Walker Pass

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/walker-pass

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How high is Walker Pass?5,250 feet (1,600 meters)
2. What is the location?Northeastern Kern County, California, southern Sierra Nevada
3. What is the designation?National Historic Landmark
4. Where is Walker Pass located?It is about 53 miles east-northeast of Bakersfield and 10 miles west-northwest of Ridgecrest, and it sits at an elevation of 5,250 feet.
5. Why is Walker Pass important for plants and animals?The pass lets plants and animals move between the wet valleys and the dry desert, helping many species live there.

Biogeography: The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.
Xeric: Relating to, requiring, or adapted to dry conditions, typical of desert environments.
Mesic: Relating to, requiring, or adapted to moderate or moist conditions, found in valleys or wetter slopes.
Tectonic Activity: The movement and interaction of the Earth's crustal plates, which can shape landscapes through earthquakes and mountain building.