Connected California: Ohlone Unit
Grades 3-5 Curriculum Unit
Lessons
Unit Core Themes: History, Relationships to Place, Cross-Curricular Integration
Unit Summary
The Connected California: Ohlone Unit is an interdisciplinary learning experience designed for students in grades 3–5 that centers Indigenous knowledge, history, and ecological science through the lens of the Ohlone people's connection to land. Developed in partnership with the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, California Indian Education for All, and the San Diego County Office of Education, the unit explores environmental restoration and resilience by highlighting Native voices and traditional ecological knowledge. Students examine the cultural and ecological significance of the Presidio of San Francisco and California’s redwood forests through hands-on inquiry, storytelling, and reflection.
Throughout the unit’s three lessons: Restoring the Presidio, The Resilience of Redwood Trees, and Exploring California’s Redwood Trees students investigate environmental challenges and restoration efforts, analyze plant adaptations, and create advocacy and conservation campaigns. Learning is guided by the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) and emphasizes the Indigenous values of respect, reciprocity, and reverence. By integrating social studies and science standards, and incorporating culturally responsive teaching, this unit supports students in understanding the intersections between Native history, environmental health, and civic responsibility. Through video storytelling, group collaboration, and artistic expression, students are empowered to become stewards of the land and to recognize the ongoing contributions of Native communities to California’s ecological and cultural landscapes. Each lesson incorporates storytelling from Native voices, student collaboration, and reflection activities that foster cultural respect, environmental awareness, and community engagement.
Unit Objectives
Students will understand the historical and ecological significance of the Presidio in San Francisco.
Students will analyze the impact of restoration efforts on preserving history and supporting ecosystems.
Students will research specific areas of the Presidio and collaborate to present their findings.
Students will design an advocacy campaign to educate others about the importance of restoration.
Students will present their research and campaigns, demonstrating their understanding of how restoration connects to cultural preservation and environmental health.
Students will understand the unique characteristics that contribute to the resilience of redwood trees.
Students will explore the environmental challenges redwoods face and how they adapt to survive.
Students will analyze the importance of conservation efforts in protecting redwood forests.
Students will examine the ecological and environmental importance of California’s redwood trees.
Students will explore the concepts of respect, reciprocity, and reverence within Indigenous knowledge systems.
Students will reflect on the importance of maintaining balanced relationships with the land and nature.
Students will apply these concepts by discussing ways they can show respect, reciprocity, and reverence for their local environment.
Students will learn from California Native American perspectives.