Formative Assessments
1
The Rise of
California
Assess standards RI 4.3, RI 4.4, RI 4.6
Ranch Life in
California
2
3
4
(Extracted from the
Home
Correspondence of
Emily M. Hobbs,
1886)
Assesses standards RI 4.3, RI 4.4, RI 4.6
Visual
Dictionary
Students will design a visual dictionary using domain specific
words from a science or social studies text. RI 4.4
Name: ____________________________
Unit 5
Formative Assessment
The Rise of California
If your family told you that you were going to move to a new place, would you be excited? How
would you feel if you knew you were going to a place where gold had been discovered?
Thousands of people traveled to California after gold was discovered there in 1849. They traveled
overland by foot or wagon. The land was dry and dusty. The trip was rough, and it could take more
than a year. The settlers didn’t know if they would ever see their families back East again.
Then, in 1869, a big change took place. The United States transcontinental railroad was completed.
Two railroad lines were built. One started in the East, and the other started from the West. When
these lines were joined in Utah, suddenly it became possible to travel from coast to coast by
railroad in just about a week. More and more people started going to California. They had heard
that the weather was warm and land was available.
Before the railroad was completed, many of the early settlers were miners. They hoped to make
money by finding gold. These early settlers were almost all men. In 1850, for every eleven men in
California, there was only one woman! Miners lived a hard life in camps near the mines. They often
moved from place to place, searching for gold.
Many of the settlers who came with the railroad were farmers. They started growing crops, such as
wheat, grapes, oranges, and lemons. Soon, California was growing more wheat and oranges than
any other state. Oranges, which were once very rare and costly, became something that everyone
could enjoy. When the farmers came, they settled in one place and brought their families with
them. By 1880, for every two men in California, there was one woman.
Still, life was not easy. Many settlers were not used to living in such a rough land. Running a farm
was hard work. Many women worked on the farm. They had to cook and clean for their families,
too. No one had electricity, so there was no refrigeration or air conditioning. Food was cooked on
wood stoves. It wasn’t an easy life at first in the West. But the people who came to California
brought a love of adventure with them that can still be found there today.
What caused the trip from the east to the west to be so “rough”?
RI 4.3
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
__
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
__
What caused the “big change” that took place in 1869?
RI 4.3
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
__
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
__ Choose one or more words from “The Rise of California” that you can
figure out the meaning from clues in the text.
Word or
Phrase
Meaning of the Word or
Phrase
RI 4.4
How I Inferred the
Meaning
Unit 5
Name: Key
Formative Assessment
The Rise of California
If your family told you that you were going to move to a new place, would you be excited? How
would you feel if you knew you were going to a place where gold had been discovered?
Thousands of people traveled to California after gold was discovered there in 1849. They traveled
overland by foot or wagon. The land was dry and dusty. The trip was rough, and it could take more
than a year. The settlers didn’t know if they would ever see their families back East again.
Then, in 1869, a big change took place. The United States transcontinental railroad was completed.
Two railroad lines were built. One started in the East, and the other started from the West. When
these lines were joined in Utah, suddenly it became possible to travel from coast to coast by
railroad in just about a week. More and more people started going to California. They had heard
that the weather was warm and land was available.
Before the railroad was completed, many of the early settlers were miners. They hoped to make
money by finding gold. These early settlers were almost all men. In 1850, for every eleven men in
California, there was only one woman! Miners lived a hard life in camps near the mines. They often
moved from place to place, searching for gold.
Many of the settlers who came with the railroad were farmers. They started growing crops, such as
wheat, grapes, oranges, and lemons. Soon, California was growing more wheat and oranges than
any other state. Oranges, which were once very rare and costly, became something that everyone
could enjoy. When the farmers came, they settled in one place and brought their families with
them. By 1880, for every two men in California, there was one woman.
Still, life was not easy. Many settlers were not used to living in such a rough land. Running a farm
was hard work. Many women worked on the farm. They had to cook and clean for their families,
too. No one had electricity, so there was no refrigeration or air conditioning. Food was cooked on
wood stoves. It wasn’t an easy life at first in the West. But the people who came to California
brought a love of adventure with them that can still be found there today.
What caused the trip from the east to the west to be so “rough”?
RI 4.3
Sample Response: People traveled by foot or by wagon. It was hard because the land was dusty
and dry. It also took a long time. According to the text, the trip could take over a year. Many
people were also afraid that once they left, they would never see their family and friends again
from home.
What caused the “big change” that took place in 1869?
RI 4.3
Sample Response: A railroad was built. It made the trip to California much easier and more people
decided to go.
Choose one or more words from “The Rise of California” that you can
figure out the meaning from clues in the text.
Word or
Phrase
Answers will vary.
Meaning of the Word or
Phrase
How I Inferred the
Meaning
Name: ____________________________
Ranch Life in California
Unit 5
Formative Assessment
(Extracted from the Home Correspondence of Emily M. Hobbs, 1886)
Read this excerpt of a letter from a woman living in California about her day-to-day life.
Yesterday I took a holiday. After washing up after dinner, I left the boys to get their own supper; but
I cooked a huge pile of rock cakes, all of which they devoured. Then I went for a round of calls on
Mr. White’s horse, and finally stayed to supper at the Kline’s. They had friends, and we were quite a
party in the evening, over twenty people, and we sang songs (they like George’s and my singing so
much) and were quite festive.
I am getting on with the work all right, but one cannot keep things very tidy in this house, there is
no room to put away anything. I intend to keep my new abode beautifully clean, and not let the
boys do any cooking in the sacred precincts of my kitchen. Men always make slops when they cook.
It was terribly hot on washing-day, but not so hot up here as down in the valley. Did you ever try to
starch a shirt-front? It nearly drives me out of my mind, it is so hard to do. I can do the cooking
better. We have to pay four dollars a pound for mutton, six dollars for beef, and the butcher comes
once a week; but the worst of it is that the meat will not keep any time in this heat.
I have found that little Kensington School of Cookery book very useful, because it is so simple. Mr.
White has a packet of papers from Kensington, telling in the most minute way how to cook things. I
wish you could send me some, particularly for puddings. There is no suet to be had, and very little
dripping, as the meat is baked. We buy lard in tins. They have mush and eggs for breakfast, meat
and pudding for dinner, and eggs and cakes, or perhaps cold meat, for supper.
Hank B. and I have been riding into town–whenever I say town it is Lower Lake I mean–to choose a
stove, and, coming back, we saw Rags, the dog, run after something; so Hank B. and I promptly
hurried our horses on, and, when we reached them, our noses instantly told us it was a skunk. The
brute ran in amongst the horses’ legs in an instant, and covered us with its filthy smelling stuff.
Hank B. got awfully messed, and we rode off as hard as we could lick. The beast was very small, but
some are as large as little bears. They will turn and attack a person sometimes. I never smelt
anything so shocking in all my life. Hank B. had to change and wash his clothes and hang them out.
Glossary:
Abode- home
Brute- beast
Festive- merry; happy
Lard- another type of fat used for cooking
Minute- very small; tiny
Sacred precincts- special place that should not be bothered
Suet- animal fat used for cooking
What caused this woman’s day-to-day life to be so busy?
RI 4.3
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
__
_____________________________________________________
The writer says, “I cooked a huge pile of rock cakes, all of which they devoured.”
Which sentence uses devoured in the same way?
RI 4.4
A.
B.
C.
D.
As the earthquake rumbled, it devoured even the strongest buildings.
The dog devoured the bowl of food as soon as it was put in front of him.
Penny was so excited about the new book that she devoured it in less than a day.
During the drought, any amount of rain devoured and flooded the land.
You read a secondhand account of the journey to California, “The Rise of
California” and a firsthand account of daily life in California, “Ranch Life in
California”. How are the texts alike and how are they different? Support
your answer with specific details from the text.
RI 4.6
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Name: ____________________________
Unit 5
Formative Assessment
Ranch Life in California
Read this excerpt of a letter from a woman living in California about her day-to-day life.
Yesterday I took a holiday. After washing up after dinner, I left the boys to get their own supper; but
I cooked a huge pile of rock cakes, all of which they devoured. Then I went for a round of calls on
Mr. White’s horse, and finally stayed to supper at the Kline’s. They had friends, and we were quite a
party in the evening, over twenty people, and we sang songs (they like George’s and my singing so
much) and were quite festive.
I am getting on with the work all right, but one cannot keep things very tidy in this house, there is
no room to put away anything. I intend to keep my new abode beautifully clean, and not let the
boys do any cooking in the sacred precincts of my kitchen. Men always make slops when they cook.
It was terribly hot on washing-day, but not so hot up here as down in the valley. Did you ever try to
starch a shirt-front? It nearly drives me out of my mind, it is so hard to do. I can do the cooking
better. We have to pay four dollars a pound for mutton, six dollars for beef, and the butcher comes
once a week; but the worst of it is that the meat will not keep any time in this heat.
I have found that little Kensington School of Cookery book very useful, because it is so simple. Mr.
White has a packet of papers from Kensington, telling in the most minute way how to cook things. I
wish you could send me some, particularly for puddings. There is no suet to be had, and very little
dripping, as the meat is baked. We buy lard in tins. They have mush and eggs for breakfast, meat
and pudding for dinner, and eggs and cakes, or perhaps cold meat, for supper.
Hank B. and I have been riding into town–whenever I say town it is Lower Lake I mean–to choose a
stove, and, coming back, we saw Rags, the dog, run after something; so Hank B. and I promptly
hurried our horses on, and, when we reached them, our noses instantly told us it was a skunk. The
brute ran in amongst the horses’ legs in an instant, and covered us with its filthy smelling stuff.
Hank B. got awfully messed, and we rode off as hard as we could lick. The beast was very small, but
some are as large as little bears. They will turn and attack a person sometimes. I never smelt
anything so shocking in all my life. Hank B. had to change and wash his clothes and hang them out.
Glossary:
Abode- home
Brute- beast
Festive- merry; happy
Lard- another type of fat used for cooking
Minute- very small; tiny
Sacred precincts- special place that should not be bothered
Suet- animal fat used for cooking
What caused this woman’s day-to-day life to be so busy?
RI 4.3
Sample Response: This woman did all of the cleaning and cooking for her family. She also took
care of her children. She didn’t have any of the modern day conveniences we have today and had
to do everything by hand.
The writer says, “I cooked a huge pile of rock cakes, all of which they devoured.”
Which sentence uses devoured in the same way?
RI 4.4
A.
B.
C.
D.
As the earthquake rumbled, it devoured even the strongest buildings.
The dog devoured the bowl of food as soon as it was put in front of him.
Penny was so excited about the new book that she devoured it in less than a day.
During the drought, any amount of rain devoured and flooded the land.
You read a secondhand account of the journey to California, “The Rise of
California” and a firsthand account of daily life in California, “Ranch Life in
California”. How are the texts alike and how are they different? Support
your answer with specific details from the text.
RI 4.6
There are similarities and differences between “The Rise of California” and “Ranch Life in
California”. Both texts talk about California. Both texts are also set in the 1800’s.
One difference between the texts is that “The Rise of California” is a secondhand account
about California, while “Ranch Life in California” is a firsthand account about California. The focus of
“The Rise of California” is historical facts about people moving out to California. The author
discusses how moving out to California before the creation of the train was very difficult. The focus of
“Ranch Life in California” is a woman’s day-to-day life. According to the letter, she spends a lot of
time cooking and cleaning. She also gets to spend time with friends.
Design a Visual Dictionary
Choose domain specific words from a science or social studies
text you have read. Then, design and create a visual dictionary
with a brief definition and an illustration or a labeled diagram
for each word.
RI
4.4
Word and Definition
Illustration/ Labeled Diagram