NOTE: Although the site is arranged according to grade 3 and 4 content standards, the available material is appropriate for all grade levels and teachers are welcome to use it for other grades too. Please direct any questions to [email protected].
Summary of Topics in the Grade 3 History-Social Science Content Standards
- 3.1 Physical and human geography
- 1. Local geographical features
- 2. Use of resources and modification of the physical environment
- 3.2 American Indian nations
- 1. National identities, beliefs, customs and traditions
- 2. Adaptation to local environment
- 3. Economy, government and relationship to federal and state governments
- 4. Interaction with new settlers
- 3.3 Sequence of local events and impact of each period of settlement
- 1. Explorers, settlers, their traditions and contributions
- 2. Economies established by settlers, private property, entrepreneurship
- 3. Establishment of communities, individual and family contributions, change over time
- 3.4 Government, rules and laws
- 1. Reasons for rules and laws and the consequences for violating them
- 2. Public virtue, role of citizens in community and civic life, participating in a classroom
- 3. Important local and national landmarks, symbols and documents
- 4. The three branches of government, local government
- 5. The ways California, other states and sovereign American Indian tribes contribute to the making of our nation
- 6. American heroes who took risks to secure our freedoms
- 3.5 Economy of the local region
- 1. Use of natural, human and capital resources to produce goods and services
- 2. Local and imported goods
- 3. Cost and benefit trade-offs in individual economic choices
Topics in the Grade 4 History-Social Science Content Standards
- 4.1 California’s physical and human geographic features
- 1. Coordinate grid system of latitude and longitude
- 2. North and South Poles, equator, prime meridian, tropics, hemispheres
- 3. State capital, physical environments of California’s regions
- 4. Pacific Ocean, rivers, valleys, mountain passes: effects on the growth of towns
- 5. Communities in California; land use, vegetation, wildlife, climate, population density, architecture, services and transportation.
- 4.2 Life in pre-Columbian societies, Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods
- 1. Major nations of California Indians; adaptation to their environment
- 2. European exploration and settlement
- 3. Spanish exploration and colonization
- 4. Spanish mission system
- 5. Daily lives of people: presidios, missions, ranchos and pueblos
- 6. Influence of Franciscans on the economy
- 7. Effects of Mexican War for Independence
- 8. Mexican rule: land grants, secularization of missions, rancho economy
- 4.3 Life during Bear Flag Republic, Mexican-American War, Gold Rush, statehood
- 1. Locations of settlements, including Mexican settlements
- 2. How and why people traveled to California; routes they traveled
- 3. Effects of the Gold Rush; daily life, politics, physical environment
- 4. Women who helped build California
- 5. How California became a state; how new government differed from previous
- 4.4 Development of California since 1850; economic, political, cultural
- 1. Pony Express, Overland Mail service, Western Union, transcontinental railroad; Chinese workers’ contributions
- 2. Effects of Gold Rush on California’s economy; economic conflicts
- 3. Immigration and migration between 1850-1900; conflicts and accords
- 4. American immigration, migration, settlement, growth of towns and cities
- 5. Effects of Great Depression, Dust Bowl and World War II on California
- 6. Development of new industries since the turn of the century
- 7. Evolution of California’s water system; dams, aqueducts, reservoirs
- 8. Development of the public education system; universities, community colleges
- 9. Influence on the nation’s artistic and cultural development; entertainment industry
- 4.5 Local, state and federal governments
- 1. Importance of the U.S. Constitution
- 2. California Constitution
- 3. Compare/contrast federal, state and local governments
- 4. Structure and function of state governments; elected officials
- 5. Components of California’s governance structure; cities, towns, Indian rancherias and reservations, counties, school districts
