The Northridge quake shook the San Fernando Valley, just northeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the early morning hours of January 17, killing 54 people and causing billions of dollars in damages.
Scientists later measured the quake at 6.7 on the Richter scale.
I specifically remember this earthquake because it happened on my 21st birthday. I was at college on J-Term (January Term), and we watched the news footage in the student center. As an editor of our school newspaper, I considered how we’d cover this event long-distance, including finding students on our campus with connects to Los Angeles.
Below are the ultimate resources for sharing this event with your middle or high school ELA students. Students can evaluate the factual information and personal narratives presented in these resources and write their own. You could even make this a cross-curricular activity with your students’ science teacher.
Articles
- 1994: Earthquake rocks Los Angeles
- Northridge earthquake photos
- Six things we’ve learned since the 1994 Northridge Earthquake
- Recent water-main breaks may be tied to 1994 Northridge earthquake
- Babies born during the earthquake meet for the first time
Video
Interactives
- Then and now photo sliders
- Are you ready for the next big one?
- Map: LA residents share memories of 1994 earthquake
- Which fault moved in the Northridge earthquake?
Lesson ideas
- If you have specific memories on this event, whether you were watching it on television, or know someone with a connection to the event, share your story with your students.
- Share articles and video.
- Place students in groups with computers to use the interactives and report to the whole group
- Discuss student experiences with earthquakes in Oklahoma.
- Ask students to compare Oklahoma earthquakes with the Northridge quake.