Throughout the school year, 4th Grade students will study our home state of California and its rich history.
Through inquiry, collaboration, discovery, and innovative instruction, students will learn about the Native Americans of California's past, the Spanish explorers who settled in California and constructed the Missions, the vaqueros of the Ranchos, the American pioneers of the West, and the Gold Rush prospectors.
The 4th Grade class begins this yearlong curriculum studying California's vast and varied geography, specifically its unique regions and geographical landforms. Students organized this new material using various note-taking strategies, such as chart and reporter notes, which aided them in writing their first informational essay on a region of their choice. These essays illustrated their knowledge of that region's landforms, uses, climate, and natural vegetation. As skilled writers, they included a topic and conclusion sentence in their essays, developing these formative, foundational skills for writing.
To further demonstrate their knowledge of California, each student created a Salt Map, a relief map showcasing the state's topography. Using 80 pounds of salt, flour, and glue, they constructed all aspects of California and then painted them to reflect the four main regions. These works of art clearly highlight their understanding of the most important landforms in the Golden State. Students will have achieved a 4th Grade milestone by successfully completing their first unit assessment of California's geography. In preparation for this test, students develop their study skills by utilizing various techniques, including interactive online resources.
Through these hands-on projects, Sierra Canyon students deepen their love of learning and develop their understanding of what it means to be an engaged, responsible, and proactive learner.
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