Western Region: Early Beginnings
🏞️ How did the Western Region of the U.S. become the land of opportunity and innovation it is today? This captivating Grade 4 video explores the early history of the Western Region — from the traditions of Native American tribes to the Spanish colonizers and the promise of gold. Students will step back in time to uncover the unique cultural and geographical roots that still shape the West.
📜 Western Region Early History for Kids: Tribes, Settlers & Gold
The video begins with the earliest inhabitants — Native American groups like the Shoshone and the Chumash — showing how their knowledge of the land influenced survival, shelter, and trade. Then, Spanish missionaries arrive, bringing new architecture, religion, and conflict. These chapters bring to life the complexities of early encounters and lasting cultural influence.
⛏️ This Western region early history for kids video builds to the California Gold Rush — a transformative event that drew thousands of settlers westward. Students explore how towns sprang up overnight, how people from many backgrounds sought wealth, and how this rapid expansion shaped the economy and identity of the West. Geography plays a central role, linking natural features with historical outcomes.
🏆 Perfect for Grade 4 regional history or westward expansion lessons, this engaging video supports U.S. history and geography standards. It’s rich in visuals, easy to follow, and ideal for sparking thoughtful classroom discussions. Teachers will love how it connects the past to today’s Western states — making social studies come alive.
Companion video to:
Video Length: 24:25 minutes.
Worksheets
Quiz
Settling the West
Native American Tribes of the West
A Timeline for Settling the West
Draw a Scene
Universal Resources
National Standards
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Topics Covered In This Video
Native American Tribes in The West
The Arrival of the Spanish
Missions
California Gold Rush
Mormon Trail
Oregon Trail
Lewis & Clark Expedition
Sacagawea
Trans-Continental Railway
Alaska becomes a state
Hawaii becomes a state
Classroom Ideas
Landforms and Bodies of Water
Print out or look at a map of the Region.
Idendify landforms and bodies of water in the Midwest.
Cloze Practice
A cloze piece has full sentences used in the video lesson with blanks where students can write in the information that is missing. This task requires close listening in order to complete it.
Create Quizzes
Students create a quiz based on the information presented for their peers. This can be used as a review for a test, or jigsaw class activity where students are responsible for teaching other students assigned topics.
Visual Learning
Offer videos to struggling learners as another form of creating knowledge and accessing information.
Art and Social Studies
Draw a scene from the video you just watched.
Classroom Ideas for ALL Videos
Dozens and dozens of ideas that you can use in your classroom along with our videos!
Related Videos
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Grade 4 - Western Region of the US: Landforms
Grade 4 - Western Region of the US: Today
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Grade 4 - Midwest Region of the US: Early Beginnings
Grade 4 - Southeast Region of the US
Grade 4 - The Northeastern Region of the US
Grade 4 - Southwest Region of the US: Early Beginnings
Grade 4 - Midwest Region of the US: Today
Grade 3 - The Geography of Our Communities
Video Subscriptions
When you only need one video- Unlimited viewing of 1 video
- Post-trip quiz + resources for 1 video
- Access to Closed Captioned version of 1 video
- Lowest-cost option
Teacher + Class Subscription
Teacher + Students- Unlimited access to the entire video lesson library
- All quizzes + learning resources
- Access for 1 teacher + all students
- Access to all Spanish videos + resources
- Access to all Closed Captioned videos
- Best value option for one teacher
School-wide Site License
All teachers + All students- Unlimited access to the entire video lesson library
- All quizzes + learning resources
- Access for all teachers and all students
- Access to all Spanish videos + resources
- Access to all Closed Captioned videos
- Best for school administrators supporting their teachers & students
- Up to 500 students – $450/year
- 500-1,000 students – $600/year
- 1,000+ students – $1,000/year
