A Great Way for At-Home Students to Learn California History

In these days of school closures due to the corona virus, there is a scramble to keep at-home students occupied and with their minds and imaginations challenged. Lessons, even music class lessons, are now on-line and private lessons are given by phone. Calicanto’s two books with CDs could be helpful, particularly to 3rd and 4th grade Social Studies students or middle school and high school students who are studying California history. They Came Singing: Songs from California’s History offers authentic songs from the earliest days of California up through the Gold Rush. Days of Gold! Song from the California Gold Rush features multicultural songs sung by the people who lived during this pivotal time in history.

These publications offer a concise history of the times with an abundance of information. They feature the songs that were sung by the people who lived in various periods, and include maps, charts, illustrations and primary quotations. There are also short plays, games and dances. The books can be read while listening to the songs. The songs can easily be learned from the CDs. These collections truly make the history come alive in a most enjoyable way.

If you are studying the Gold Rush, the first chapter of Days of Gold deals with getting to the gold fields by sea.  It would be interesting for students to look at a world map or a globe and trace the various routes with their fingers. Look at Hiram Pierce’s description of the perilous journey around Cape Horn after the song “A Ripping Trip.” You might have your son or daughter write his/her own story about preparing for a sea or overland trip to California. What clothing or food would they choose to pack? All of the songs in this chapter are very descriptive and can be fun to sing while imagining a trip. 

One parent started the in-home process of studying the Gold Rush by having his children watch Charlie Chaplin’s classic movie, “The Gold Rush.”

With both of these books, you don’t necessarily need to follow the order of the chapters. You can dive in wherever interest leads you.  For example, in Days of Gold you could jump right to the chapter “Life in the Diggings” or “A Mix of Cultures.”  These are just a few ideas. The book has so much information that can be a springboard for creative projects.

Home-schooled children in general can benefit from these publications. In a later post, we will address ways in which our books, CDs and plays can fit well in a home school curriculum. 

Nancie Kester and Karen W. Arlen