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Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic! To read more about the concepts behind my UNIT STUDIES, read this.
If you find it handy to have a simplified printable of these suggestions, you can find one, along with several free printables, here in the FREE California Unit Study Printable Pack.
Otherwise, read on for a more detailed version with links embedded!
{Note: The links are pink! Just think, “pink link” if you are wanting to follow a link to something.}
UNIT STUDY: CALIFORNIA
Love it or hate it, there is nothing quite like CALIFORNIA! With its diverse population, beautiful weather, unique geography, assortment of tourist attractions and miles and miles of coastline, there really is something for everyone! Whether you are prepping for a trip to Legoland or just wanting to give your kids a virtual tour, this UNIT STUDY might have just what you need!
READ: G is for Golden by David Domeniconi is a perfect book to start a CALIFORNIA UNIT STUDY. Part of the Discover America State by State series of books, it is presented in a sweet rhyme that follows each letter of the alphabet in order. But, it also includes a good amount of factual info that elaborates on each of the 26 topics. It’s both educational and fun and sets a great tone for learning about the Golden State. And, there is a one-page Scavenger Hunt printable and a writing activity in the FREE California Unit Study Printable Pack.
Celebrating California by Marion Dane Bauer is part of a series of fairly easy readers that offers loads of great information about CALIFORNIA. It includes information about the state’s multi-cultural formation, agricultural contributions, entertainment industry, and more. It also offers a great map in the front and a small glossary, suggested activities, important dates and fast facts in the back. It’s truly a great pick for an introduction to CALIFORNIA for kids on the higher end of being beginner readers. Plus, it’s very inexpensive and there are a couple of mini Book Companion Pack pages in the FREE California Unit Study Printable Pack.
The Twelve Days of Christmas in California by Laura Rader is a very clever book that offers three different levels of learning on each page. The book’s premise is that Brad spends his Christmas break with his cousin in CALIFORNIA. The bulk of the book is written to the famous Christmas hymn, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” but with a CALIFORNIA twist. And with each stanza, some new CALIFORNIA tidbits are introduced to the reader. Plus each pair of pages also includes a letter written from Brad to his parents that includes loads of kid-sized history lessons and that’s all topped off by one little fun fact from Cali, the quail. It’s a great book for many levels because you can opt to tackle it all or pare it down to the simpler portions. It also creates a perfect setup to teach letter-writing. You’ll find a couple of fun writing activities to accompany the book in the FREE California Unit Study Printable Pack.
Geography of California by Lisa Greathouse is a great choice if you want to highlight the diverse geography found in the Golden State. Beaches come to mind for most people when people think of CALIFORNIA but the state also offers mountains, deserts, national parks and more! And this book sports beautiful photographs of it all!
Exploration of California by Serena Haines offers a thorough and full-color review of the explorers who helped put CALIFORNIA on the map.
California History for Kids by Katy S. Duffield is a very thorough book that provides a history of CALIFORNIA from missions to Hollywood. It has an amazing array of photographs and also includes several activities for kids to take the learning to a whole new level.
WRITE: As mentioned above, The Twelve Days of Christmas in California by Laura Rader offers some great segues into writing activities, two of which can be found in the FREE California Unit Study Printable Pack and neither of which require the book!
You can also find a fun and easy writing activity based on G is for Golden by David Domeniconi.
My favorite idea, though, is to have kids write an actual letter to family or friends in CALIFORNIA!
LEARN: If you want an easy-to-use printable pack that is jam-packed with 80 pages of facts related to the state symbols of CALIFORNIA, check out this State of California Fact Pack. It includes info text, posters, practice pages and more! It covers the state bird, mammal, insect, capital, tree, flower and motto. It also includes information on CALIFORNIA’s borders and statehood. Use discount code 25OffCAPack and save 25% off the list price {and it’s NOT expensive to begin with!}
CREATE: I love this How to Draw a Quail Tutorial. It’s super cute and simple {which is my favorite kind of craft to suggest.} There are also several ideas for making adorable poppies out of a variety of methods including handprints, paper, felt, and clay. The clay craft is definitely more work than the other suggestions but it would make a great keepsake! This fork-painted grizzly bear is precious and this printable grizzly craft has loads of potential. This redwood trees project looks super cool and can be simplified/complicated to meet your own needs. For super-duper simple, here is a free coloring page based on a vintage CALIFORNIA stamp.
ENJOY: In order to really experience CALIFORNIA, you need to drive through In-n-Out! But if that’s not feasible, there are some other ideas. When it comes to healthy CALIFORNIA snacks, there are a thousand different ways to serve the infamous CALIFORNIA raisin and its predecessor, the grape. And, of course, the avocado is, in my opinion, one of the bestest fruits ever! These CALIFORNIA cucumber and avocado cups look delicious and easy to make too. And then there are several ways to use the avocado to make CALIFORNIA sushi/wraps. If you do decide to go with the avocado, be sure to check out the video below.
EXPLORE: For a great hands-on activity, panning for “gold” is a given when learning about CALIFORNIA. Or if you want to go deeper into the gold rush, check out these ideas that include food, what to wear and things to do! This three-minute video on YouTube offers a great little intro into the history of CALIFORNIA but it’s pretty heavy on dates so I’d save it for older kids. For kids of all ages, this 13+minute video is awesome! It includes a brief history but also discusses so much more including wildlife, agriculture, geography, etc! Seriously, if you only have 15 minutes to devote to learning about CALIFORNIA, toss some boxes of raisins to your kids and have them watch this video! And while they chill with their CALIFORNIA movie, you can peruse my CALIFORNIA Pinterest Board for other things to do!
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