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CultureGrams (get trial access) can help you broaden your students' understanding of the world and its peoples. The World Edition includes 200+ country profiles, written for junior high students and older. CultureGrams also has a Kids Edition, Provinces Edition, and a States Edition, geared for upper elementary students. These editions include kid-friendly profiles of 70+ countries, all 50 states (including Washington, D.C.), and 13 Canadian provinces and territories.
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U.S. State: Washington
Did You Know?
- Washington is the only state named after a U.S. president (George Washington).
- Nearly one hundred Orca whales, in three family pods, reside in the San Juan Islands during the summer months.
- Mount St. Helens is the only volcano in the continental United States to erupt in recent history. The 1980 eruption devastated an area of 250 square miles (400 sq km).
Climate
When many people think of Washington, they think of rain. But the amount of rain that falls each year varies a lot depending on where you are. Western Washington is a lot wetter than the eastern half of the state. The reason for the difference is that clouds dump most of their moisture as they move over the Cascade Mountains. So the average annual rainfall in Seattle, on the western side of the Cascade Mountains, is 36 inches (91 cm). By comparison, yearly precipitation in Spokane is around 17 inches (43 cm). Temperatures in the western half of the state are generally mild throughout the year. In eastern Washington, winters are cold and summers are hot.
Native America
Before European explorers arrived, more than a hundred separate tribes inhabited the land that is now Washington. The coastal and inland tribes lived very different lives because of the differences in their environments. When European explorers came to the area, some tribes traded with them, but many were not interested in European supplies. As more and more settlers and missionaries came to the area, the native people felt they were being crowded off their land. Many of the natives died from European diseases they could not fight off. A series of battles erupted between native tribes and U.S. army forces. The government signed treaties with the Washington tribes, but many times it was not even the tribal chiefs, the recognized leaders, who signed the treaties. The majority of the members did not understand what they were giving up by agreeing to the treaty. By the mid-1800s, most of the tribes were moved onto reservations to make room for the ever-growing white population.
Today, there are 29 federally recognized tribes living in Washington. Together they make up about 1.4 percent of the state's total population. There are more than 20 reservations in the state, including the large Yakama Reservation that covers around 1.3 million acres of southern Washington. The Yakama tribal council represents 14 different tribes, with close to nine thousand members. The reservation operates large forestry and fishing industries as well as a cultural heritage center, a casino, and health and educational facilities. The council also awards scholarships to students so they can afford to go to college.
Cultural Note: Environmental Concern
Environmental issues are important to Washingtonians. Efforts to protect a rare spotted owl that lives in some of Washington's forests led to limitations on logging in the early 1990s. People are also working hard to protect salmon populations in the state, which have decreased in recent years because of hydroelectric dams, logging, water pollution, and chemicals used by farmers. The salmon are not only important to Washington's economy but also to the state's wildlife. Bears, bald eagles, otters, dolphins, and whales depend on the salmon for food. Other environmental concerns include reducing pollution, ensuring that nuclear waste storage is safe, and limiting the negative effects of population growth.
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