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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

California's Golden History: 1848-1880

For Teachers 11th
Using a variety of online resources, learners study life and society in California during the gold rush. They use a map to identify area where gold was located, explore pre-selected websites, describe mining practices, and create an...
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Lesson Plan
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Huntington Library

Further Exploration - Exploring the California Missions

For Teachers 4th Standards
How did Native Californians and Franciscans influence one another in early California? Learners analyze a few cultural pieces to examine the impact that integration had on Franciscan and Native Californian culture.
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Lesson Plan
University of California

Impact of the California Missions on Native Americans

For Teachers 4th Standards
While the Spanish claimed to bring civilization to California indigenous peoples, in reality, they also brought violence and forced assimilation to European values. Primary sources, such as the reports of Catholic priests and Europeans...
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Activity
Fremont Unified School District

4th Grade California Relief Map Project

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Bring life to your next California geography lesson with this great project! Learners design a three-dimensional wall relief map of California, painting and decorating regions using a variety of materials and labeling major geographical...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land Use and Lawmaking in California

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students design a plan for a housing development in their city. In this house development lesson plan, students observe pictures of land use, research lawmaking, and develop a plan for an environmentally friendly housing development in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

California Fights Sugar

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Scholars read articles and have a class discussion on California's efforts to fight obesity. They will read and discuss the effects of sugar on the body and the soda tax that is being proposed in California.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

California Missions

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders use what they already have gathered on California missions to create a database. Using the different missions, they brainstorm, organize and categorize what they have gathered. They present their material to the class and...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Connecting Informational Text with Litearature: Building Background Knowledge About Mexican Immigration, California, and the Great Depression

For Teachers 5th Standards
Help your class transition as the setting in the novel Esperanza Rising, by Pam Muñoz Ryan, moves from Mexico to California. Beginning with prior knowledge, and moving into jigsaw research groups, class members add to and create posters...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

California-Becoming an Agricultural and Insustrial Power

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power. They trace the transformation of the California economy in its political and cultural development since the 1850's.
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Handout
California Historical Society

Understanding California

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Here is a beautiful handout through which learners can explore the history of California, from the earliest Europeans to visit the Golden State up through its experiences during the Great Depression and position in the modern world. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Times and Life During the California Gold Rush

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read about the era in their history books, write in their journals revolving around the Gold Rush, making crafts such as newspapers, and also play the part of the Forty-niners.
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Lesson Plan
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Huntington Library

Everyday Life - Exploring the California Missions

For Teachers 4th Standards
Young scholars relive history as they examine primary sources that document everyday life in the California missions. During a class viewing of the included slideshow presentation, children analyze documents, paintings, and drawings in...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Huntington Library

Religion & Spirituality - Exploring the California Missions

For Teachers 4th Standards
The California missions were built with the hope of converting the local Native Americans to Catholicism, but exactly how different were their beliefs to begin with? Through analysis of a series of primary source documents, young...
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Activity
Curated OER

Character Development Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Read Dangerous Minds with your language learning disabled pupils to identify characteristics and connect to literature. This is a specific activity intended for use with the suggested book. The class uses a character map  as a way to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Splendide Californie French Artists’ Impressionsof the Golden State, 1786-1900

For Teachers 6th - 8th
There is a lot to learn from art. This teacher's guide provides you with extensive background information, activities, and a scripted commentary to accompany a slide show on French artists in California during the Gold Rush Period. The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting There- Do You Want To Go To California?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the impact of the California Gold Rush. In this U.S. history lesson, students use several included documents to examine the causes and effects of the Gold Rush. Students are broken up into groups and choose one topic to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring California

For Teachers 4th
While incomplete, this lesson could be used as a starting point for an exploration of the geographic features of California. Learners describe the four regions of California and discuss population and economic development. Then, they use...
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Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Living with Less Water

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that California produces two thirds of the fruits and nuts consumed in the United States? That it produces almost one third of the vegetables? Did you know that scientists warn that California is facing the onset of a...
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Seismic Activity and California Landforms

For Teachers 6th Standards
By the 19th lesson in the 20-part series, scholars realize volcanoes and earthquakes are related to plate boundaries. The lesson extends and applies the knowledge by having individuals create a bumper sticker for one specific area of...
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Lesson Plan
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Museum of Tolerance

Developing Media Literacy

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
To protect young people from questionable content, many schools limit access. This resource suggests that because learners can so readily avail themselves to unrestricted Internet access, it is vital for 21st century learners to develop...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Toxicants and California Blackworms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers determine the normal behavior of California blackworms. They determine how various concentrations of assigned toxicants affect the worm's behavior. Students are introduced to testing of potential toxicants, an important...
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Activity
1
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Teach Engineering

Android App Development

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Building an accelerometer app for your Android device. Groups develop an app that uses the accelerometer on an Android device. The purpose of the activity is to reinforce the programming design. The post activity assessment challenges...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

California Regions

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore and compare and contrast the four main regions of California: mountains, coast, central valley, and desert. students use pictures and research to describe how regions vary in land use, vegetation, wildlife and climate.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land Use and Lawmaking in California

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students investigate the laws of using land.  In this California Government activity, students examine the many uses of land in California and find an environmental issue they care about.  Students write a letter to a politician based on...