Educate

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
–The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Our consortium of scholars have created a series of curriculum for primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. We have written lesson plans and provide primary sources for potential use in the classroom and beyond. Sample materials are provided from the state, district, city, and institutional level.

Additional materials are available with a subscription to the Google Classroom. We currently offer 70° Archival Training, which teaches you how to create and manage your family and corporate history. Jennifer is authoring Establishing a Museum, Archive Processing Plan, Creating Sustainable Partnerships & Programs that will be published in 2022.

We adhere to California and Orange County district standards. Please see the series of publications here:

CALIFORNIA STATE STANDARDS

Common Core State Standards

FRAMEWORK

2016 History-Social Science Framework

C3 Framework

California Department of Education

Curriculum Areas
Professional development for teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and other staff in selected curriculum areas.
Curriculum Frameworks & Instructional Materials
Information on all subject areas.
“Model curriculum projects are initiated in response to specific legislation calling for a state-developed curriculum in a specified topic or disciplinary area of study. Typically these projects are done under the supervision of the State Board of Education (SBE) or the Instructional Quality Commission, usually with an advisory committee made up of experts and/or teachers in the topic of study.”
“Honoring Silenced Voices of the Past Through Character Presentations” with Nicole Brown who interprets Ann Wager @colonialwmsburg during the  California Council for the Social Studies 59th Annual Conference @casocialstudies #CCSS20

According to the California Council for Social Studies (CCSS), “Reading and analyzing primary sources is a major component of the Common Core ELA Standards for Literacy in History-Social Studies. The following resource links provide access to key primary sources to support instruction in American history, civics, and economics.”

Primary Source Resources:

Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tools

            http://www.loc.gov/teachers/primary-source-analysis-tool/

Early America

Exploring the Early Americas – Explorations and Encounters

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/exploring-the-early-americas/explorations-and-encounters.html

Exploring the Early Americas – Aftermath of the Encounter

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/exploring-the-early-americas/aftermath-of-the-encounter.html 

The Constitution

Primary source set and teachers guide from the Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/constitution/

This is a Lesson from the National Archives for grades 4-12
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-workshop/index.html

The Civil War in America

“The Valley of the Shadow” website-Primary documents from two communities, one Northern and one Southern. Documents cover the period

from Fall 1859 to Fall 1870.

http://valley.lib.virginia.edu/

Economics

Primary Sources and More for Economics and the Federal Reserve

http://www.federalreserveeducation.org/

Images from Japanese American Internment Camps

This Calisphere site includes photographs, artwork, questions for students, and connection to standards.

http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/themed_collections/subtopic5e.html

Cold War – Cuban Missile Crisis

“To the Brink: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis” Exhibit at the National Archives site has TV footage of JFK and a mobile app for iPads with items from the exhibit.

http://www.archives.gov/nae/visit/gallery.html 

Civil Rights

The Civil Rights Movement as seen through California Photographers

http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/themed_collections/subtopic6a.html

Cartoon America

NARA’s cartoon analysis sheet
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/cartoon_analysis_worksheet.pdf

A good collection of cartoons for high school students from the Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cartoonamerica/cartoon-political.html

Lost LA, is an Emmy award winning local history program “available to stream on the free KCET and PBS Video apps available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, the App Store and Google Play, as well as on YouTube, kcet.org/lostla and pbssocal.org/lostla.”

    • The Lost LA Curriculum Project launched lesson plans, each based upon an episode of the show, that can be accessed through
      kcet.org/lostlacurriculum. Teachers and students will be able to navigate lessons by topic, watch a variety of episodes, download lessons and classroom activities, as well as find related articles and digital content pertinent to topics that range from Los Angeles’ coded geographies to the city’s original roots in “The Wild West.”

Orange County Districts:

Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) History and Social Science: “Our History and Social Science department values lifelong learning developed through inquiry and exploration of key historical concepts, as well as examination of social, economic, and political problems facing the state, nation and world. Through engaging in meaningful discussion and collaborative experiences, we work to prepare all students to be informed, broad-minded, responsible and ethical citizens in their communities.”

Saddleback Valley Unified District (SVUD) History/Social Science: “SVUSD students will develop the readiness for college, careers, and civic life by the time they graduate from high school and attain the following capacities:

  • Use discipline specific tools/concepts to deepen content knowledge, student critical thinking and deepen literacy
  • Develop questions to promote inquiry
  • Select evidence by gathering, evaluating evidence to support a claim
  • Share learning and take action to communicate conclusions and take informed action

Orange County Sample Curriculum:

Bower’s Museum Teacher Resources: “The Bowers Education Department offers a multitude of resources and learning opportunities for K-12 teachers and other educators. Among them are our Educator Open Houses and our Curriculum Guides. Be sure to check back as our resources grow!

Bring your faculty to enjoy a free evening at the museum! Book your school tour on-site, apply for a Title 1 Grant, explore our galleries, and enjoy a presentation of all the Bowers has to offer your students.”

Curriculum Guides

FIRST CALIFORNIANS

FIRST AMERICANS

CALIFORNIA BOUNTY

“LEARNING FROM THE SOURCE” Newsletter

City of Laguna Hills School 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Curriculum

The City of Laguna Hills welcomes you to the Early History of Orange County – Discovery, Settlement, and Land Use Curriculum Guide. This curriculum guide has been developed to coordinate with the City’s Civic Center Public Art Program. Laguna Hills is committed to utilizing art in public spaces to educate students about the early history of the Saddleback Valley and Orange County, California.

We welcome you to utilize the guide, class activities, and tour opportunities to enhance your student’s understanding of Orange County’s early inhabitants, the changes in the use and ownership of the land, what remains of our past, and how the past has shaped our present.

Educational Programs
Teachers may schedule docent led tours of the Laguna Hills Civic Center throughout the year at no charge. Docent volunteers cater to the visiting group’s grade level and will place emphasis on certain subject areas per the teacher’s request.

3rd Grade School Tour
In this tour, emphasis is placed on the changing use of land in the Orange County area.  Beginning with the life of the American Indian, students will be exposed to the different cultures, to the events that changed land uses, and how the rich land of our area sustained each settlement.

4th Grade School Tour
For the 4th grade tour, emphasis is placed on the Rancho Period of early Orange County.  Discussion includes how and why land ownership changed, how each culture was affected, and how the rich land of our area sustained each settlement.
5th Grade School Tour
Fifth grade students will be exposed to the settlement patterns of the Orange County area.  Emphasis will be placed on the economic and geographic opportunities of the area. Students will discuss how the present is connected to the past, identifying both similarities and differences between the 2, and how some things change over time and some things stay the same.
Plan a Visit And & Tour
To schedule a tour of the Laguna Hills Civic Center, contact the Community Services Department at 949-707-2680.

Mission San Juan Capistrano Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides: