One of our central focuses of fourth-grade social science is the California missions. We work to give students a balanced perspective, including the impact on the indigenous peoples, the intent of the Spanish missionaries, and the consequences of the changing governments. This fraught period in California's history directly connects with many of our students today, who come from diverse backgrounds that can be traced directly back to this period.
One GREAT way to solidify the connection between past and present is to provide each student with the opportunity to independently read this interesting, well-researched, and well-rounded historical fiction novel! The characters, including a smart, adventurous fourth-grade girl and her brother, are easy for students to relate to. The story touches on each of the 21 missions, so as students are researching their individual projects, everyone can connect specially to at least one part of the story. Reading as a group is great, but to really internalize the material, students need to be able to read at their own pace, and reread parts they find challenging.
About my class
One of our central focuses of fourth-grade social science is the California missions. We work to give students a balanced perspective, including the impact on the indigenous peoples, the intent of the Spanish missionaries, and the consequences of the changing governments. This fraught period in California's history directly connects with many of our students today, who come from diverse backgrounds that can be traced directly back to this period.
One GREAT way to solidify the connection between past and present is to provide each student with the opportunity to independently read this interesting, well-researched, and well-rounded historical fiction novel! The characters, including a smart, adventurous fourth-grade girl and her brother, are easy for students to relate to. The story touches on each of the 21 missions, so as students are researching their individual projects, everyone can connect specially to at least one part of the story. Reading as a group is great, but to really internalize the material, students need to be able to read at their own pace, and reread parts they find challenging.
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