around the world

Seite 1

How much do you know about your state? Do you know how old it is? Where are the fun places to visit? Are there any national parks in your state? What is your state bird? Your state flower? Do you have a state song? A state insect?

What about industry--how do most people make a living in your state? What is the geography like--do you have any interesting landforms in your state?

In this lesson, you will do some research about your state.

If you were to plan a trip around your state, it’s important to know about the geography of the area you will be visiting. Do you need your mountain climbing gear? Your surfboard? Your mountain bike? Your cross-country skis? Are there mountains, hills, and rivers, or is it flat as a pancake?

You won’t need mountain climbing gear in Kansas or skis in Hawaii. And you definitely won’t need your surfboard in Wyoming!

Seite 2

Seite 3

What are the Imperial Valley crops?

grapes, feed, vegetables, cotton, citrus fruits, and dates

This lesson is a tour around the Pacific! We will guide you around (sort of like riding on a tour bus), and then you will have the opportunity to plan your own trip. Be sure to take notes of the places we pass along the way that you would like to include in a trip of your own.

We will start in the West, by the Pacific Ocean. This region includes the states of Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. As you travel from one end of the Pacific region to the other, you will encounter very different climates and landscapes. There is probably more variety in this region than any other region of the United States.

Write a postcard to a friend at each stop on our tour--tell them what you’ve learned about each state. Click the Activity button below to download the postcard template. Keep these postcards in your notes.

The westernmost state in the U.S. is Hawaii. You have probably heard all about Hawaii; it is known for its beautiful beaches, great surfing, and warm weather. It has a tropical climate, which accounts for the warmth and lushness of the vegetation. You can see many plants in Hawaii that you won’t find growing naturally anywhere else in the country.

Seite 4

Seite 5

Moving toward the far north, back across the Pacific Ocean to the North American continent, we arrive in Alaska. Alaska’s climate is very different from that of Hawaii. The arctic tundra is one of Alaska's major biomes.

No tropical plants and animals can live here, but you are likely to see bears, eagles, orcas (killer whales), glaciers, and--for a good part of the year--lots of snow.

One of the most interesting things about Alaska is that, because of its high northern latitude, there is a time in the winter when the sun never comes up and a time in the summer when the sun never goes down.

Traveling south from Alaska along the western border of Canada, we come to the other three states in the Pacific Region: Washington, Oregon, and California. All three of these states have beautiful coastlines and spectacular mountain ranges which include volcanoes, some of which are still active from time to time.

You might want to ask someone in your family if they remember when the side of Mount St. Helens blew off in the early 1980s. There used to be a lake up on Mount St. Helens, but it disappeared when the volcano erupted. The ash from the eruption traveled high in the atmosphere and landed in several of the western states. As a result, people far away from the volcano had to wash thick layers of ash off their cars.

One of the main industries in Western Oregon and Washington as well as Northern California is logging. Many people earn their living by working in the logging industry, but it has become quite controversial.

Some people feel that the forests, especially the “old growth” forests that have never been cut, should be preserved in their natural state. Once an area has been logged, even if it is replanted, it will never be the same as it originally was, and enormous trees--sometimes thousands of years old--are lost forever.

Other people feel that making sure people have jobs is more important. They are concerned with providing food and shelter for their families. Arguments about this topic can get very heated.

States have different laws regarding logging. For example, Washington allows what is called clear-cutting, where entire areas are stripped bare. Many of these areas are visible while traveling on the highways. In contrast, California does not allow clear-cutting, although a substantial amount of logging still takes place. Selected trees are cut, and others are left standing.

Seite 6

The Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands are wonderful to explore. You can ride ferries to the different islands, take bicycle and kayak trips, and see many eagles and orcas.

There are several national parks in Washington, such as the North Cascades and Olympic National Park. Numerous Native American tribes still live in Washington, including the Skagit, Snohomish, Yakama, and Tlingit tribes.

Driving south out of Washington, we come to Oregon. There is a lot to see and do in this state.

Much of Oregon is very beautiful, particularly the coast and the mountains. The Cascade Range runs from Washington through Oregon and into California. Oregon is also the home of Crater Lake and the Columbia River.

Have you ever tried windsurfing? There are some great windsurfing areas along the Columbia River.

For a taste of culture, it doesn’t get much better than the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. The festival runs for most of the year, and there are usually several different plays running.

If you were to drive south to California from Ashland on Interstate 5, you would soon see a beautiful sight rising up in the distance: Mount Shasta. Farther south is Lassen Peak; both volcanoes are in the southern part of the Cascade Range.

California is one of the largest states in the country--the state budget is larger than that of many countries. Being so large and with such a varied landscape, California has much to offer, whether you’re interested in nature, culture, sports, or just about anything!

California has beaches, redwood forests, and deserts. The Sierra Nevada mountains run most of the length of the state. Along with Lassen Volcanic National Park, California is the home of several other national parks including Yosemite, Death Valley, and Joshua Tree. You can also visit Lake Tahoe or take an inner-tube ride down a section of the Sacramento River--just make sure to do it in the summer, because the water is cold!

There are some unpopulated areas in California as well as huge cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. San Francisco is the home of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, museums, and much more. Los Angeles is well-known for being an entertainment hub--it hosts music, movie, and television studios, Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and Disneyland.

Seite 7