Geography · Week 7 · Physical Systems and Human Populations
Earth Shapes the Valley
Explaining how the San Andreas Fault and erosion shaped the Coachella Valley and naming body signals of fear so students can respond calmly in an emergency.
- Students will
- Students analyze how the San Andreas Fault, uplift, and erosion shaped the valley's landforms and how people respond to the hazard (NGS 7 and D2.Geo.4).
- SEL skill
- Identify a body signal of fear and name a calming step to use in an emergency
- What it looks like
- Students recognize body signals of fear and choose a calming strategy so they can think clearly in an emergency.
- Content focus
- Earth Shapes the Valley
- Format
- Partner exchange
Self-awareness
Self-awareness means recognizing your own emotions, thoughts, and body signals and understanding how they influence what you do. More self-awareness activities
What you get
A teacher guide with what to say, step by step, plus student pages and a supports page for students with diverse learning needs, including those with IEPs. Print or Project it, or assign it in Google Forms and Google Docs for Google Classroom. Your first 10 activities are free.
Standards
- NGS.7: National Geography Standard 7
- CA HSS Analysis Skill: HI1 Show the connections between particular historical events and larger social, economic, and political trends. (Historical Interpretation)
- C3 Framework (national): D2.Geo.4.9-12 Analyze the interactions within and between human and physical systems and how each influences the other.
- Literacy in history: RH.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as used in a text, including political, social, or economic vocabulary.
More self-awareness activities for Geography
- Where I Am From Self-awarenessStudents sketch a map of the places that matter to them and name the geographer identity they bring to understanding the valley.
- The Land of the Cahuilla Self-awarenessLearning how the Cahuilla people used palm oases, springs, and seasonal movement to thrive in the desert, and honoring knowledge rooted in a place.
- Trade Networks and Our Food Self-awarenessTracing how Coachella Valley grapes, dates, and peppers travel through global trade networks and recognizing how interdependence connects students to strangers far away.
Previous: Places Change, Places Remain · Next: Living in a Biome
RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.