California: Reflecting America

CLASSROOM ON WHEELS

and

Fresno Pacific University Center for Professional Development

present

SOC 917 - California: Reflecting America
(Available on CD and Cassette)

Today is:

PREVIEW COURSES

SOC 900 History of the
Mother Lode

SOC 900V History of the Mother Lode:
CD-ROM Virtual Tour

SOC 901 Calfornia's
Gold Rush

SOC 901V The Gold Rush:
CD-ROM Virtual Tour

SOC 902 Monterey: Historic Capital of Monterey

SOC 903 Los Angeles: Reflection on its Heritage

SOC 906 California's Mission Period

SOC 917 California: Reflecting America

SOC 954V Agriculture: Past, Present, and Future

Framework

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Study Course Information and/or Registration

Syllabus Information

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2 or 3 Semester Units of University Credit

Fresno Pacific University School of Professional Studies 1717 S. Chestunt Avenue Fresno, CA 93702

Phone: (559) 453-2015 or (800) 372-5505

Teachers: Welcome to Bob and Elaine Kirchner’s Independent, Self-Directed Study Courses.

Scroll to bottom of page to see the 17 Framework Characteristics.

Designed Especially For Teachers

SOC 917, California: Reflecting America, is an Independent Study Course designed to acquaint teachers and support staff with Standards-Based Instruction as it relates to History-Social Science. Course materials include the award-winning book, Rush For Riches by Dr. J. S. Holliday outstanding historian, author, and public speaker. Teachers also receive a copy of California's History-Social Science Content Standards and a Course Booklet in which to record information garnered from course materials and a review of California's History-Social Science Framework via the Internet.

Note: Dr. Holliday did not always agree with the Standards-Based Instruction.

Click to listen to a short review of this Stop.
All enrollees complete Course Booklet assignments. Teachers enrolled for three units of credit write a review of the text, Rush For Riches, from a classroom teacher's point of view (e.g., how the book might be used for as a reference source, and its appropriateness in a school library). Teachers having access to Course Materials pay only the PARTIAL materials fee.
Accreditation: Fresno Pacific University is the only fully accredited, Christian liberal arts senior school in the southern part of California's great Central Valley. The School of Professional Studies, through its Center for Professional Development (CPD), offers a variety of independent study courses to help meet the ever-increasing demand for professional growth for K-12 educators. To provide flexibility and to better serve the needs of the school community, these courses are delivered using a combination of modalities, including one or more of the following items: printed materials, texts, audiotapes, videotapes, and on-line distance learning.

Course Objectives
1. An objective of this course is to introduce the teacher/enrollee to Dr. J. S. Holliday's award-winning book, Rush For Riches: Gold Fever and the Making of California, and his study of past and present relationships which led him to conclude that California's present-day image as a "risk-taking society" is the result of its formative years, especially those years during the gold rush and the 1860s through the 1880s.
2. An objective of this course is to have the teacher/enrollee review California's formative years and come to better understand their relationship to California today -- how understanding the forces that shaped California's past are still at work shaping its present and future. For example, how knowing the conflicts over "water rights' in the 19th century can explain why legal battles over California's water have continued right to the present. Water shortages and competition for water between agriculture and big cities are in the news almost every day. By understanding the sources of present-day problems, students will be better prepared to cope with these complexities. Another example is the struggle of different, and often competing, racial and ethnic groups to attain their rights. The Chinese immigrants who came by the thousands to California beginning in the 1850s and through the 1860s were discriminated against and their story serves as a background to the 20th century and present-day examples of racial/ethnic torment.
3. An objective of this course is to encourage the teacher/enrollee to practice Standards-Based Instruction and engage his/her students in learning through problem solving and creative thinking, in addition to organizing and evaluating a wide variety of data sources.
4. An objective of this course is to promote an awareness of the History-Social Science Framework and the study of continuity and change -- the main focus of the history-social science curriculum.
5. An objective of this course is to promote instruction in social studies which includes an exercise in "anticipation and prediction," as they relate to change, much as "estimating" is taught in mathematics and "forecasting" is practiced both in finance and meteorology.

Characteristics of California's History Social Science Framework

1. This framework is centered in the chronological study of history.
2. This framework proposes both an integrated and correlated approach to the teaching of history-social sciences.
3. This framework emphasizes the importance of history as a story well told.
4. This framework emphasizes the importance of enriching the study of history with the use of literature, both literature of the period and literature about the period.
5. This framework introduces a new curriculum approach for the early grades (K-3).
6. This framework emphasizes the importance of studying major historical events and periods in depth as opposed to superficial skimming of enormous amounts of materials.
7. This framework proposes a sequential curriculum, one in which knowledge and understanding are built up in a carefully planned and systematic fashion from kindergarten through grade twelve.
8. This framework incorporates a multicultural perspective throughout the history- social science curriculum.
9. This framework increases the place of world history in the curriculum to three years (at six, seven, and ten), organized chronologically.
10. This framework emphasizes the importance of the application of ethical understanding and civic virtue to public affairs.
11. This framework encourages the development of civic and democratic values as an integral element of good citizenship.
12. This framework supports the frequent study and discussion of the fundamental principles embodied in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.
13. This framework encourages teachers to present controversial issues honestly and accurately within their historical or contemporary context.
14. This framework acknowledges the importance of religion in human history.
15. This framework proposes that critical thinking skills be included at every grade level. 16. This framework supports a variety of content-appropriate teaching methods that engage students actively in the learning process.
17. This framework provides opportunities for students' participation in school and community service programs and activities.

Self-Guided Independent Travel Study Courses

Mother Lode Mother Lode CD-ROM Gold Rush Gold Rush CD-ROM Monterey
Los Angeles Missions Agriculture: CD-ROM California CD-ROM Home Page
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Questions: Email the Instructor.

Elaine Kirchner