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Summary

Students get an introduction to the San Francisco Bay watershed by studying a map of California. The concept of a watershed is solidified using the San Francisco Bay watershed as an example. Major geographical landmarks are identified on the map. Students then turn their hands into a portable map of the watershed. They discover how the water cycle determines the flows of water in different seasons, and therefore determines the utility of dams and reservoirs to even out the flow. In the process, students learn about the reasons the Bay is so important to California’s people, economy, and wildlife. This lesson may be extended into a history of the San Francisco Bay lesson.

Objectives
Can feel a sense of place and connectedness to other parts of the state.
Can identify the major landmarks in the San Francisco Bay watershed.
Can see similarities between very large watersheds (on a statewide level) and very small ones (on a neighborhood level).

Vocabulary
Watershed
Estuary
Sierra Nevada Mountains
Central Valley
Sacramento River
San Joaquin River
California Delta
San Francisco Bay
Suisun Bay
San Pablo Bay
Central San Francisco Bay
South San Francisco Bay
Pacific Ocean

 

Attachment	Size
4sfbay_watershed.doc	64 KB