Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Camping Near the Estuary

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the first meeting between the first Spanish settlers and the native groups of the Tijuana estuary. Using a map, they trace various expeditions throughout Goat Canyon and the Spanish migration. After reading text, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Rivers of Change"

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders research the Los Angeles River Basin and how it has changed over time.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How To Read A Portrait

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine a system of critical analysis for describing, interpreting, and evaluating portraits which focuses their attention and yields information about the artwork.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Los Angeles Throughout the Years

For Teachers 4th
In groups, 4th graders are given a recent decade to focus on and its impact on Los Angeles and to see how the city has changed over time.
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

The State Of The States

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students engage in a study of the states as part of the United States while conducting research using a variety of resources. The focus of the study is the states that were part of the Union by 1890. Students create an almanac about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spanish Colonization: The Anza Expedition

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners research the Spanish explorations and North American geography. They create web pages based on their study.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pushing the Boundaries: The Pioneer Spirit

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders recognize how social reform occurred at the turn of the century. Through a debate, 11th graders determine advantages and drawbacks of traveling west using original sources and descriptions of the attitudes, beliefs, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Day of the Dead

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore Day of the Dead, also called "Dia de los Muertos," which is a holiday (or festival) celebrated in Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, and other areas in Central and South America populated with the Latino ethnic background.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Christmas Train to Ft. Lincoln

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students solve the mysteries of why Karl Vogt and Erich Braemer were on the Christmas Train. They review the definitions of the terms constitutional, human rights, due process, discovery, and the writ of habeas corpus. They review the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

GI's, Gals & Gardens

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, in groups, design a war participation campaign for a specific audience during WWII. They design posters and prepare an oral presentation for the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the Brown v. Board of Education case that ended segregation. They role play to re-enact the case and discuss why it was important. They discover its impact on public education.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scaling the Map

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers practice determining map distances using the map scales. They discover how much an area represents on the map in relation to the actual area. They decide on the best place to build their cavern.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Uniform Blues

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore what the U.S. Constitution is and why it is important, the purpose of the state constitution, and its relationship to the U.S. Constitution and the similarities and differences among federal, state and local...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fire and Fire Suppression

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore forest fires and forest service's new stategies. They study a case of natural burn and the impact of lowering the intensity of a larger forest fire.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1906 Earthquake

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students explore the impact of the 1906 earthquake on the population of San Jose. They explore two different perspectives of earthquakes. Students write a news bulletin as if they were reporting on the earthquake. They are then...
Unit Plan
Other

California State Parks: Paleontology

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
The California State Parks present an excellent unit to local geology of Borrego Badlands to Salton Trough. Through lessons plans, power point presentations, and a videoconference students will take a closer look into fossils and the...
Lesson Plan
Huntington Library

Huntington Library: Coming to California [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th
In this lesson, 4th graders examine entries from Juan Bautista de Anza's diary and other documents to understand the experiences and obstacles he and his companions faced as they traveled from Arizona to California in 1774. Student...
Website
Huntington Library

Huntington Library: Land of Golden Dreams: California in the Gold Rush

For Students 9th - 10th
A rich site on the California gold rush, 1848-1858. An online exhibit traces the gold rush using primary sources, a teacher page gives lesson plans from 4-12 and a kid's page offers further online adventures. Takes a long time to load.
Website
Other

History Course Models for California Teachers

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This is an invaluable on-line tool for California Social Studies and History teachers at all levels. Website provides links to resources and lesson plans already aligned with CA state standards as well as a forum for discussion,...
Lesson Plan
University of California

History Project: Debate Over the California Constitutional Convention, 1878 1879

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Lesson on immigration, conflict and nativism in which students examine primary source documents to evaluate public policy and attitudes towards Chinese immigrants in California, 1878-1879.
Website
Other

Schools of California Online Resources for Education

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
S.C.O.R.E. offers teacher approved and evaluated websites, lesson plans, virtual activities, and more which have been aligned with California standards to aid educators in history and social science.
Unit Plan
Other

California State Parks: Redwood Ecology

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
The California State Parks presents a unit of four lessons plus a videoconference with one of their rangers regarding the ancient redwood forest ecosystem. The videoconference is a virtual tour through one of two redwood forests in...
Unit Plan
Other

California State Parks: Redwood Ecology

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
The California State Parks presents a unit of four lessons plus a videoconference with one of their rangers regarding the ancient redwood forest ecosystem. The videoconference is a virtual tour through one of two redwood forests in...
Website
University of California

University of California, Davis: The History Project

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
The History Project is a growing collection of lesson plans, teaching tools, digitized images, and documents for the teaching of history. Includes assignments for having students apply analytical skills to primary sources.