rain forests of the West can receive more than 80 inches of precipitation
each year.
E. Olympic National Park in Washington has several rain forests areas.
IV. Rain Shadow
A. The high elevations of mountains n the West create the region’s deserts
and rain forests.
B. Winds blowing over the Pacific Ocean bring warm, wet air to the region.
C. Warm air rises to form clouds.
D. When clouds gain in elevation, the air grows cooler.
E. The water falls back to Earth in the form of rain. (Snow or sleet o if the
air is cold)
IV.
Cloudbursts in the Mountains
A. When the clouds reach the mountain of the Cascade Range, they have
dropped most of the eater.
B. By the time they cross the mountain, little water is left.
C. The eatsern side stays drier because it is in the rain shadow.
Chapter 11
Environment of the West
Thick Forests and Wide Valleys
Lesson 3
I.
The Central Valley
A. California’s Central Valley is an areas good for farming and is located
between the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges (mountain ranges)
B. The Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers flow through the valley.
C. The Valley is flat with fertile soil.
D. For years farmers were not able to grow crops there because of lack of rain
but an irrigation system was built (Central Valley Project).
E. The Central Valley Project was a series of dams and canal to bring water
from the rivers to different parts of the valley.
F. Central Valley is one of the most important agricultural areas in our
country and of agricultural technology.
II.
Northwestern Forests
A. The forest of the West provides wood for furniture and other things.
B. Rayon, a kind of cloth comes from trees as well as camera film and
chemicals.
C. The Sitka spruce is only found along the Pacific Coast.
D. The West is the home to the tallest trees in the world—the redwoods.
III.
Logging
A. The process by which trees are cut down and transported out of the forest
is called logging.
B. Until about 20 years ago most logging was done by clear cutting which
means that all the trees in the area are cut down.
C. Because of a concern over deforestation—loss of whole forests, modern
loggers only cut down damaged or certain types of trees.
D. After they are cut down, they are brought to sawmill and sawed into
lumber.
IV.
Conserving Forests
A. Forests are renewable because new trees can be planted.
B. If loggers cut the oldest trees in the forest, many of the country’s forests
will disappear.
C. Logging companies now replant trees to replace what they cut.
D. Logging can threaten forest animals who may lose their homes and food
source when the trees are cut down.
E. We need to work to preserve forests and protect the environment.
Chapter 12
Environment of the West
Thick Forests and Wide Valleys
Lesson 1
I.
Early People of the West
A. Hawaii is made up of 132 islands, but most Hawaiians live only one
seven of the islands.
B. The first Hawaiians were people from the Polynesian Islands near Asia.
C. They arrived in Hawaii more than a thousand years ago by traveling in
large canoes with two hills or frames.
D. Early Hawaiians raised pigs for meat and harvested crops such as bananas,
coconuts, and taro. Taro is a tropical plan that has a starch root like a
potato.
E. The Inuit are another group of early settlers in the West, sometimes
called Eskimos.
F. They Inuit are Naïve Americans who settled in Alaska.
II. Change in Hawaii
A. The Polynesian settlers spread out over eight separate islands of Hawaii
sharing a common language and culture.
B. Each group was ruled by a different chief and soon they began to fight with
each other.
C. In 1782, Kamehameha, one chief, set out to rule all of the islands.
D. Slowly, the individual islands became part of the Kingdom of Hawaii and he
promised the people of Hawaii they would live in peace.
E. In 1778, British Captain James Cook became the first European to reach the
islands and his trip encouraged traders to come from Europe and the United
States.
F. Some traders used the islands as bass for whaling voyages and others used the
natural resource s such as sandalwood.
G. In the 1800s many Europeans and Americans bought land in Hawaii for
plantations.
H. Many workers were needed to grown sugarcane and pineapples.
I. Immigrant workers came from China, Philippines, Japan and Europe.
J. As the plantations grew larger and profitable, the owners wanted more
influence over the government.
K. When queen Lydia Liliuokalani came to power in 1891, she tried to keep the
plantation owners from making decisions for her kingdom.
L. Business leaders wanted Hawaii to join the United States overthrew
Liliuokalani in 1893,
M. In 1898, Hawaii became part of the United States but it did not become a
state until 1959.
Chapter 12
Environment of the West
The Gold Rush
Lesson 2
I.
Background
A. During the early 1800s, the East was a quiet region with small villages and
open spaces but by the 1850s, it was bustling with activity.
B. A California carpenter, James Marshall, discovered gold.
C. Heading West
D. Through the 1800s, the US was growing.
E. In 1848, John Sutter built a saw mill to cut lumber for new settlers in the
region along the American River.
F. A carpenter, James Marshall, built the mill and discovered gold.
G. Sutter tried to keep it a secret but world got out.
H. The discovery at Sutter’s Mills marked the beginning of the Gold Rush
of 1848.
I. At first it was mainly people in the west who hurried to find gold, but soon
people in the east flooded the area.
J. Miners had to cross the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountains to get there.
K. San Francisco, California, had about 800 people in 1848 but by the next
year it had risen to 25,000.
L. So many people came in 1849; they were called the Forty Niners.
M. In 1850, an explorer named Jim Beckwourth found a pass through the
Sierra Nevada.
N. The Bekcwourth Pass made the journey easier.
O. Miners headed for the mother lode-a gold rich area.
P. Most miners panned for gold in stream but others used a pick and shovel.
Q. In 18450, miners found more than 40 million dollars of gold but few
struck it rich.
R. Bu 1852, more than 150,000 people lived in California-enough to become
a state with its own state government.
S. Other gold rushes took place throughout the county.
T. The last one was in Nome, Alaska, in 1899.
II.
Empty Towns
A. Cities in the West grew rapidly because of the “gold fever”.
B. In many cases, mines left as soon as the gold ran out.
C. Town emptied as they moved on and many towns became “ghost towns”
Chapter 12
Environment of the West
The Immigrants
Lesson 3
A. Immigrants in the West-City of Immigrants
A. San Francisco did not turn into a ghost town and attracted many
immigrants.
B. The largest group of immigrants came from China.
C. At first the Chinese people mainly worked in the gold mines.
D. California as called Gum San –Golden Mountain.
E. Most of the Chinese settled in San Francisco around Sacramento Street.
F. Eventually the neighborhood became known as Chinatown.
G. San Francisco’s Chinatown continues to be a thriving community.
III.
Working the Fields
A. Many immigrants came from Mexico to work on farms as migrant
workers.
B. Migrant workers move form place to place to harvest crops as they ripen.
C. Life was very difficult for the migrant workers who worked about 14
hours a day.
D. Many lived in shacks without clean, running water.
E. Cesar Chavez had worked on farms when he was a child and when he
grew up he became a leader in the fight to improve conditions for migrant
workers.
F. In 1962, he and Dolores Huerta formed a labor union traveling to farms
urging workers to join.
G. They became known as the United Farm Workers, UFW.
H. In 1968, the UFW called for a boycott of grapes grown in California.
I. The grape pickers wanted higher wages and better conditions and many
people supported the farm workers by not buying California grapes.
J. In 1970, 26 grape growers signed an agreement with the UFW to end the
boycott, giving better pay, time off for vacations and improved conditions.
K. The UFW continues to the work Chavez has done.
IV.
Hard times
A. In the late 1800s, many new immigrants faced discrimination which is an
unfair difference in the way people are treated.
B. Many peoplel wanted to stop the Chinese from entering the country
because they were afraid the Chinese workers would take away their jobs.
C. In 1882, Congress passed a law that excluded (kept out) Chinese
immigrants as well as other Asian immigrants.
D. Many Mexican newcomers experienced discrimination as well and some
people tired to make they go back to Mexico.
E. The immigrants were in anger of being deported or forced to leave the
country.
F. Between 1931 and 1933, many Mexicans were sent across the border from
California back to Mexico.
G. Chinese and Mexican immigrants fought against the discrimination they
faced and wanted to make a better life for themselves in the US.
Chapter 12
Environment of the West
The West Today
Lesson 4
I. According to the 2000 Census, a study of our country, the West is still a
growing region.
A. Many people moved from the West from other parts of the country.
B. Many more immigrants are from other countries as Mexico, Japan, and
China.
C. Nevada was one of the fastest growing states between 1990 and 2000.
D. Cities in the West continue to grow.
E. Suburbs outside of cities also keep growing and pushing boundaries of
cities closer together.
II. Leading industries
A. In the late 1800s, the first silent films ere created.
B. By 1930s, movies were shown in theaters.
C. The first companies to make movies were located in the Northeast but
filming required a lot of space and good weather.
D. As more films were made, movie producers found they had a hard time
getting these things in the Northeast.
E. They moved to California and many film companies settled in a
suburb of Los Angles called Hollywood.
F. Los Angels and Hollywood are the center to the movie and television
industry.
G. In the 1980s, parts of North California and Washington became known
for heir engineering and science colleges.
H. Computers that used silicon chips (element found the Earth’s crust
and used in electronics.
I. Later companies began crating software or the programs that run on
computers. So many of the computer companies moved to central
California that it became known as the Silicon Valley.
II.
Effects of Change
A. The West has grown faster than other parts of the country.
B. The rapid growth brings many challenges such as the use of land as
businesses and homes expand.
C. Our wildlife and forests can be threatened.
D. Many towns and counties in the West are trying to limit urban
sprawl.
E. Urban sprawl is the uncontrolled spread of buildings around a city.
F. In the West, sprawl leads to increased traffic and pollution from
the traffic.
G. To solve the problem parts of the West have law limited the
amount of pollution cars can produce.
H. Another problem is the energy supply.
I. In 2001, some states as California had problem generating enough
electricity and when the demand for electricity exceeded the
amount being produce, power went out.
J. Government official are looking for new ways to get the energy the
region needs.
Chapter 12
Environment of the West
New Technology in Japan
Lesson 5
I. Background
A. the United States exports and imports products form other countries.
B. Many of our trading partners are along the Pacific Rim or the countries that
border the Pacific Ocean.
C. The Japanese economy is second only to the United States.
II. An island Nation
a. Japan is an island nation located off the eastern coast of Asia.
b. It has four main islands and hundreds of smaller ones.
c. Steep mountains cover about ¾ of the country.
d. Most people live in large cities on the coats.
e. The capital city, Tokyo, forms the part of the largest megalopolis in the
world.
f. Other cities include are Yokohma, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe.
g. There is scarcity housing and housing is expensive.
III.
Export economy
A. Japan has few natural resources and imports raw material, manufactures goods
from the and exports them to other places
B. Japan is a leader of electronics which is an industry that creates high tech
products and televisions, computers, compact discs and cellular phones,.
C. Japanese are working on hybrid cars which combine a battery powered motor
with a gas engine Hybrid cars should cut down pollution and use last gasoline.
D. Another scientific advance in Japan is robotics which deals with the
construction and operation of robots. Which can handle repetitive work more
quickly and cheaply than people
E. More than half of the worlds robots are manufactured in Japan
F. Japan has become a giant in the global economy.