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The Big Idea Activity

Why do people take great risks?

Tell Stories of Experience

  California Standard 4.1  Students demonstrate an understanding of the physical and human geographic features that define places and geographic regions in California. California Standard 4.2  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.

Student working on activity

Teaching Tips

Students choose to tell a story about one of the great risks in journeying to and settling in California. The pioneers took the risk of becoming deathly ill from one of the many diseases that could not be cured at that time.

Additional Links

Dangers of Traveling West


A Young Person's Life in the 1840s

  California Standard 4.2.5  Describe the daily lives of the people, native and nonnative, who occupied the presidios, missions, ranchos, and pueblos.

Rancho

Teaching Tips

Rancho Los Cerritos offers an Adobe Days Revisited award-winning school program.


James Beckwourth

  California Standard 4.3.2  Compare how and why people traveled to California and the routes they traveled (e.g., James Beckwourth, John Bidwell, John C. Fremont, Pio Pico).

James Beckwourth

Teaching Tips

Explain to students that the American West attracted many explorers and adventurers who opened trails for those who would follow.

Additional Links

These sites contain more information about James Beckwourth:
Biography of James Beckwourth


James Beckwourth

 

Biddy Mason

  California Standard 4.3.3  Analyze the effects of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life, politics, and the physical environment (e.g., using biographies of John Sutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Louise Clapp).

Nurse

Additional Links

Visit this Web site for more information about Biddy Mason and her achievements:
Stories About Biddy Mason

Biddy Mason founded a First African Methodist Episcopal Church in her Los Angeles home in 1872.

 

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo

  California Standard 4.3.3  Analyze the effects of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life, politics, and the physical environment (e.g., using biographies of John Sutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Louise Clapp).

Can bugle

Additional Links

Explore the connection between Vallejo and Petaluma State Historic Park.

Early California John Charles Fremont led the Bear Flag Revolt, during which Vallejo was imprisoned.