Introduction to The North Coast Landscape: Teacher's Guide and Lesson Units

The North Coast Landscapes: Teacher's Guide and Lesson Units are divided into two units, one for grades 3/4 and one for grades 11/12. The units are primarily developed to provide curriculum that is consistent with the history and social science framework, and that is local in focus and, therefore, especially relevant to the lives of your students and their families. The units are designed to fulfill elements of the history and social science curriculum requirements, but also include activities that develop basic skills in mathematics, geography, and the life sciences. The lesson units enable students to learn more about the people, economy, and the environment of Humboldt County.

While designed for two different grade levels, the intent of the lesson units are the same -- to stimulate and challenge the future leaders of our various Humboldt County communities to analyze the area's past, understand the present situation, and create strategies for a bright and viable future for our region.

The network of communities in Humboldt County is unique and complex. Like a web, the network is made up of strands that must work together to form the whole. Developing strategies for meeting the challenge of creating a viable and bright future, therefore, requires understanding the value and importance of the various components of the network of communities and using that knowledge as a powerful tool for successful planning.

There are three main strands to the wealth of the Humboldt County community network -- the people, the economy, and the environment. While each of these strands is unique and important, none can work in isolation of the others. Communities that protect and enhance these strands are better able to weather adversity, take advantage of opportunities, and provide a stable and prosperous life for residents. That is why we have integrated all three strands into The North Coast Landscapes: Teacher's Guide and Lesson Units.

It is clear that there is not one simple strategy to protect the wealth of our region and that planning for our future requires the creative input of a variety of residents with different skills, family histories, visions and viewpoints. The materials presented in The North Coast Landscape: Teacher's Guide and Lesson Units are objective and non-partisan. Much of the data in the lesson units was taken from a survey conducted by the Humboldt Area Foundation of 3,000 randomly selected Humboldt County residents. All additional sources of information are noted throughout.

Inside Each Unit

Both of the teacher's guides and lesson packets contain enough teaching suggestions and presentation materials to teach several classes on the topic spanning from a few days to a whole semester. Specifically, each unit contains teaching objectives, a lesson plan, narrative and discussion material, overhead transparency masters, lesson activities, suggestions for further reading, and The North Coast Landscape poster.

Integrating Teacher's Guide Units into the Curriculum

We understand that the primary and secondary curriculum requirements in California are lengthy and that teaching schedules are tightly packed. That is why we have developed the Teacher's Guide and Lesson Units to fulfill and enhance elements of the History/Social Science Content Standards for Grades K-12 adopted by the State of California Board of Education. Each lesson unit contains a chart detailing how the narrative topics and student lesson activities fulfill some of the elements already in place for each grade level. (Please note that only the elements relevant to the lesson units are listed in the chart.)