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The Columbia River and the Rio Grande are two mighty rivers, located a vast distance apart. Each of these legendary rivers has had a major role in the development of the United States. The Rio Grande, which flows south, separates Mexico from Texas. This river played an important part in Texas’s independence from Mexico.

The Columbia River, which flows west, is also significant in the history of the United States. The explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark followed the Columbia River to reach the Pacific Ocean. They sent back stories of the towering evergreen trees and the magnificent salmon runs that they saw as they traced the path of this great river. River Sources The Rio Grande is one of the longest rivers in North America. Its source is in Colorado, and its mouth, like the mouth of the Mississippi River, is the Gulf of Mexico. The name Rio Grande means Great River in Spanish.

The Columbia River is one the of most important rivers in western North America. Its source is Columbia Lake, which is close to the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. Its mouth is the Pacific Ocean. About one-third of its course runs through Canada. Click to see a map of the western United States, northern Mexico, and southwestern Canada.

The source of the Rio Grande, one of the longest rivers in North America, is found in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. The river flows in a southeast direction through New Mexico, into Texas, and out to the Gulf of Mexico at Brownsville, Texas. It is 3,100 kilometers (1,900 miles) long. A 2,100-kilometer (1,300-mile) section of the river forms the long, curving boundary between Texas and Mexico.

The Rio Grande is too shallow for commercial navigation; ships and barges can’t travel on it. Although the river is not deep enough to carry cargo ships, it provides plenty of water for irrigation. Farmers who live in arid areas along the river’s course irrigate their fields with water from the river.

Two reservoirs in New Mexico provide water for cotton, citrus, and other crops in the Rio Grande valley. Occasionally, the river rises above its banks during heavy rains.

Following the Rio Grande Print a copy of the outline map of the western half of the United States, northern Mexico, and southwestern Canada, or trace a copy of the area from a map. Using an orange pencil or crayon, color the two states that the Rio Grande passes through as it flows from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. Use the same color to draw in the curving border that separates Texas from Mexico.

The Rio Grande forms a natural barrier between Mexico and the United States. Two Texas cities, Laredo and El Paso, are located on the river. Laredo is connected to Mexico by two bridges that cross the Rio Grande. El Paso is located just south of New Mexico on the Rio Grande, opposite the city of Juárez, Mexico.

Both Laredo and El Paso are ports of entry. A port of entry is like a door; it’s a location where trade goods and tourists can enter a country.

Because Laredo and El Paso maintain close cultural and economic ties with Mexico, both cities are a blend of American and Mexican cultures. If you were to visit either of these cities, you would notice the influence of the two cultures in the architecture, food, and music. What Do They Grow There? Do a little research. In your notebook, create a list of some of the agricultural products produced in the region surrounding the Rio Grande.

Fun Fact: The American alligator, which lives mainly in the swamps, lakes, and bayous of the southeastern United States, ranges as far west as the Rio Grande in Texas.

oll On, Columbia The Columbia River is the major river of western North America. It begins in British Columbia, Canada, just west of the main range of the Rocky Mountains. It flows 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) in a westward direction through the Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon. Its mouth is at the Pacific Ocean. Before the Columbia reaches the Pacific, however, it flows through an estuary. An estuary is a part of a river that is affected by the tides of the ocean it is joining.

The Columbia River forms a large portion of the boundary between Washington and Oregon; the Snake River, a major Columbia tributary, forms part of the border between Idaho and Oregon.

The first American explorer to see the Columbia River was Robert Gray. In 1792, Gray explored the mouth of the river. Lewis and Clark and the members of their expedition explored the lower Columbia from 1805 to 1806.

A dam on the Columbia in Canada.

Salmon Studies:

Salmon have always been important to the economy of the Pacific Northwest, where the Columbia River flows. Copy this list of salmon-related words into your notebook, then do some research to find their definitions. Write each definition in your notebook. The list includes: chinook, gill net, hatch, habitat, migration, salmon, spawn, specimen, sockeye. Following the Columbia River

When Lewis and Clark set out in 1804 to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean, they had a second goal, too. President Jefferson had asked them to learn more about the land, plants, animals, and people of the West.

Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis to lead the “Corps of Discovery” on their expedition west. Lewis and Clark, along with about 40 other men took more than two years to make the journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean, and back. During their expedition, the explorers saw herds of buffalo, massive evergreen forests, and wide expanses of prairie grass.

The Rio Grande flows from southwestern Colorado, through New Mexico and Texas, and into the Gulf of Mexico. It forms a 2,100-kilometer (1,300-mile) long boundary between Texas and Mexico. It is a natural divider between the United States and Mexico, as well as a bridge between two cultures.

The Rio Grande is shallow, so large boats loaded with cargo cannot travel its length. It is still a very important and useful river, however. Water from the river is used to irrigate the arid land that surrounds it. This land produces fruit, vegetables, citrus, and chilies, which are important to the economies of the states surrounding the river. Follow the Rio Grande Many interesting cities have developed along the course of the Rio Grande. Follow the path of this river from its source to its mouth. In your notebook, create a list of the cities that you find close to the river, such as Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Brownsville, Texas.

The Columbia River flows 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) through the Pacific Northwest. It begins in British Columbia, Canada, and flows through Washington and Oregon until it reaches the Pacific Ocean. Just before the river reaches its destination in the Pacific, it flows through an enormous estuary (the part of a river that is affected by the tides of the ocean) filled with an astonishing variety of marine life.

The Columbia River forms a large portion of the boundary between Washington and Oregon. The Snake River, a major tributary of the Columbia, forms part of the Idaho and Oregon border.

The Columbia is the major river of western North America and was one of the last rivers in the United States to be fully explored. It was first explored in 1792 when an American explorer, Robert Gray, traveled around the source of the river in British Columbia. He named the river after his ship. From 1805 to 1806, members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition explored the lower Columbia. Finally, in 1811 David Thompson followed the river from its source to its mouth. Thompson was a Canadian surveyor and explorer.

To view the path of the Rio Grande and the Columbia River, take a look at a map of the southwestern United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico.

A River Full of Salmon The Pacific Northwest is famous for its salmon. Many varieties hatch in the rivers and streams of this area and swim their way to larger and larger rivers and then to the Pacific Ocean, where they live out most of their lives. When they are ready to spawn (lay their eggs), the salmon return from the ocean and follow the rivers and streams back to the place where they were born. To get back to where they were hatched, they have to travel upstream, against strong currents. They often have to leap over waterfalls. Salmon has always been very important to the economy of the Pacific Northwest. Protect the Wildlife The salmon population is endangered today. Do some research to learn about how you can help the environment and protect the habitat of salmon and other wildlife. In your notebook, create a list of ways that you and your friends can make a difference in the health of the environment.

If an Inuit gets caught in a blizzard (a snowstorm), he or she could freeze to death quickly. The climate of the Arctic is harsh. Shelter and protection from the cold are more important to survival than food. In a storm, an Inuit can build a shelter by turning over a dogsled and packing snow all around it. He or she can stay warm in this small space until the storm passes.

A House for Each Season

Many years ago, the Inuit were nomads. They moved from place to place. They needed to move their homes and families to be close to the animals they hunted. They also needed shelter wherever they traveled. In winter, their world was covered with ice and snow. They built houses out of the snow. In spring, the ice melted. The Inuit lived in tents made of caribou skins shaped over wooden poles. These tents were useful. The Inuit could carry them wherever they went. Sometimes, the Inuit stayed in one place for a long time. When they did, they built more permanent houses out of sod. Many Inuit people today live in more permanent homes. But they also know how to make a snow house. They can use it when they go hunting. All it takes to build a snow house is a snow knife, and many blocks cut out of hard snow. The best building snow is packed together by the wind.

A small house can be built in one or two hours. A larger house takes longer. But an Inuit family could live in it all winter long. a snow house is a job for two people. One person cuts the blocks of snow. The other sets them in place. The blocks are set in a circle that is measured and then stomped out in the snow. The rows of snow bricks are piled one on top of another. Each row is tilted in toward the center a little bit. This process rounds the house. The round shape will not be damaged by the wind.

A tunnel at the door of the dome keeps the wind out. A piece of clear ice can be set into the roof to let in light. In winter, a family might build many small igloos connected by tunnels. They can be used for housing families or animals. They can also be used for storing food and clothing.

A Summer Home In spring and summer, nomadic Inuit people often built camps. Many families lived together. At this time of year, the sun was shining. The days were long. This was the time for harvesting and preserving food. It was also the time for hunting and fishing. During the spring and summer, Inuit dwellings were often tents. These could be put up and taken down quickly. These tents allowed families to move easily. They followed the herds of caribou they hunted.

Tent villages in the Arctic summer looked much like North American Plains Indian villages. The tents looked like tepees. They were tall triangles of animal skins. The tents were small at the top and wide at the bottom. A flap door opened into the tent. It could be tied shut to keep the cold out. Poles made of wood or bones held up the tent skins.

Inuit people today also hunt caribou and fish. They sometimes use traditional tents. But they also use modern camping equipment.

taying in One Place for a While The nomadic Inuit lived in a way that let them travel whenever they needed to move. Sometimes they wanted to stay in one place for awhile. When they did, they moved into a sod house. These were built on a foundation, a base dug about 30 cm (1 foot) into the ground. The walls of the sod house were made of driftwood or whalebone. Large pieces of sod were dug from the ground. These were packed against the sides of the house and onto the roof. Sod houses could be built only when the ground was not frozen. They were warm and cozy to live in at any time. A skylight or window made of dried and stretched animal intestines let in light. Inuit Fact: Inuit people didn’t own land or houses. They moved often. The houses they built could be used by anyone who found them empty.

Define That Term!

Write the following words and their definitions into your notebook.

igloo: The word that the Inuit use to describe any type of house.

blizzard: A severe snowstorm.

shelter: Protection from the weather; a place to stay warm and dry.

nomads: People who move from place to place; people who have no permanent home.

sod: Strips of soil held together with roots and grass.

What is most important to the Inuit? Shelter from the harsh climate of the Arctic. A blizzard (a severe snowstorm) can kill someone quickly. Shelter offers protection. An Inuit hunter knows how to build a shelter quickly. Say there is a sudden storm. He could turn over his dogsled and pack it all around with snow. He could stay warm there until the storm passed.

Moveable Homes Years ago, the Inuit traveled from place to place. They followed the animals they hunted. People who move their homes to follow herds are called nomads. The Inuit needed to be able to move their homes and families easily and quickly. They needed shelter wherever they went. In winter they built their houses out of snow. In spring, the ice melted in the Arctic. They lived in tents that they could carry wherever they went. These tents were made of caribou skins shaped over wooden poles.

How to Build a House of Snow A snow house can be small enough for one person. It can be large enough for an Inuit family to spend the winter. A small snow house can be built in an hour or two. Sometimes the Inuit planned to stay in one place. They often built groups of houses. There were places for different family groups to live. There were also smaller houses. Those were used for animals and for storing food and clothes.

A snow house is made of hard snow. The snow has been packed together by the wind. The blocks are set in a circle. It takes two people to a snow house. One person cuts the blocks of snow. The other person sets them into place. The blocks are piled one on top of another. The rounded shape stands up to the wind. To keep the cold out, there is a tunnel at the front of the dome. A piece of clear ice set into the roof can let in light.

Summer Camp During the spring and summer, the sun shines. The days are long. The ice melts from the ground. The Inuit hunt, fish, gather, and preserve food for winter. During this time of year, groups of nomadic Inuit follow the herds of caribou they hunt. These groups of Inuit families often live in camps made of tents. The tents can be put up and taken down easily.

Inuit tent villages look like the villages of North American Plains Indians. The caribou tents look like the tepees made of buffalo hides that the American Indians lived in. Each kind of tent is a tall triangle of skins. It is held up by poles made of wood or bones. It is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

Staying in One Place In the past, some Inuit stayed in one place for a long time. They built long-lasting houses out of sod. Sod houses could be built only when the ground was not frozen. They were built by digging a trench 30 centimeters (1 foot) into the ground. This trench was used as the foundation. It was the base onto which the walls were built. The walls were made of driftwood or whalebone. Large pieces of sod were dug from the ground to finish the house. They were piled onto the roof and packed against the sides of the house. Windows were made of dried animal skins, and allowed light in. Sod kept out the cold. These houses were snug and warm.