Social Studies Field Trip

I rotate the social studies curriculum every year. Last year, I was on the sixth grade curriculum rotation. This year, I am on the Fourth Grade curriculum and in the state of California, that is when we learn California history. A big part of our state's history is the mission system. There are 21 missions in California, and I decided to take my students to the one in Santa Barbara.

We had a wonderful field trip. We did the Docent Guided Combination tour, which took us from the La Huerta Historic Gardens all the way through the church, to the cemetery, and ending in the museum.

 

 After touring the gardens, we were offered a sample of the freshly picked produce and some fresh guava jam (it was incredible!). My students were so enthralled by the entire place, and were very well behaved. They asked really great questions, and the Docents were happy to respond. Before leaving the museum, the Docents actually gave each of my students an abalone shell neckless as a souvenir. They were all very, very excited!

This is for Karana, the girl from The Island of The Blue Dolphins. She is actually buried in the cemetery. 

We ended our field trip by having a picnic on the lawn right in front of the church. Overall, it was a wonderful field trip and I will definitely be going back the next time I teach the Fourth Grade social studies.