{"id":11263,"date":"2025-09-30T07:09:25","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T07:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/?post_type=lesson&#038;p=11263"},"modified":"2025-11-10T09:22:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:22:25","slug":"great-rift-valley","status":"publish","type":"lesson","link":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/lesson\/great-rift-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Rift Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><div class=\"class-box class-image\">\r\n\t<ul class=\"data-list\">\r\n\t\t<li>\r\n\t\t\t<a class=\"\" title=\"Journey around the World\" href=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/journeys\/journey-around-the-world\/\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"class-logo medium\" src=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Journey_around_the_World-Tall.png\" alt=\"Journey around the World\" title=\"Journey around the World\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<!--<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<h2 class=\"class-title\">Great Rift Valley<\/h2>\r\n<\/div>-->\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Key Information<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<h3 class=\"class-title\">Great Rift Valley<\/h3>\r\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-table info-table\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<table class=\"class-table\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<tbody>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Type<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Rift Valley<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Length<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>4,300 miles<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Depth (Maxium)<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>4,823 ft<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tbody>\r\n\t\t\t<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Learning Point<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<ul>\n<li>The <strong>Great Rift Valley<\/strong> is a <strong>4,000-mile long crack<\/strong> in the Earth&#8217;s crust in <strong>East Africa<\/strong>, formed as the <strong>African tectonic plate<\/strong> slowly <strong>splits apart<\/strong>. This massive geological rift has created <strong>dramatic features<\/strong> like towering <strong>cliffs<\/strong>, deep <strong>ribbon lakes<\/strong> (like Tanganyika), and many of Africa&#8217;s <strong>major volcanoes<\/strong> (like Kilimanjaro). Crucially, the valley is known as the <strong>&#8220;Cradle of Humankind&#8221;<\/strong> because its <strong>deep, exposed rock layers<\/strong> have preserved the <strong>oldest and most important fossils<\/strong> of <strong>ancient apes<\/strong> and <strong>early humans<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Project<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<ul>\n<li>Draw a part of the Great Rift Valley, including any animals that might be found there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-gutena-tabs gutena-tabs-block gutena-tabs-block-77de37-56 class-container class-tab\"><ul class=\"gutena-tabs-tab tab-flex\"><li class=\"gutena-tab-title active\" data-tab=\"1\"><div class=\"gutena-tab-title-content icon-top\"><div class=\"gutena-tab-title-text\"><div>Overview<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"gutena-tab-title inactive\" data-tab=\"2\"><div class=\"gutena-tab-title-content icon-top\"><div class=\"gutena-tab-title-text\"><div>Map<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"gutena-tabs-content is-layout-flow wp-block-gutena-tabs-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-gutena-tab gutena-tab-block gutena-tab-block-543fc0-6f active class-box class-image\" data-tab=\"1\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f604f6ee54c&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69f604f6ee54c\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Great Rift Valley\" class=\"wp-image-11403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">By Flickr user: genvesselWaco, TX, United States<a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external free\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/genvessel\/\">https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/genvessel\/<\/a> &#8211; Flickr: <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external free\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/genvessel\/534965441\/\">https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/genvessel\/534965441\/<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" title=\"Creative Commons Attribution 2.0\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=22539247\">Link<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-gutena-tab gutena-tab-block gutena-tab-block-05a1ad-fd inactive class-box class-image\" data-tab=\"2\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f604f6eee07&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69f604f6eee07\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"794\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley_Map-794x1024.png\" alt=\"Map of the Great Rift Valley\" class=\"wp-image-11404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley_Map-794x1024.png 794w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley_Map-233x300.png 233w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley_Map-768x990.png 768w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley_Map.png 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">By S\u00e9mhur &#8211; <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external free\" href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/gip\/dynamic\/East_Africa.html\">https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/gip\/dynamic\/East_Africa.html<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" title=\"Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=125845132\">Link<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Location<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-11263 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1667\" src=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley.Location.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Location of the Great Rift Valley\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley.Location.png 960w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley.Location-173x300.png 173w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley.Location-590x1024.png 590w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley.Location-768x1334.png 768w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Great_Rift_Valley.Location-885x1536.png 885w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11402'>\n\t\t\t\tBy <a href=\"\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/User:Redgeographics\" title=\"User:Redgeographics\">Redgeographics<\/a> &#8211; Map produced from scratch using public domain source data, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" title=\"Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=57359214\">Link<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\r\n\r\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-table info-table\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<table class=\"class-table\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<tbody>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Location<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Lebanon, Israel, Red Sea, East Africa<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tbody>\r\n\t\t\t<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Fun Facts<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<ul>\n<li>The Great Rift Valley is a massive, active crack in the Earth&#8217;s surface that stretches for thousands of miles through East Africa.<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s forming because the African tectonic plate is slowly tearing into two pieces, pulling apart at a rate of a few millimeters every year!<\/li>\n<li>If the plates keep pulling apart for millions of more years, scientists think the valley will eventually drop low enough for the ocean to flood in, creating a brand new sea!<\/li>\n<li>All that splitting and cracking lets hot magma rise up, which is why the rift is lined with famous volcanoes, like Mount Kilimanjaro!<\/li>\n<li>The valley floor has sunk so far that it holds some of the deepest lakes in the world, like Lake Tanganyika, which is almost a mile deep!<\/li>\n<li>The sides of the rift are huge, steep cliffs called <strong>escarpments<\/strong> that can rise thousands of feet high, giving you an absolutely breathtaking view!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Past Lessons<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-table info-table\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<table class=\"class-list\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<tbody>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"icon\">172<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">October 13, 2025<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td>(North America)<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<tr class=\"hide-this-row\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"3\">No Past Lessons<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tbody>\r\n\t\t\t<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Upcoming Lessons<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-table info-table\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<table class=\"class-list\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<tbody>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<tr class=\"hide-this-row\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"3\">No Upcoming Lessons<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tbody>\r\n\t\t\t<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-11263","lesson","type-lesson","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lesson\/11263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lesson"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/lesson"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}