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Social Studies: Goldrush and Statehood

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Math: Measurement & Data
Science: Environments
Social Studies: California's Growth/Missions
Writing: Informational Writing

Art Project #8: California Landmark Sculptures (integrates with Social Studies)

EL Support: Word walls, sentence frames, peer tutoring

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Missions – California Missions Native History

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Three Great Rules: Doubling, Drop e, Change Rule for words ending in Y

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Field Trip Checklist w/ dates and times

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🌟 Establishing classroom routines and community!
Writing: Literacy Launch

Reading: PA assess using F&P Word Chart

F&P Reading Assessment
Math:

Building a Math Community: Growth Mindset

Math Survey, Multiplication Assessment, Word Problem Assessment

Basic Vocabulary: Multiplication, addition, subtraction

Math Game

Science: FOSS Energy Unit Introduction
Social Studies: CA Geography & Map Skills

Reading: F&P Word Chart Assessment

Reading Level

OG: Red Word Dictation, Words Their Way- Bear Assessment

Art Project #1: Creating California Region Maps using salt dough(integrates with Social Studies)

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Establishing Classroom Community and Culture

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Establishing Classroom Community and Culture

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Developing a strong collaborative learning community requires daily work and commitment.

We can all agree that "we" is better than "me," that "there is no I in team," and that "together everyone achieves more." The Holy Grail in classroom practice has, for many years, been a strong collaborative learning community (CLC).

A CLC is a purposefully structured and actively maintained classroom culture within which teachers and students take on full membership in support of the contributions of each individual member. The CLC is planned in advance with an eye toward sustainability, and it's a key piece of the ongoing work of the students and teachers.

When most people think about building a learning community, they envision kids doing get-to-know-you games, tossing a ball across a circle, or stepping through hula hoops or over ropes. But building community is a process, not an event. It needs to be designed in the same way that you plan your lessons-building upon assessments, structuring the work so that students can be successful but challenged, and always looking for new ways to get the point across.

Shared Experiences

The CLC is a classroom culture. Classroom culture, just like school culture, is simply "the way we do things around here." It's the rituals, traditions, expectations, and experiences you and your students share together every day.

In the CLC, however, the culture is created intentionally to foster inclusivity, interdependence, and safety. It isn't something that happens behind the scenes. It isn't the responsibility of the teacher alone (at least, beyond the second or third day of school). It's something in which teachers and students take on full membership, something that is assessed and discussed frequently and openly. It functions in support of the contributions of each individual member.

Each CLC will include rituals and traditions that combine unique elements of each class of students with long-standing experiences anticipated by incoming classes.

Class trips to a specific destination (e.g., the fifth grade always takes a trip to Washington, DC, in the spring, kindergarten always goes apple picking), grade-level projects (the Romanticism notebook in 11th-grade English, the egg drop competition in eighth-grade science), and annual events (spring picnic, fall pumpkin carving, the school carnival) can build common expectations and experiences that provide benchmarks for students, rites of passage that they can point to as evidence that they are part of a community and that they hold a specific place within that community.

Additionally, each community of students will need to create its own rituals and ways of being together. These "in jokes" can bind the CLC together. (It's good to be aware that any ritual can become powerfully destructive if even a single student is left on the "out" side of the joke.) These may include ways of beginning and ending class, routines for managing classroom materials, or signals for moving from one activity to the next.

So what does a meaningful CLC look like? That depends on geography, student age, subject area, and who the teacher is. No two CLCs look alike. They do, however, have elements in common, and they develop in predictable, supportable ways. Trust is the key, and trust is often developed via challenge or conflict.

Handling Discord

As groups evolve, something happens that shifts the group's focus from the ways they are alike to the ways they are different. A tough, probing question around an idea, a violation of behavioral expectations, a disagreement about process-a crisis of one sort or another-can set the stage for the group to fall apart or come together, to move through conflict appropriately, and to build trust.

Students can either discover that the classroom is a safe place where risks are valued and expected, where they can go out on a limb without expecting a classmate to follow with a saw-or they can learn the opposite. Facilitating that process in a way that keeps kids safe but challenged is the most important part of this work because trust in the group and its individual members is the common ground for powerful work.

4 Steps to Build Community Through Trust

1. Knowledge/communication: Individuals gain this skill by discovering specific facts about other group members. Overwhelmingly, however, it's about the willingness to ask, to share and to listen, to interact with other group members in both an appropriate and a (somewhat) personal way. Activities at this stage offer low-risk opportunities to share basic information -especially names (I'm always amazed at how often students who've sat side by side for years literally don't know one another's names).

2. Cooperation: As group members become familiar with one another, they can begin to engage together around low-risk work. They can be expected to follow the rules, to do the tasks in front of them, to share resources-to play nice. A group at this stage can review previously learned content as well as take on and practice classroom roles. At this stage, it's important to keep in mind that students may not be ready to take risks-socially or academically-so introducing new content and/or processes (particularly at the same time) isn't a great idea.

3. Collaboration: The work takes on a life of its own and is done enthusiastically and energetically. Watching a collaborative group, one notices that there seem to be no preassigned roles or responsibilities-that individual tasks are carried out by the individual with the time, ability, or proximity to the need. It's many hands working-perhaps silently, perhaps with a great deal of chatter and excitement-to do more than is required. Truly collaborative groups create masterpieces of all varieties. They are invested and proud of their process and of their products.

4. Maturation and maintenance: As the group continues to exist, this collaborative spirit grows exponentially. The group is owned by its individual members and seeks out ways to be useful and to do important work. A spirit of empowerment and excitement prevails, even in the face of challenges.

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Developing a strong collaborative learning community requires daily work and commitment.

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Math: Continuing multiplication strategies
Science: Energy & Circuits exploration
Social Studies: Native American cultures of California
Reading: Character Analysis using Native American literature
Writing: Personal Narrative development

Art Project #2: Circuit Art with LED lights (integrates with FOSS Energy unit)

EL Support: Visual vocabulary cards, sentence frames, and partner work

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Math: Bridges Unit 2 - Multi-digit Multiplication
Science: FOSS Energy - Converting Energy
Social Studies: Spanish Exploration of California
Writing: Completing Narrative Writing Unit
Morphology: Prefixes and their meanings

Art Project #3: Mission Architecture Drawing (integrates with Social Studies)

Project Based Learning: Creating Energy Conversion Demonstrations

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Math: Problem Solving with Multiplication
Science: Sound Energy
Social Studies: Spanish Colonial Life
Reading: Non-fiction text features
Writing: Introduction to Informational Writing

Art Project #4: Sound Wave Art (integrates with Science unit)

Differentiation: Modified text levels, graphic organizers, and manipulatives available

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Math: Fraction Operations
Science: Environmental Changes
Social Studies: Gold Rush Era
Writing: Informational Writing - Research Reports

Art Project #6: Gold Rush Era Artifacts (integrates with Social Studies)

Project Based Learning: Gold Rush Town Simulation

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Math: Bridges Unit 4 - Decimals
Science: FOSS Soils, Rocks, and Landforms
Social Studies: California Statehood
Writing: Completing Informational Writing
Morphology: Suffixes

Art Project #7: Rock Layer Art (integrates with Science)

Differentiation: Leveled reading materials, math manipulatives

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Math: Bridges Unit 3 - Fractions
Science: FOSS Environments Unit
Social Studies: Mexican California
Writing: Informational Writing - How-To Essays
Morphology: Greek & Latin Roots

Art Project #5: California Ecosystem Dioramas (integrates with Science)

EL Strategies: Vocabulary picture cards, structured peer discussions

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Math: Bridges Unit 5 - Introducing Playground Design
Science: Energy
Social Studies: Gold Rush and Statehood
Writing: Persuasive Essays
Morphology: Word Relationships

Art Project #9: Geometric Nature Art (integrates Math & Science)

Project Based Learning: School Garden Design

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Math: Area & Perimeter
Science: Plant & Animal Structures
Social Studies: California Government
Writing: Persuasive Speeches

Art Project #10: California State Symbol Murals (integrates Social Studies)

Differentiation: Visual aids, modified assignments, collaborative groups

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Math: Bridges Unit 6 - Reviewing Key Concepts
Science: FOSS Review & Science Fair
Social Studies: California Today
Writing: Final Writing Portfolio
Morphology: Word Study Review

Art Project #11: End-of-Year Memory Books (integrates all subjects)

Project Based Learning: California Then & Now Exhibition

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Math: Problem Solving Showcase
Science: Ecosystem Project Presentations
Social Studies: California Heritage Fair
Writing: Author's Chair Celebrations

Art Project #12: Collaborative California Mural (integrates all year's learning)

Reflection: Student-led conferences and portfolio sharing

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ThinkLink is home to core and supplemental hybrid curriculum across science, ELA, and math.

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Literacy Launch

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Copy of 4th Grade Pacing Tool: LITERACY LAUNCH

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Academy of Sciences

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Frequently Asked Questions: School Field Trips

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Have questions about Academy field trips? Get answers here! Perfect for teachers and youth group leaders preparing for a visit.

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SLIME

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Students Learning in Marsh Environments

Sonoma Land Trust, in partnership with Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, provides educational in-person and virtual field trips for school groups at the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge at Sears Point. The Students Learning in Marsh Environments (SLIME) program is offered in both English and Spanish. SLIME invites elementary and middle school children to learn about tidal marsh ecology, biodiversity and adaptation, and climate change resilience at a 1,200-acre wetland restoration site. Students participate in a curriculum designed to enhance NGSS disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts.

Field trips are scheduled during the school year between September and May and can be in-person or virtual. Onsite programs include a pre-trip one-hour introductory classroom visit and a 2−3-hour field experience. Field trips are offered on Wednesdays (virtual only), Thursdays and Fridays. Pre-trip classroom visits for in person field trips are offered in-person or virtually on Wednesdays and Thursdays to prepare students for the field trip by introducing key information, showing them what to wear/bring, and answer any questions they may have. It is recommended to have the pre-trip classroom visit the same week as the field trip. Our comprehensive curriculum covers conservation and restoration, marsh ecosystems and ecosystem services (recommended for third grade), and climate change and climate resilience (recommended for fourth grade).

Sonoma County schools are offered transportation assistance through our partnership with Sonoma County Ag + Open Space. Transportation scholarships are offered to schools outside of Sonoma County through our transportation scholarship program. All scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can keep your students engaged in what they learned with our supplemental activities!

Save The Bay has wonderful videos and activities that pair well with our curriculum. Check out their Outdoor Learning Online educational portal .

Questions? Contact us at youthprograms@sonomalandtrust.org or call (707) 596-6301.

How do I apply for a transportation reimbursement scholarship?

You can apply through the registration form. If you do not have all the information required, you can save your application and return to edit. You will need to know:

Contact information for teacher(s) attending, account receivable contact, and Chief Business Official or someone that has the authority to agree to an award contract on your behalf.

Number of chaperones and teacher(s) attending

Transportation cost estimate

What is the address for the field trip?
The entrance to the refuge is at the intersection of Lakeville Highway and Highway 37 (Sears Point Road). Buses and vehicles should park in the large gravel lot at the Sears Point Trailhead at the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge: 7699 Reclamation Rd, Sonoma, CA 95476

Can we visit San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge again without attending a field trip?
Visiting the Refuge is free and is open to the public from sunrise to sunset. Check their website for up-to-date visitor information. We provide guided outings to the refuge as well - check our events page for the next scheduled hike!

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Students Learning in Marsh Environments Sonoma Land Trust, in partnership with Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, provides educational in-person and virtual

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Rock and Recycle

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Our parks are your classroom! Get your students outdoors learning about the natural world around them. A wide range of field trips are available at various locations throughout the county. These hands-on, inquiry-based programs reinforce critical Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.

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Ada Twist, Scientist & Friends - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

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When Ms. Greer’s classroom field trip goes awry, three out-of-the-box thinkers must pull their STEM skills together to save the day! Meet Rosie Revere and her engineering dreams, Iggy Peck, with her relentless passion for architecture, and Ada Twist, whose science curiosity leads her to some adventurous problem solving. In this live musical performance, our heroes face the ultimate test of their problem-solving skills—a test that can only be conquered through teamwork. Don’t miss this fun musical based on the Andrea Beaty books, Rosie Revere, Engineer; Iggy Peck, Architect, and Ada Twist, Scientist, which spotlight the STEM curriculum (focusing on science, technology, engineering and math).

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Number Corner Lessons

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Bridges Unit lessons

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Number corner

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Tolay Lake Regional Park is a unique 3,434-acre property located in the hills southeast of Petaluma, between the Petaluma River and Sonoma Valley.

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Sonoma Mission

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Guided school tours of Sonoma State Historic Park (Mission San Francisco Solano and General Vallejo’s Home) and the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park are offered throughout the school year.

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Social Studies: California Geography and Map Skills

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Social Studies: California Geography and Map Skills

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Sign in to view your Student Text, complete Lesson Games, and more.

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Sign in to view your Student Text, complete Lesson Games, and more.

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The effect of the CA Missions and the native Americans

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Telling the Truth About CA Missions, Classroom Edition

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Why The Gold Rush Is One Of The Darkest Moments In US History

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Why The Gold Rush Is One Of The Darkest Moments In US History | Whitewashed

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Starting our first writing unit on Personal Narratives! We'll begin with small moment stories. I love using picture walks and graphic organizers to help our EL students plan their stories. Remember to provide sentence frames for different proficiency levels!

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Social Studies: Native Americans of California

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Social Studies: Native Americans of California

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Beginning our study of California's Native American tribes. Students will create region-specific dioramas showing how different tribes adapted to their environments. This project-based approach allows for multiple forms of expression - perfect for our diverse learners!

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Starting our FOSS Energy unit! Students will investigate electrical circuits through hands-on experiments. Project idea: Create a 'Circuit City' where students design buildings with working circuits. Great opportunity for EL students to build vocabulary through experiential learning!

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Hi teachers! 🌟 We're kicking off with Bridges Unit 1 focusing on multiplication, division strategies, and factors. I've found using base-10 blocks really helps our English learners visualize these concepts. Don't forget to use the Work Places for differentiated practice!

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Electric Pumpkins

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Pumpkin Power! - Battery Made From Pumpkins _ 6 Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables

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Moving into Bridges Unit 2! We'll explore area models and partial products for multi-digit multiplication. The visual models are fantastic for all learners. Try the 'Array Town' project where students design a city using area models!

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FOSS Waves unit time! Students will investigate sound and light waves through hands-on experiments. Cool project alert: Students create their own musical instruments to demonstrate sound wave properties!

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Diving into Latin roots and prefixes with our OG curriculum. Create word walls with visual representations. Students can be 'word detectives' finding morpheme patterns in their reading. Great for vocabulary development!

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Bridges Unit 3 focuses on fraction concepts. Use fraction strips and number lines for visual support. Project idea: Create a class cookbook where students multiply and divide fractions in recipes!

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Exploring California's Spanish mission period. Students will create digital mission tours using Google Slides. Include primary sources and images to support our visual learners. Don't forget to discuss multiple perspectives!

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Starting FOSS Earth Science! Students will model erosion and deposition. Connect to CA geography - perfect integration with social studies! EL support: Create illustrated vocabulary cards for geology terms.

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Westward Expansion/ Trail of Tears timeline

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Time for the California Gold Rush! Students create mining camp simulation with economic principles. Include role-playing activities to support language development. Great integration with math for profit/loss calculations!

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Beginning our Informational Writing unit! Students will research California animals and create detailed reports. Provide research guides and text structures to support different learning needs. Perfect integration with science!

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Bridges Unit 4 explores geometry concepts. Students will investigate angles and symmetry. Create a geometry scavenger hunt around school! Use geometric vocabulary in multiple languages to support EL students.

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FOSS Life Science unit begins! Students will study CA ecosystems and adaptations. Create terrarium models of different CA biomes. Great connection to both social studies and writing!

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Examining California's path to statehood and development. Students create timeline presentations including population growth graphs - great math integration! Use historical photos to support understanding.

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Implementing advanced OG strategies for multisyllabic words. Focus on Greek combining forms. Create word surgery activities where students break down and build complex words!

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Final Bridges unit on data analysis and problem-solving. Students will conduct surveys and create graphs. Integrate with science by analyzing weather data or with social studies using population statistics!

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FOSS Engineering unit! Students design solutions to environmental challenges. Great culminating project: Create proposals for school sustainability improvements. Excellent context for our persuasive writing unit!

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Exploring modern California's diversity and economy. Students create digital presentations about different cultural contributions to our state. Perfect opportunity for EL students to share their heritage!

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Launching our final writing unit on Persuasive Writing! Students will write proposals for community improvements, integrating their knowledge from science and social studies. Provide persuasive writing frames at different levels.

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Time to showcase our learning! Students create portfolio presentations incorporating work from all subject areas. Include reflection journals and growth evidence. Perfect way to celebrate everyone's progress! 🎉

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California Regions

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Read-Aloud: What is Special About Being a Family?

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Foss Curriculum Calendar Guide

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4th Grade Science Standards for California

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Impact the Gold Rush Had on Native Americans

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Three Great Rules: Doubling, Drop e, Change Rule for words ending in Y

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By The Great Horn Spoon

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By the Great Horn Spoon Graphic Novel Study

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Special School District of St. Louis County

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Introduction to Fractions: Using Play-Doh to Learn

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Three Great Rules: Doubling, Drop e, Change Rule for words ending in Y

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Math Survey

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OG:

*Syllable Types

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California Missions Through Native American Perspectives Unit - Grade 4

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By approaching the California missions through Native American perspectives, teachers can create a more inclusive and meaningful learning experience that respects the voices and histories of Indigenous communities. This approach fosters empathy, critical thinking, and an understanding of how history continues to shape the present.