Edison School District

Developing a desire for lifelong learning

Students demonstrate an        understanding of the physical and human geographic features that define places and regions in       California.

Þ Explain and use the coordinate grid system of latitude and          longitude.

Þ Distinguish between the North and South Poles; the equator and the prime meridian; the tropics; and the hemispheres, using        coordinates to plot locations.

Þ Identify the state capital and describe the various regions of California.

Þ Identify the locations of the Pacific Ocean, rivers, valleys, and mountain passes and explain their effects on the growth of towns.

Þ Use maps, charts, and pictures to describe how communities in California vary in land use,       vegetation, wildlife, climate, population density, architecture, services, and transportation.

Students describe the social,     political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among people of California from the  pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican   rancho periods.

Þ Discuss the major nations of California Indians.

Þ Identify the early land and sea routes to, and European  settlements in, California with a focus on the  exploration of the North Pacific.

Þ Describe the Spanish

Þ exploration and colonization of California.

Þ Describe the mapping of, geographic basis of, and economic factors in the placement and function of the      Spanish missions.

Þ Describe the daily lives of the       people, native and nonnative, who occupied the presidios, missions, ranchos, and pueblos.

Þ Discuss the role of the Franciscans in changing the economy of            California from a hunter gatherer economy to an agricultural economy.

Þ Describe the effects of the   Mexican War for Independence on Alta California.

Þ Discuss the period of Mexican rule in California and its attributes,  including land grants, secularization of the missions, and the rise of the rancho economy.

Students explain the economic, social, and political life in California from the

establishment of the Bear Flag        Republic through the Mexican-American War, the Gold Rush, and the granting of statehood.

Þ Identify the locations of Mexican settlements in California and those of other settlements, including Fort Ross and Sutter’s Fort.

Þ Compare how and why people traveled to California and the routes they traveled.

Þ Analyze the effects of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life, politics, and the physical  environment.

Þ Study the lives of women who helped build early California.

Þ Discuss how California became a state and how its new government differed from those during the Spanish and Mexican periods.

Students explain how California     became an agricultural and industrial power, tracing the transformation of the California economy and its political & cultural development since the 1850s.

Þ Understand the story and   lasting influence of the Pony Express,  Overland Mail Service, Western    

Þ Union, and the building of the  transcontinental railroad.

Þ Explain how the Gold Rush transformed the economy of California.

Þ Discuss immigration and   migration to California between 1850 and 1900.

Þ Describe rapid American  immigration, internal migration, settlement, and the growth of towns and cities.

Þ Discuss the effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II on  California.

Þ Describe the development and locations of new industries since the turn of the century.

Þ Trace the evolution of  California’s water system into a   network of dams, aqueducts, and reservoirs.

Þ Describe the history and      development of California’s  public education system.

Þ Analyze the impact of 20th century Californians on the nation’s artistic and cultural development, including the rise of the entertainment industry.

Students understand the structures, functions, and powers of the local, state, and federal governments as described in the U.S. Constitution.

Þ Discuss what the U.S. Constitution is and why it is  important Understand the purpose of the California  Constitution, its key principles, and its relationship to the U.S. Constitution.

Þ Describe the similarities and differences among federal, state, and local governments.

Þ Explain the structures and functions of state governments.