Learning, Exploring and Discovering: Our Homeschool Life: California History Lesson 4 (Geography)

California History

Geography of California

Lesson 4

Part Three: The Regions of California

Central Valley

*The Central Valley lies between the Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada.It is more than 450 miles long and about 50 miles wide; about 22,500 square miles in area.

*The Central Valley is really two valleys in one. The San Joaquin Valley in the south is drained by the San Joaquin River. The Sacramento Valley in the north, is drained by the Sacramento River.

*The Central Valley encompasses all or parts of 19 counties.

*About 6.5 million people live in the Central Valley; It is the fastest growing area in the United States.

*The largest city is Fresno, followed by the state capital, Sacramento. Major cities are: Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, Modesto, Visalia Porterville, Merced, Chico, Redding, Yuba City, Hanford Corcoran, Madera, Red Bluff

*Interstate 5, the main Highway in California, runs through the Central Valley. It is 796.53 miles long and runs the length of the State.

*The California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that runs through the Central Valley. It moves water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the valleys of Northern and Central California to Southern California.

*The northern Central Valley has a hot Mediterranean climate. The more southerly parts are drier.

*It is hot and dry during the summer and cool and damp in winter. "Tule fog" occurs in the winter and can obscure vision.

*Summer daytime temperatures approach 100 °F and common heat waves might bring temperatures exceeding 115 °F.

*The rainy season is from Mid-fall to mid-spring, The northern half of the Central Valley receives more rain than the southern half.

*Frost occurs at times in the fall months, but snow will sometimes occur.

*Land in the Central Valley is some of the best farmland in the world. It is hot and dry in the summer and cool and wet in the winter so it is perfect for growing.

*The Central Valley is one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. More than 230 crops are grown there. The Central Valley produces 8 percent of the nation's agricultural products.

*Farmers also raise dairy cows, chickens and beef cattle

*Almond growers produce about 90 percent of the world's supply.

The top four counties in agricultural sales in the U.S. are in the Central Valley: Fresno County, Tulare County, Kern County, Merced County

*Crops: almonds, apricots, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cotton, grapes, peaches, plums, rice, strawberries, sunflowers, tomatoes, walnuts,

*Animals: Opossum, pronghorn antelope, rabbits, rattlesnake, ring-necked pheasant, starling, yellow-billed magpie, bullfrog, California ground squirrel, elk, gopher, graywolf, hare, kangaroo rat, mouse, mule deer, muskrat,

* Cities in the Central Valley: Redding, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield

*How does this area provide for our needs? (food)

Foldable book

Fold paper in half.

Inside write 5 facts about the region.

On the outside, draw a picture of the region. (Directed draw)