Talissa Deramo and Natalie Pena

Farr Ave Cohort FRIDAYS

Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Roadtrippin Through California
Lesson 3 in California History Unit
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Social Studies Units BIG Idea: Economic factors influence geographic, cultural and political
change in a state.
H/SS Discipline(s): Economy, Geography, Political Science, History
Common Core Standard/s:
RI.4.2- Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
SL.4.1- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on g
rade 4 topics and texts, b
uilding on others ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material;
explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic
to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information,
and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of
others.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and
understanding in light of the discussion.

VAPA Strand(s): Connections, Relationships, Applications

Time Period for the Learning Experience: 1 hour
Student Groupings: Students will work in small groups of 3-4 for planning and recalling
important information on their given city to create a cootie catcher and fill out a graphic
organizer.
State adopted History/Social Science Standards:

4.4 Students explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power, tracing the
transformation of the California economy and its political and cultural development since the
1850s.
1. Understand the story and lasting influence of the Pony Express, Overland
Mail Service, Western Union, and the building of the transcontinental railroad,
including the contributions of Chinese workers to its construction.
2. Explain how the Gold Rush transformed the economy of California, including
the types of products produced and consumed, changes in towns (e.g., Sacramento,
San Francisco), and economic conflicts between diverse groups of people.
3. Discuss immigration and migration to California between 1850 and 1900,
including the diverse composition of those who came; the countries of origin and their
relative locations; and conflicts and accords among the diverse groups (e.g., the 1882
Chinese Exclusion Act).
4. Describe rapid American immigration, internal migration, settlement, and the
growth of towns and cities (e.g., Los Angeles).
5. Discuss the effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II
on California.
State adopted Visual and Performing Arts Standards:
5.3 Construct diagrams, maps, graphs, timelines models, and illustrations to communicate
ideas or tell a story about a historical event.
Lesson Objective(s) (based on the content standards):
Students will be able to recall relevant information from a social studies themed book on
California.
Students will also be able to use a graphic organizer to take notes on key details from the
text.
Students will be able to form questions based on the key details from their text.
Students will be able to construct a cootie catcher to display their questions and findings in
order to share with their peers.
Class Description
This is a self contained 4th grade class in the middle of the school year. The students have
learned key terms about Social Studies (8 Aspects of Social Studies). They have not yet
applied this new academic language to real life examples. There are 31 ELL students in the
class with 2 students having IEPs. There is one GATE student in the class.
Developmental Needs of the Students at this Age

Based on the students developmental needs, students need hands on engaging

activities in order to fully understand the content. They need to be given appropriate
background knowledge. This can be done through KWL charts or vocabulary lessons.
Assessment Plan
Write a n
arrative statement (about a 1/2 page) that holistically responds to the following
issues related to the assessment of your learning objectives for this lesson.
Items to consider in writing your narrative statement:
Students will be able to recall relevant information from a social studies themed book on
California.
Students will also be able to use a graphic organizer to take notes on key details from the
text.
Students will be able to form questions based on the key details from their text.
Students will be able to construct a cootie catcher to display their questions and findings in
order to share with their peers.
Description and Purpose of the Assessment
Through the use of the anticipatory set, the teacher will be able to pre- assess what students
know about the history of Californias cities (economic factors, geography, culture) and their
knowledge of a detail versus a key detail. Based off of this information, the teacher will go
through an example of key details of a city, San Francisco, using the book California. As a
class, they will fill out a graphic organizer of key details they found in regards to geography,
economics, and culture within SF. The teacher will then split the students into groups of 6 and
have them do a close read of their citys section of the book, filling in their portion of the
graphic organizer. After all the groups have had time to finish their section, they will do a
Jigsaw activity where the students will number off one person from each group giving the
other groups the information they found from their city to fill in to their graphic organizers. The
teacher will walk around the classroom, observing the conversations that the groups are
having, stepping into the conversations as needed. After the students complete the graphic
organizer, they will use key details from the information about each city to write and answer
questions into a cootie catcher they make. Once these catchers are completed, the students
will collaborate with their peers to share their questions and answers. The teacher will walk
around at this time and observe student interactions. At the end of the lesson the teacher will
collect the graphic organizers and the cootie catchers in order to assess student
understanding and knowledge on each important city in California and how it is influenced by
economic factors such as geography, culture and politics.

Materials / Resources Needed

The materials that are needed are the book California! by Erik Bruun, paper for cootie
catchers, copies of the text, graphic organizers, whiteboard, and a pencil.
Instructional Strategies / Lesson Procedures
Specifically indicate where in the lesson you will incorporate your Literature Connection book.
The Learning Process

INSTRUCTIONAL
STRATEGIES
Instructional strategies are what
the teacher does during the
instruction. Put one instructional
strategy in each box with an
explanation and amount of time
you are anticipating. Expand the
number of boxes to match each
strategy.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Put one student activity to
match the instructional
strategy in each box with
an explanation and amount
of time you are
anticipating. Expand the
number of boxes to match
each student activity.

Engagement /
Anticipatory Set

The teacher will give the

students a blank map of
California, placing cities on the
map that they can identify from
memory and from experiences
of going to that city.
(10 minutes)

Students, in groups of 5,
will work for approximately
10 minutes to fill in what
they know about California
while discussing their
experiences of traveling to
other parts of it.

INTO

The teacher will listen to the

students share out what they
know about California. The
teacher will then explain to the
students that they will be
learning about the state of
Californias cities and create a
cootie catcher based on the
information they learn to share
at the end of the lesson. Based
on the anticipatory set activity,
the teacher will get a good idea
of which cities the students have
been to and their prior
knowledge on each.

The students will share out

what they know about
California already.
The students will listen to
the teacher give them
instruction on what they
will be learning about.
The students will then
break off into groups of 5
and start reading their
assigned passage on the
city from the book
California! by Erik Bruun.

The teacher will then divide the

students into 5 groups
(depending on their levels) and
assign them a passage on one
of the cities from the book,
California! by Erik Bruun.

The students will have 15

minutes to closely read the
passage in their groups.
EL students will read along
with the teacher.

The students will have 15

minutes to closely read the
passage in their groups.
Differentiation:
Emerging ELLs will read along
with the teacher at the back
table.

THROUGH
55 min

a. Guided Instruction
b. Independent Practice

Teacher will explain the

difference between details and
key details and then model for
approximately 10 minutes how
to find the key details in the
text/passage.

Students will listen as the

teacher explains the
difference between a detail
and key detail. They will
pay attention to how the
teacher models it through
the text.

Teacher will give students a

graphic organizer to fill out.
(*see attached graphic
organizers) The teacher will
model with the students how to
fill it out by using the information
from one of the cities. The
teacher will give the students 15
minutes to fill in their assigned
section of the organizer and
leave the rest of it blank.

Students will receive a

graphic organizer to fill out.
After watching the teacher
show how to fill it in,
students, in their groups
will have 15 minutes to fill
in the graphic organizer for
their city. They will leave
the cities that are not
assigned to them blank.

After the students complete their

sections of the organizer, the
teacher will then have the
students participate in a Jigsaw

Students will then

participate in a Jigsaw
activity. The students will
number off within their

activity where the group

members will number off. All the
students will meet up with their
respective numbers from other
groups to discuss for 20
minutes. As the students are
doing this, the teacher will walk
around listening to students talk
about each city and chime in
when necessary. (progress
monitoring)
By the end of the 20 minute
jigsaw activity, each student will
have learned about each of the
cities. The teacher will have the
students pick ONE key detail
from each city and come up with
a question and answer to ask
their peers through a cootie
catcher.
The teacher will demonstrate
how to make a cootie catcher by
doing step by step instructions
with the whole class.

groups (1-6) and then will

meet up with a group of
their respective numbers
from the other groups.
They will all share the
information from their
graphic organizers.
Students will fill in the rest
of the graphic organizer
accordingly.
The students will pick one
key detail from each city
and form a question and
answer to ask their peers
through a cootie catcher.
The students will follow
along as the teacher
models how to make
cootie catcher.
The students will then write
their questions and
answers into the cootie
catcher.

After the cootie catchers are

complete, the students will write
their questions and answers into
the catcher.

Closure

After the students complete their

cootie catchers with the
information, they will have 10
minutes to walk around and ask
their peers the questions they
came up with. As the students
are doing this, the teacher will
walk around and note what the
students are discussing. At the

The students will have 10

minutes to walk around
and ask their peers the
questions they came up
with. Once the 10 minutes
is over, the students will
listen as the teacher goes
over the importance of a
key detail and why learning

end of the 10 minutes, the

teacher will go over the
importance of a key detail and
why learning about Californias
cities is important.
BEYOND

Students can take the

catchers home and share
the information with their
family

about Californias cities is

so important.

Students can extend this

lesson later by doing a
research project going
more into depth about their
assigned city.

ATTACHMENTS: Please attach any handouts or worksheets you will use in this lesson.

Field Trip: Old Town San Diego

Heritage Tours of San Diego
Site Address: 2461 San Diego Avenue, Suite 204, San Diego, California 92110
Telephone and email: (619) 491-0110
http://www.heritagetoursofsandiego.com/grade4-otsd.html
Cost: $8.00/student & $3.00/adult ($2.00 Extra if Whaley House is included)
2 hour tours all days of the week
Grade: 4
th Grade
Specifics of the exhibits:
Teachers can request a tour. 25 students per tour guide
A trip packet is provided upon booking
If you arent available to come to the site, there are people that can come to the classroom
with trunks focusing on either the Gold Rush, the Californio Kids, or the Kumeyaay Neighbors
for $150.00 for less than 60 students.
Picnic Area, bathrooms, stores available on site.
Special requirements: Comfortable walking shoes

Field Trip Rationale:

Unit title: Old Town San Diego: the birthplace of California
Grade level: 4th grade
Big Idea: The state of California and its development since the 1850s. (city, San Diego
development)
Standards: 4.4 Students explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power,
tracing the transformation of the California economy and its political and cultural development
since the 1850s.
-4. Describe rapid American immigration, internal migration, settlement, and the growth of
towns and cities
VAPA strand: Connections, Relationships, Applications
Vocabulary: California, birthplace, customs,
Rationale: By having students visit the birthplace of California, they will have a better historical
view of what life was like when their hometown of San Diego was developing. They will be
able to describe the development and growth of San Diego, one of Californias thriving cities.

Pre-Trip Lesson: T
he Birthplace of California; Old Town San Diego
Entry Question: What does birthplace mean? Where is the
birthplace of California? What makes San Diego a great city?
Lesson: Prior to embarking on our field trip to Old Town San Diego,
the teacher will have students construct an envelope graphic
organizer out of a yellow manila folder. The front of the graphic

organizer will have the Unit Title: California. Upon opening it there will be a page for students
to write important vocabulary or questions about Old Town. The next section will be a
makeshift journal for students to write down their observations and reflections during the
fieldtrip. The last portion of the graphic organizer will be a compartment for safekeeping. The
teacher will front load the students with the essential vocabulary needed for the fieldtrip. Along
with front loading vocabulary, the teacher will also show students photographs of Old Town
with special attention on ___. Students will have an opportunity to write down vocabulary,
information they already know about California and San Diego and any questions they might
have.
Assessment: Students will be assessed on their prior knowledge of San Diego, CA and their
ability to recognize what they know and want to know about Old Town San Diego.
During Trip Lesson: The Birthplace of California; Old Town San Diego
Entry Question: What makes San Diego an important city in California?
Lesson: When we arrive at Old Town San Diego, the class will be greeted by a tour guide that
will outline our tour of the site. Students will have with them the envelope graphic organizer
they made in the lesson prior to the trip and a pencil to write down any important information,
vocabulary or questions they have during the trip. Students will focus on writing about the
birthplace of California and what makes San Diego great.
Assessment: Students will be assessed on the information they write in their envelope graphic
organizer. Students should check if the information/knowledge they wrote about was
confirmed on the trip as well as any new information or questions that came up.
Post Trip Lesson: What makes San Diego, CA so great? A day in the life of a San Diegan.
Entry Question: What makes San Diego a great city? Why should anyone visit?
Lesson: After our class field trip to Old Town San Diego, students will be asked to reflect in
their journals on the information they learned about the birthplace of California. As a class,
we will go over important facts each student learned and wrote in their journals about San
Diego and make a collective list on the whiteboard. After making the list, students will be
asked to write a letter to someone outside of California explaining what makes our city so
great. Through this performance task, students will be able to persuade a non-San Diegan to
visit by sharing a day in the life piece.
Assessment: Students will be assessed on their ability to write a letter based on information
they learned about San Diego during the field trip.

Oral History

(a) General Information: A presenter from the Heritage Tours from our field trip would come
to the class dressed in period attire, portraying a real historical character. The presenter will
bring a trunk full of clothes, props, and various artifacts that will be used to make history come
alive right before the eyes of the students! There are two trunk options: The Californio Kid and
the Goldrush Days. These trunk visits cost $150.00 for a presentation of up to 60 students
and lasts for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Unit Title: CALIFORNIA!
Big Idea: T
he state of California and its development since the 1850s
Standards: 4.4 Students explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power,
tracing the transformation of the California economy and its political and cultural development
since the 1850s.
-4. Describe rapid American immigration, internal migration, settlement, and the growth of
towns and cities
VAPA Theater 3.1 Identify theatrical or storytelling traditions in the cultures of ethnic groups
throughout the history of California.
5.1 Dramatize events in California history
Person Interviewed: Presenter of Heritage Tours in Old Town San Diego
Reason: B
ecause the presenter is portraying an actual historical figure, the students could
interview the presenter as if they were the actual historical figure. This would give the
students insight as to what it was like to be in that persons shoes at that time in California
history.
(b). Guiding Questions:
1. What was life like for a Californio Kid/Miner at the time you were living?
2. When did your family first come to California and where did they come from?
3. What was easy for them to get used to when they first migrated to California? What was
challenging?
4. What influence did you make on California history?
5. What made California a desirable place to immigrate to?
(d). Classroom Connection
Our oral history project is designed to have students find out what it was like to live in the time
period of California that we interviewed the presenter about. Students will be able to relate the
experiences of the people of native California to their lives. The performance task that they
will create will be to create skits portraying life in the time of native Californians and then
transition their skits to modern times.