Although the lesson is specifically about the San Francisco Bay area, it's good enough to be adapted to any local region. Children research what the landscape in San Francisco was like prior to settlement, they consider the types of animals that lived there, and what their life was like. They each receive an animal information card, which they will use as they write a mock journal entry from the perspective of that animal. It's a day in the life of an animal prior to European contact, neat!

Common Core

W.4.3.a W.4.7 W.5.3.a W.5.7