California's Resources

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...

The California Gold Rush sparked many people to try for their fortunes and led to the formation of some well-known California cities. Have your class read about the changes that happened and then respond to the five included questions.

While many of our students may recognize the date of September 11, 2001 in the United States, most will not be able to personally recall what transpired. On Patriot Day, introduce your young learners to the events, aftermath, and...

Pupils discover the multicultural nature of California during the Gold Rush through extensive primary source analysis, examining firsthand accounts of multicultural tensions and discussing the concept of California as a bilingual state...

How did the emergence of the Gold Rush in California lead to the development of an urban society, largely connected to a wider world of trade? Young historians review and analyze eight primary source documents to discover the cultural...

Learn about the California Gold Rush from an institution that has been in place since the early days of the American West: Wells Fargo History Museum. From domain-specific vocabulary review to group research projects, an expansive packet...

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...

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. 

Here's a nice example of assignment guidelines for a California mission project, as well guided notes for learners to complete as they conduct their research and write their final reports.

Young scholars compare contemporary cultural differences with historical differences based on population percentage. In this cross-curriculum Gold Rush/math lesson, students analyze aspects of California's Gold Rush population and...