Here is a video of San Francisco, one of the cities we visited on our California trip!

CITY HALL!!!

Today we visited City Hall. We learned about civics and government and what the "important people" in Sacramento, CA do!! We took a guided tour and learned about all the different departments. The students got to experience first hand in groups what the government here in Sacramento does. I think they got a good taste of everyday life there and seemed to be pretty impressed at what all they are responsible and do. Today was pretty exhausting so I'm sure they are very tired after learning about civics and government!!

Sutter's Fort Historic Park

Hello again! Well, we're on our last leg of our California journey, but that doesn't mean we're slowing down! Today we came to the capital of California, Sacramento. For our first lesson of the day, we visited the state park of Sutter's Fort. Sutter's Fort was important to Sacramento and California state history. The lesson at the park taught your children about the history of the fort. The students then related that history to the history of the United States, which they were able to do very well! We started the day with a tour around the park, guided by a park ranger. Your children took notes and many pictures to remember the day by. They even got to see what it would have been like to live at Sutter's Fort during the 1800's. Many people were dressed in time period clothing and going about daily activities as any pioneer would. Later, we discussed the tour as a group and your kids put together their own timelines of the park. The students seemed very interested in the history of the park. They were able to learn more about the California Gold Rush, a lesson not heavily touched upon in our own Pennsylvania history. Today's lesson really gave your children a perspective from a very different place than home.

After the tour and our group activities, we enjoyed a nice lunch outside in the beautiful weather. We then moved on to our next lesson in a more modern day Sacramento.

THE WEATHER: Lake Tahoe

In addition to learning about the geography in Lake Tahoe, we learned about the weather in Lake Tahoe as well. At Lake Tahoe, 250 to 300 days a year are sunny with the percentage rising to 93% in summer, and humidity is very low, again especially in summer, when the temperatures are warm or even hot, averaging in the 70s for the four midsummer months, and with occasional highs in the 90s. Because of the high elevation and the purity of the air, ultraviolet levels are high so care must be taken to prevent sunburn, particularly on the ski slopes in winter when reflections from the snow can double the intensity. Lake Tahoe has never reached the magic 100°F mark, its record high being 99°F set on July 22nd, 1988!

We learned so much today at Lake Tahoe the students were so tired. We had a blast and most of them said they wanted to move here and learn to ski!!!

Lake Tahoe

Today we continued our California adventure in Lake Tahoe! The students had some great geography lessons involving the lake and the surrounding area. The students took a tour of the lake and were able to observe all the topographical features found there, including the beautiful mountains and pristine lake. They took lots of notes about the tour and afterwards were able to describe all the features found around Lake Tahoe. They also used their photography skills to take pictures for water cycle charts that described the process in detail. Your kids also studied samples of soil from around the lake. They used these samples to make predictions about erosion and the effects this process has on the environment around the lake. Your kids all loved the tour of lake and had a great day outdoors in the beautiful weather and even more beautiful surroundings!

Today we visited the site of the California Gold Rush!!! The students took a tour of the site from a very knowledgeable tour guide. He taught us all about the history of the California Gold Rush. We learned about how so many people were first attracted to California because of this great discovery. People all over the United States and the world traveled to California because of "Gold Fever!!" Many of these people ended up starting businesses, trading posts, importing goods to sell to miners, farming and ranching. The California Gold Rush was one of the most significant events in California history and is responsible for what California has become today!

Trip to SFSU!!!

Hello parents!! So today our goal was to become more familiar with higher education opportunities so we visited San Francisco State University!! We took a tour of the gorgeous campus and learned a lot about college. Everyone was really excited. Some of the students at SFSU helped give us a tour and show us all around campus. We enjoyed lunch in their cafeteria where the food was great! After lunch our students split up and got to choose what academic buildings they wanted to see according to a major they might be interested in. They learned all about that major and the types of career opportunities each particular degree offers. The kids had a lot of fun and constantly talking about what kind of jobs they want and what they might want to major in when they go to college!