Bridging the Gap, Day 7—History/Anthropology

SWBAT—Students will be able to. We start every lesson with this ritual to center and focus students so they know their goals, maps and measurements. (italics will just be practiced, not spotlighted). 

SS.4.1.3—Identify state capital <SF, our state capital...;)>, and describe the various regions of California, including how their characteristics and physical environments (water, land, veg, climate) affect human activity. 

SS.4.1.5—Use maps, charts and pictures to describe how communities in California vary in land use, vegetation, wildlife, climate, population density, architecture, services and transportation. 

SS.4.1.1—Explain and use the coordinate grid system of latitude and longitude to determine the absolute locations of places in California and on Earth. 

SS.4.1.2—Distinguish between the North and South Poles; the equator and the prime meridian; the tropics and the hemispheres, using coordinates to plot locations. 

SS.4.1.3—Identify the state capital and describe the various regions of California, including how their characteristics and physical environments (e.g., water, landforms, vegetation, climate) affect human activity. 

SS.4.1.4—Identify the locations of the Pacific Ocean <label it Atlantic, etc>, rivers, valleys and mountain passes and explain their effect on the growth of towns. 

SS. 4.1.5—Use maps, charts and pictures to describe how communities in California vary in land use, vegetation, wildlife, climate, population density, architecture, services and transportation. 

SS.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). 

SS.4.2.1—Discuss the major nations of California Indians, including their geographic distribution, economic activities, legends and religious beliefs; and describe how they depended on, adapted to, and modified the physical environment by cultivation of land and use of sea resources. <what tribes lived here? how did they use the resources? what tribe lives here now? how are they using the resources? <tie in bridge>

SS.4.2.2—Identify the early land and sea routes to, and European settlements in, California with a focus on the exploration of the North Pacific (e.g., by Captain James Cook, Vitus Bering, Juan Cabrillo), noting especially the importance of mountains, deserts, ocean currents and wind patterns. 

SS.4.2.4—Describe the mapping of, geographic basis of, and economic factors in the placement and function of the Spanish missions; and understand how the mission system expanded the influence of Spain and Catholicism throughout New Spain and Latin America. 

SS.4.3.4 Study the lives of women who helped build early California(/bridges—e.g. Roebling)

SS.4.4.—Students explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power, tracing the transformation of the California economy and its political and cultural development since the 1850s. 

SS.4.4.2—Explain how the Gold Rush transformed the economy of California, including the types of products produced and consumed, changes in towns (e.g. Sacramento, San Francisco) and economic conflicts between diverse groups of people. 

SS.4.4.4—Describe rapid American immigration, internal migration, settlement, and the growth of towns and cities (e.g. LA). 

SS.4.4.6—Describe the development and locations of new industries....oil and automobile industries, communications and defense industries and important trade links with the Pacific Basin. 

SS.AS.CAST.4.1—Students place key events and people of the historical era they are studying in a chronological sequence and within a spatial contest; they interpret time lines. 

SS.AS.CAST.4.2—Students correctly apply terms related to time, including past, future, decade, century and generation.

SS.AS.CAST.4.3—Students explain how the present is connected to the past, identifying both similarities and differences between the two, and how some things change over time and some things stay the same. 

SS.AS.CAST.4.4—Students use map and globe skills to determine the absolute locations of places and interpret information available through a map's or globe's legend, scale, and symbolic representations. 

SS.AS.CAST.4.5—Students judge the significance of the relative location of a place (e.g. proximity to a harbor, on trade routes) and analyze how relative advantage or disadvantages can change over time. 

SS.AS.REPV.4.1—Students differentiate between primary and secondary sources.

SS.AS.REPV.4.2—Students pose relevant questions about events they encounter in historical documents, eyewitness accounts, oral histories, letters, diaries, artifacts, photographs, maps, artworks and architecture. 

SS.AS.REPV.4.3—Students distinguish fact from fiction by comparing documentary sources on historical figures and events with fictionalized characters and events. <vs. Papa's Bridge>

SS.AS.HI.4.1—Students summarize the key events of the era they are studying and explain the historical contexts of those events. 

SS.AS.HI.4.2—Students identify the human and physical characteristics of the places they are studying and explain how those features form the unique character of those places.

SS.AS.HI.4.3—Students identify and interpret the multiple causes and effects of historical events.

SS.AS.HI.4.4—Students conduct cost-benefit analyses of historical and current events. 

outside, discuss

If possible, it would be awesome to go outside and build a rope suspension bridge between two trees (53)—"our survival depends on our ability to build a bridge to the other side." Barring that, I invite the kids to discuss + sketch at their table clusters how we might accomplish our goal while I amble + listen in. Then we all gather at the Sharea, and we invite a few of our crewmates to step up and speak + illustrate for their group; one drawing the foundation, another the cables, another the deck (span?—clarifying op), discussing each along the way. What are our roots? How do they work? How can we trust strings + twigs to hold our weight? (Indiana Jones, hunters, nomads, shipwrecked, etc.

power point? intro centers here, remind kids to jot notes/ideas/?;s into field bks

brooklyn/john roebling/problem solving (56, 59) —foundation/caisson58, twizzlers50, spin a cable

george washington bridge/othmar ammann/foresight-futurevision (63) —build sus bridge60, 

golden gate/strauss/adaptability (66) —ttc67

centers—caisson58, twizzlers50, spin a cable (57), hang a suspension bridge (60), ttc! (67),

 

(BK 53‚ Hang a bridge between two trees/pillars (story? Indiana Jones?—trees + pillars work bc roots/foundation>caisson)

Temple

Temple

Temple.

Our temporal tabernacles—where our brains reside. 

We touch our temples not only to communicate "10-4" and "Roger," not only to focus our thought and energy, not only to pause a beat and take a breath—but also to remind us of the sanctuary that rests upon all our shoulders. [...]

Sign language is a powerful tool to help engage brains and bodies while reinforcing communication and understanding throughout the group, empowering kids to agree, disagree and express need for clarity casually and consistently.

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To Beat The Devil, Kris Kristofferson

To Beat The Devil, Kris Kristofferson

And you still can hear me singin' to the people who don't listen,
To the things that I am sayin', prayin' someone's gonna hear.
And I guess I'll die explaining how the things that they complain about,
Are things they could be changin', hopin' someone's gonna care.

I was born a lonely singer, and I'm bound to die the same,
But I've got to feed the hunger in my soul.
And if I never have a nickel, I won't ever die ashamed.
'Cos I don't believe that no-one wants to know.

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Closing Up Shop

Closing Up Shop

Every second of every day we have valuable responsibilities—to sleep, to play, to lift and learn—and, as always, to leave it better than we found it. And as we transition from our classroom back into our homes, as we close up shop—we utilize an exit strategy to ensure that the transition moves along smoothly.

At the end of every day, ten minutes before the dismissal bell sounds, we begin to close up shop—being keen to leave it better than we found it.

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C3

C3

C3 Chest—Curiosities, Challenges + Celebrations Chest

We respect and value communication as a form of powerful connection, and we understand that it is up to us to uphold and reinforce that connection, ourselves and each other. 

Our C3 Chest is our crew treasure chest where we can, during classroom transition, drop in notes regarding our curiosities, challenges and celebrations, with ourselves and with each other. 

This helps guide me in leading our crew on adventures throughout the year and also helps reinforce metacognitive habit, curiosity + celebration in our superheroes. 

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Learning Log

Learning Log

This is our Learning Log, a beacon map of sorts. We're all captains of our own ships, and it serves us and those we serve to note our journey for study and improvement on future adventures. 

We'll call out celebrations in these from time to time, and they will also serve to help us note places where our ship struggled, floundered—an opportunity for us to make notes to help us better navigate the Seas of Tomorrow, individually and collectively. Throughout the year and at the end of the year, we will map out and re-examine some of our challenges + celebrations and maybe we will even think of ways to strengthen and pass the torch onto the next generation. 

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Field Notes

Field Notes

These are our personal journals—our Field Notes. In here we note what we see in the wild, patterns we suspect and detect, challenges and maps to solutions...Questions, ideas, thoughts we want to explore, small celebrations and gratitudes throughout the day—this is what we scientists do; observe and note curiosities and patterns and things that grab our attention. I say "we" because I, too, participate and benefit from this exercise.

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How many corners on a circle?

How many corners on a circle?

We need more patient problem solvers. And that starts with the cornerstone of mathematical reasoning. 

We need humans with initiative, perseverance, retention and a willingness and curiosity to dig in and uncover the treasures all around and throughout us. 

Sitcoms are robbing us of the superpower, literally rewiring the neurons in our brains, and current educational practices are doing the same. The good news is that we're at the wheel, and we can steer in a better direction. 

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