HSS 2.1 | We Are California

Acorn to Oaks

K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-2-ETS1-1, 1-LS1-1, 2-LS4-1, WL.CM1.N: Interpretive Communication, WL.CL2.N: Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives, WL.CL4.A: Intercultural Influences, HSS K.4, HSS K.6.3, HSS 1.2.4, HSS 1.4.3, HSS 1.5.3, HSS 1.5, HSS 2.1, HSS 2.4.3

This lesson aims to connect young students to the rich cultural history and natural world through the exploration of acorns, a vital food source for Indigenous communities, particularly the Yurok, in Northwest California. Students will be exposed to children engaging in a series of sensory activities which teachers are encouraged to replicate in their classrooms. Through this lesson, students will learn about the life cycle of acorns and how they are harvested and processed for consumption. The lesson begins with an introduction to the cultural importance of acorns through a Yurok language integrated children’s book and their significance as a staple food for Indigenous peoples and their role in sustaining life in California. Students will then engage in a water exploration activity, where they’ll discover whether acorns sink or float, prompting questions like “How many acorns does it take to sink the pumpkin?” This ties into the fall harvest season and encourages students to observe and hypothesize. Next, students will practice cracking acorns using nutcrackers or rocks, which enhances fine motor skills while teaching them about the process of cracking and preparing acorns for consumption. In this step, they’ll also learn to identify usable acorns from those that are spoiled, offering insight into how acorns are carefully selected, sorted and processed. For a more hands-on STEM experience, students will build ramps using cardboard, tubes, or other materials to experiment with acorn trajectory creating their own tracks to explore motion and gravity. This activity fosters creativity and introduces basic physics concepts. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to weigh and measure acorns using a balance scale, engaging in simple math and measurement activities which support early numeracy skills. The lesson can also include a sensory bin for dramatic play, where students can sort acorns, create stories, or mimic the harvesting process. This bin serves as a calming space that encourages sensory exploration and imaginative play. By integrating science, math, culture, and sensory learning, this lesson provides a well-rounded opportunity for students to connect with the natural world and the traditions of the Indigenous peoples of California. Through these hands-on activities, children will build foundational skills while gaining an appreciation for the cultural and ecological importance of acorns in their local environment.

Wilbur Smith: Wel-mel-ti values across places, cultures, and changes

HSS 2.1, HSS 2.5, RF.2.4, SL.2.1, SL.2.6, L.2.1, L.2.3, L.2.6, SL.2.2, SL.2.3, RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.4, RL.2.5, RL.2.6, RL.2.7, RL.2.9, RL.2.10, RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6, RI.2.7, RI.2.9, RI.2.10, L.2.4

This lesson identifies important places that were relevant to this unit’s family of the Sierra Valley Wel-mel-ti, and events affecting this family and many Native Americans of this era. Carmelita’s older brother, Wilbur Smith, grew up traveling between Loyalton, Long Valley, and Susanville, California. Although not mandated for his area, Wilbur chose to attend Sherman Indian Boarding School, far south in Riverside, California. Students will learn about his challenging experience growing up in these places, and consider the period of Indian boarding schools where children attended far away from their loved ones, as well as the fact of being drafted into World War II at the age of 16. To better understand geography for the Sierra Valley Wel-mel-ti, students will complete mapping activities to become familiar with the traditional Washoe territory, and the 3 different bands of Washoes.

Marvin Sam: Changes for land mean changes for traditional foods

HSS 2.1, HSS 2.5, RF.2.4, SL.2.1, SL.2.6, L.2.1, L.2.3, L.2.6, SL.2.2, SL.2.3, RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.4, RL.2.5, RL.2.6, RL.2.7, RL.2.9, RL.2.10, RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6, RI.2.7, RI.2.9, RI.2.10, L.2.4

This lesson provides insight into how life changed for the Wel-mel-ti in Sierra Valley as their traditional foods and practices were impacted by the influx of immigrant settlers. Historically, the Wel-mel-ti thrived in a reciprocal relationship with their environment, caring for the plants and animals that provided nutritious sustenance, medicine, economy, and more for them. However, current land use practices have made harvesting traditional foods much more difficult. Students will design a garden with some of these traditional plants, considering how this not only helps the grower with a harvest, but also begins to restore natural landscapes. Knowledge keeper Marvin Sam is the last living Wel-mel-ti of the area who experienced this time of extreme change in lifestyles, and Mr. Sam provided primary source information for this lesson, including an interview video.

Carmelita Evans DeLucchi: Preserving Wel-mel-ti culture and traditions through oral history

HSS 2.1, HSS 2.5, RF.2.4, SL.2.1, SL.2.6, L.2.1, L.2.3, L.2.6, SL.2.2, SL.2.3, RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.4, RL.2.5, RL.2.6, RL.2.7, RL.2.9, RL.2.10, RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6, RI.2.7, RI.2.9, RI.2.10, L.2.4

Students will learn about Carmelita Evans DeLucchi, who was one of the last Northern Washoes born and raised in the “Old Indian Camp” on the hill above the town of Loyalton. Through a biography written by her granddaughter, students will learn a little about Carmelita’s life across “two worlds” – the traditional lifeways of her Wel-mel-ti family, and the settler-constructed town life of the 1930s and beyond. Carmelita survived a challenging start and early loss and recalled many happy memories of childhood. She embodied her culture’s values throughout college, her career, raising a family, and her return to Loyalton as her final resting place.

Mr. Huynh, voiced by Baoan Coleman, holds his baby daughter, Mai.

Tracing the “Phamily” History

HSS 2.1, HSS 2.2, RI.2.6, SL.2.4

Students will describe and reflect on reasons Vietnamese refugees moved to America, or their local communities, through a multimedia analysis and explore their own family history with an interview and creating a medium of choice.