CALIFORNIA STATE HISTORY ACTIVITY GUIDE
(Grade 4)
Math Activity
1- On page 3 of the Understanding California History booklet, we learn that Captain Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo of Spain sailed up from Mexico into San
Diego. Using The Register:
- Count the number of news articles relating to Mexico.
- Sort them in order of increasing importance.
- Count the number of paragraphs in the article.
- Find the definition of the word “by-line.”
- Count the number of by-lines included in today’s paper.
2- Captain Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and his men landed in San Diego Harbor in 1542 (page 3.) Sir Francis Drake made the next landing in 1579. How
many years after Cabrillo did Sir Francis Drake land in California?
3- In 1848, John Marshall found a nugget of gold in the American River near the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Open the “Market Place” section of the
newspaper and find the price of the U.S. Eagle gold coin in the “Metals spot prices” section.
- Compare the current price with last week’s.
- Which price is greater?
- What determines the price change of the U.S Eagle gold coin?
- How far is the American River from California’s capital? In miles? In kilometers?
- Locate the American River and the Sierra Nevada Mountains on a map.
- Calculate the distance from your home to each of these landmarks.
4- The gold rush of the 1800’s brought about a number of changes to California. The emergence of “boom town,” devastated the land and destabilized the
natives. Look in the newspaper:
- List the five largest cities in California.
- Find out the population of some of the remaining “boom towns” of California.
- Find the area size of the “boom towns”
- Calculate the distance between your town and the “boom towns.”
5- Using the “State/Region” section of the newspaper, identify the different regions in California.
- How many regions are there?
- Which one is the largest?
- Which region has the hottest temperature today?
Writing
1- The Great Depression brought about many ills for the people of California, including poverty and discrimination.
- Define the word “Discrimination.”
- Define the word “Poverty.”
- Write an opinion essay about discrimination and how it affects people’s lives.
- Write a story of what life would be like during The Great Depression.
2- The San Diego Harbor was a major port in the early days of California’s history. Create a newspaper ad for one of the current tours and attractions
offered by the San Diego Harbor. Use the newspaper to find images and write the copy needed for the ad.
3- California has a thriving Wine Industry. Using the newspaper, create a map of California’s wine region. Write an essay about the winemaking process
and find images inside the paper to illustrate your work.
4- California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850 and passed the Compromise of 1850.
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Discuss the Compromise of 1850.
Write a short story set in the 1850’s, about a runaway slave and his or her journey to freedom in California.
5- California has a strong Agribusiness Industry.
- Create a list of the top 10 California agricultural products.
- Create a product catalog complete with picture and growing /farming instructions for the products.
- Look in the newspaper to find articles on farming.
Research
1- In1865, more than 10,000 Chinese immigrants came to California to help in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
- How many years did it take to finish the project?
- Find out which city in the state has the highest Chinese population.
- What is the percentage of Chinese immigrants living in that city?
- Using the newspaper, find an article about that city.
- Does the city have a Chinese Cultural Center?
- When is the next Chinese New Year?
2- Page 5 of Understanding California talks about the changes brought about by the Gold Rush of 1848. Using the newspaper:
- Find the city where John Marshall found the nugget of gold.
- Identify the surrounding cities.
- Identify 5 major attractions or museums in that city.
- Create a timeline of the Gold Rush of 1848.
3- California shares its border with Mexico. Using the newspaper, find a map of California.
- Locate the California/Mexico border state.
- List the border cities.
- Locate and list some of the remaining “boom towns” of California.
- Create a collage of the border cities. Include historical information, tourist attractions and present your findings to the class.
4- California has many urban landmarks and national parks.
- Identify the landmarks and national parks of California.
- Using the newspaper, find an article or an advertisement about one of those landmarks.
- Choose one landmark and make a class presentation about it.
5- Immigrants built the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge and the Colorado River Aqueduct. Using the newspaper, find an article about immigration.
- Who is the story about?
- What is the focus of the story?
Where is the story taking place?
- In your opinion, how important is the story?
- Find a map of California and locate the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Colorado River Aqueduct.
Reading
In the 1900’s California’s middle class enjoyed their wealth by spending money on popular culture trends of the time.
1- Using the newspaper, find an article about popular culture.
- Read the article, identify the popular culture trend and do a class presentation about the topic.
- Discuss the main idea of the article.
- How does popular culture affect our lives?
- Find 5 examples of popular culture trends in today’s Register.
2- In 1850, “Dame Shirley” wrote letters home describing the beauty and dangers of California. Read the Register and choose news articles of interest to
you. Create a California state journal by cutting out pictures and other elements from the newspaper. Be sure to summarize the articles and explain why
you chose them.
3- The indigenous people of California died by the thousands due to contagious illnesses brought by other immigrants. Find a health related feature in the
newspaper. Read it and discuss it with the class.
4- Read the front- page story of the Register newspaper.
- What are the topics covered on the front page?
- How many articles appear on the front page?
- How many words make up the headline?
- What is the purpose of the headline?
- Rewrite the headline and compare it with the original.
- Classify the headline as: news, curiosity, promotional or humorous?
- Create a list of the front-page story topics, and then discuss the main story.
5- Page 13 of Understanding California talks about the technology industry and compared the industry’s growth to the Gold Rush.
- Provide a brief description of the term “Silicon Valley.”
- Identify the part of the state known as “Silicon Valley.”
- In the “Market Place” section of the Register, find an article about the Internet and computer technology.
- Identify the top 5 Internet companies in the United States. Read about their early beginnings and present your findings to the rest of the class.
- How many of these companies have headquarters in California?