Social Studies in California

07/03/2023 English German

Edition # 149
San Francisco, 07-03-2023

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Social Studies in California

Figure [1]: Former California Governors, right Arnold Schwarzenegger and left Jerry Brown.

Angelika As attentive newsletter readers know, I work as a behavioral therapist in a fourth grade class. In social studies, fourth grade is all about the state of California. As someone from northern Germany, I learned in my elementary school years about the Wadden Sea and the North Sea. Here in California, it's about the missions, the indigenous people of California, the gold rush, the expansion of the railroad, and the influx of immigrants.

Figure [2]: Glass windows in the State Capitol in Sacramento

Children in our school are also learning about the geographical regions in California, all about the capital Sacramento, and how the California government is structured. We also did the so-called mission project in our class. Everyone who has attended elementary school in California knows what that entails. In fourth grade, you build one of the many mission churches that span the state. Then there is a lot of crafting. Some children create 3D models, others paint the mission of their choice on a canvas or make a podcast about the topic.

One of my students built a virtual mission in the video game "Minecraft". Interestingly, this project seems to always evoke sentimental reactions from the parents, because at every parent meeting we are asked when the mission project in the fourth grade will finally start and whether we will do it. Since 2017, the California school board has rather discouraged it. Especially the reconstruction of the missions in model form is problematic, because they say there's the risk that the missions could be glorified without taking into account the oppression of the Indians at the missions. Now I have to say that maybe fourth graders are underestimated here, because at that age they have a pronounced sense of justice and the exploitation of the Indians in the missions is indeed addressed in the curriculum.

We also included a trip to the capital city of Sacramento to deepen what we had learned. So we packed our fourth graders into a minibus and drove off, quite an effort for a day trip, since Sacramento is about two hours away (by car) from our school. First we visited the "State Capitol", the building where California legislators gather to pass laws and shape the fate of the state of California. The building is relatively old by American standards, as it was completed between 1861 and 1874. When we were there for the tour, many politicians were buzzing around the halls, waiting for the elevators or chatting with their colleagues.

Figure [3]: Tour of "Sutter's Fort".

Then we continued to "Sutter's Fort". John (formerly: Johann) Sutter was a Swiss immigrant who built the fort and operated it from 1839 to 1949. He named his colony "New Helvetia" and traded as a large landowner and oversaw agricultural land being cultivated. The sawmill in Coloma also belonged to him. One of his employees, James Marshall, found gold there in 1848, triggering the California Gold Rush, ironically leading to the downfall of the fort, as John Sutter's workers left to pan for gold. The fort is now a museum and very child-friendly, with various performances, to show how the blacksmith worked or how flour was milled and bread was baked.

Figure [4]: Dining car at the Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

The last stop of our trip was the Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Trains still have a lot of appeal to today's generation of children. My students and I especially liked the old trains that we could go into, and we admired the post office, the sleeping car, and the dining car. At the Railroad Museum, we didn't even have to pay admission, because with fourth graders in tow, who are studying California history in school, no admission is charged. Since September 2021, families with a fourth grader can apply for an annual pass, the so-called "California State Adventure Park Pass", which gives them free admission to 19 California State Parks. An interesting idea!