In 1849 a lot of the country moved to

California because they heard word

that there was gold.

This is the setting of Mark Twain’s

short story “California’s Tale”

Mark Twain

By Ben Pakter

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary source: Someone who was actually at an event reports on it

For example: “Farewell to Manzanar” VS.

Secondary source: Someone who wasn’t there reports on it

For example: The biography we read on Nelson Mandela

Which one would you rather read?Do you think primary sources are always

available?

Library of Congress This website has catalogued an amazing

amount of primary sources (i.e. books and artifacts) for discovery by you.

Loc.govThese are some cools things I found and put

on my website.

Your expectationsYou need

An cover pageAn outlineA social studies primary textA social studies artifact (pictures are

alright)A humanities primary documentA humanities artifactA natural science primary textA natural history artifact

AND THEN!

Write Historical Fiction

Next you are going to write a piece of historical fiction based off of the time period that you chose.

Make it fun!Make it interesting!Be creative!

Presentation OutlineSocial Studies: Business

Men and memories of San Francisco, in the "spring of '50."

By T.A. Barry and B.A. Patten Humanities : Architecture

Old Californian days. By James Steele

Natural Science: Geology and BotanyUp and down California in 1860-1864By William H. Brewer

How do you tell the difference between literature, humanities, social studies and natural science passages?

Check this out! – This breaks it down for you.

How to: Find different typed of passages

Social Studies: BusinessMen and memories of San Francisco, in the "spring of '50." By T.A. Barry and B.A. Patten

1850 – San Fransisco West of Starkey, Janion & Co's store, on the south side of

California street, were the stores of Glen & Co., Backus & Harrison, S. H. Williams & Co., DeBoum, Vigneaux & Grisar, and G. B. Post & Co.

After the fire of June 14th, 1850, J. L. Riddle & Co. built an extensive shanty of China matting, wisely concluding that if conflagrations were to be so frequent, it were better to raise a mere shelter for their goods, at the least possible expense.

Pg. 166

1850 – San FransiscoThe building occupied by this firm prior to the fire of June

14th, was a substantial three story wooden store on Sacramento street, north side, just above the corner of Leidesdorff. The upper story of this building was used as a dormitory for all the acquaintances of the firm who wished to sleep there--ship masters who happened to be late ashore--new arrivals who had not established themselves--any man or boy who knew Riddle & Co. It was a spacious room, nearly square. Hammocks were slung at every corner and available post. All about the room were cots, stretchers and mattresses, plenty of blankets and pillows, but no sheets or pillow-cases.

Pg. 167

1850 – San FransiscoAgainst the walls on all sides were large China water-jars,

China wash-stands and large China-stone wash-basins, and cocoanut-shell dippers. Nearly all the furniture then was of China importation; and very commodious, stylish and comfortable it was, too. The man who went early to bed in this apartment, might sleep undisturbed until midnight or a little after; but about that time, several young men, not long from Boston, would return from protracted meetings--young men musically inclined, who wished to rehearse just once more before retiring. These birds of Minerva would sometimes discover that a sleeper had possession of a very comfortable place they fancied for themselves, which would cause a playful argument on the sleeper's right of possession. When Judge Blackburn, Bob Parker and Charley Southard were in town, Riddle & Co's hospitable roof sheltered them, and they were not disposed to sleep, as long as any fun could be got out of anybody or anything.

Pg. 167

1850 – San Fransisco Judge Blackburn would have a wrestling match with

Charley Southard, and as the Judge was about six feet four and Charley about four feet six, it was considered rather unequal, and excited lively comments from the aroused and thoroughly interested fellow-lodgers. Bets were freely offered by Jim Riddle, Eben Niles, Ward Eaton, Jim Leighton, Harry Spiel, et al.

Pg. 167

Social Studies: Business1. What would running a business be like in San Francisco

in the late 1800s?

1. What are some things that influenced a lot of the choices the business men made?

2. What does conflagrations mean? (“wisely concluding that if conflagrations were to be so frequent”)

3. How was Judge Blackburn as a guest compared to others who stayed?

4. Put these in the order they were mentioned : (I) The Judge would wrestle (II) The hammocks were slung in a spacious room (III) Young musicians wanted to practice there

ACT Type Questions

Humanities: ArchaeologyOld Californian daysBy James SteeleChapter VI. THE PEOPLE OF THE ADOBE.

GENERAL VIEW OF COMPLEX Drawing from History of San Diego County, California, published 1883

Published in 1898Perhaps it is in the mere brown fact of adobe alone, yet

adobe is one of his few acquired ideas which has become second nature. But it necessitates the thick walls, the small windows, the low doors, the single stories, the long porches, the sunken floors, always and everywhere generally characteristic of Spanish-American occupation. The sturdy structures stand almost forever, and when abandoned by intention, sink back to earth again only with the passage of the centuries, and leave at last a long, low mound that will still proclaim a human use, still declare the nationality of him who made it regardless of all points of the compass and the symmetry of squares, convenient to a goat-path in front and a corral behind, and who lived in it as one does whose life might have originated the idea that has made immortal the masterpiece of Payne.

Pg. 98

Sluicing for gold in San Francisquito Canyon Between 1890 and 1900?

Miners operate a hydraulic sluice in San Francisquito Canyon, Los Angeles County, California. The placer mine machine consists of adobe columns, pulleys, ropes, and wood boxes. Donkeys are loaded with ore bags.

Humanities: Architecture

1. What does nationality mean? (“still declare the nationality of him who made it”)

2. How does the author feel about the adobes?3. How did the founders of this architecture contribute to

society?4. The author describes the adobe as all of the following

except:1. I. Thick walls2. II. Two story3. III. Generally where Spanish-Americans lived4. IV. Occasionally had goat paths

ACT Type Questions

Natural History: Geology and Botany

Up and down California in 1860-1864; the journal of William H. Brewer

This is not very much like an ACT passage.

But it is an account of some Yale scientists who explored California between 1860 and 1864.

The selection I chose is their 48th camp near San Jose.

San Jose - 1906

Link to 1876 Map

Saturday, August 24, 1861. The Santa Clara Valley (San Jose Valley of the map) is the

most fertile and lovely of California. At the point where we came into it, it is about six miles wide, its bottom level, a fine belt of scattered oaks four or five miles wide covering the middle. It is here all covered with Spanish grants, so is not cultivated, but near San Jose, where it is divided into farms, it is in high cultivation; farmhouses have sprung up and rich fields of grain and growing orchards everywhere abound. But near our camp it lies in a state of nature, and only supports a few cattle. One ranch there covers twenty-two thousand acres of the best land in the valley--all valuable. This Spanish grant land-title system is one of the great drawbacks of this country. One man will make an immense fortune from that ranch, but the public suffers.

Pg. 169 - 170

Sunday, September 1, 1861NEARLY east of San Jose, some distance in the mountains, is a

high peak* we wished to reach, being the highest in that part of the Diablo Range. As near as we could judge from our maps, we supposed it nine miles distant in a straight line. It proved over fifteen. Mr. Hamilton went with us. A ride of six miles across the plain brought us to the foot of the ridge. All this is enclosed, in farms, and under good cultivation. Farmhouses, orchards, etc., give it an American look. We then struck the ridge, and on rising, had a capital chance to see this part of the Santa Clara Valley. It is perhaps twelve or fourteen miles wide at San Jose, an almost perfect plain, very fertile, a perfect garden, and much of it in higher cultivation than any other part of California.

[Note : This is the earliest account known of an ascent of Mount Hamilton. Professor Whitney vetoed a proposal to name the mountain for him (Brewster, Life and Letters of Josiah Dwight Whitney [1909], p. 238). It was thereupon named for the San Jose clergyman, and is cited as Mount Hamilton in the Whitney Survey, Geology, I, 43, 50, etc.]

Sunday, September 1, 1861 Cont.This first ridge was about 1,000 or 1,500 feet high. Then

we crossed a wide valley, then up another ridge. We had attained an altitude of nearly three thousand feet, when we came upon another deep and steep canyon cutting us off from the peak. Here we left our mules and proceeded on foot about three miles and reached the peak after 4 P.M. The view was very extensive and the day very clear. It was about 4,000 feet high--we made it 4,200 feet--but that is doubtless too high.* We could see various portions of the Coast Range, from far above San Francisco to below Monterey, probably 140 to 150 miles between the points, and the Diablo Range for about a hundred miles.

[Note : The altitude of Mount Hamilton is given by the U.S. Geological Survey as 4,209 feet.]

Pg. 173 - 174

Natural History1. Describe the geography that the scientists see.2. Why does the author say, “One man will make an

immense fortune from that ranch, but the public suffers”? What does he mean by this?

Not ACT Type Questions

Mr. Pakter’s Fiction“Being trapped in a coal mine ain’t what I recon I thought might end like.” Tom thought as his feet sloshed around in mud. “I done lost my chance fer millions and paps gone wring my neck for stealin’ ‘is mule like I did.” Tom wasn’t the brightest crayon in the drawer which is why he headed out west to begin with . Digging without a partner is dumb luck anyhow and seeing as how he passed the Diablo Range of mountains you’da thought he could see the signs. But no. He just kept right on trudgin’ along like mountains named after the devil’s a sign from God. Understandable he didn’t go to Sisco seeing as how the fire done ripped the city so but it just ain’t right what he done. “This sluicing business is hard without them hydraulics.”

FictionWhat is the mood of the passage?What is the tone of the passage?What is a theme of the passage?How does the author feel about the character?What does the author feel about people heading out west in

general?How does the character feel?

ACT Type Questions