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Lesson Plan: Los Californios

California's Spanish, Native American, and African Heritage

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Unit Overview:
Los Californios were the early land-holding families of California descendents of Spanish, Indian, and African peoples who colonized the present-day state of California after 1769. Alta California, as it was known then, marked the northern frontier of the Spanish empire in the New World. This unit focuses on Rancho De Buenos Ayres, located in what is now the Westside area of Los Angeles. Students will use primary resources to develop an understanding of how the Californios had to adapt to an order to retain ownership of their land in California.
Grade Level Recommendation:
Grade 4

Relates to: California Cultures: Native Americans, California in Transition, 1780-1880, California Cultures: Hispanic Americans

Primary sources used in this lesson plan (5):

[Diseño del Rancho San José de Buenos Ayres : Calif.]
Mapa de los Estados Unidos de Mejico, segun lo organizado y definido por las varias actas del Congreso de dicha republica : y construido por las mejores autoridades
Abstract of title of that certain real property in the county of Los Angeles, state of California, bound and described as follows : Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres
Abstract of title of that certain real property in the Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres, county of Los Angeles, state of California, bounded and described as follows : all of said Rancho as per map appearing on page 53 of this abstract
Abstract of title of that certain real property in the Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres, county of Los Angeles, state of California, bounded and described as follows : all of said Rancho as per map appearing on page 53 of this abstract

About this lesson plan:

Creator: Raul Alarcon, Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School / Primary Level

This lesson plan was originally created at the UCLA Institute on Primary Resources.

Using this lesson plan:

The text of this lesson plan is available under a Creative Commons CC-BY license. You are free to share and adapt it however you like, provided you provide attribution as follows:

Los Californios curated by University of California, available under a CC BY 4.0 license. © 2011, Regents of the University of California.

Please note that this license applies only to the descriptive copy and does not apply to any and all digital items that may appear.

Explore exhibitions related to "Los Californios" (2):

Hispanic Americans: Spanish Colonization and Californios, 1769-1800s
Native Americans: The 19th Century