History–Social Studies Grade 4 

Students learn about the history of California from pre-Columbian times, when Native Americans inhabited the land, to its current status in the world. Students explore a variety of people and cultures that shaped California history, including explorers, padres, Mexicans, women of the time, and immigrants from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe. It is important that students study the daily lives of, and conflicts among, these diverse peoples. Geography lessons focus on the influence that land had on establishing settlements both past and present. Students begin to understand the structures, functions, and powers of local, state, and federal governments.