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Victorian Era Studies Come to Life for Third Graders

The current social studies unit in third grade focuses on the Victorian era in San Francisco’s history. In addition to talking and reading about Victorian life, students have had the opportunity to see their learning come to life through playing Victorian-era children’s games. They tried their luck with Victorian-era games including jacks, whirligigs, button toss, and tops. Third graders also visited the Haas-Lillenthal House, a Victorian-era home that has been converted into a museum. “We also learned about different features in Victorian houses, and talked about San Francisco history and how events such as the California Gold Rush and the 1906 earthquake shaped our city’s history,” says resident teacher Madeleine Mackenzie.
 
This field trip and the accompanying projects—third graders are about the embark on their San Francisco landmark project—help students explore the city’s history and gain a deeper understanding of the community. “For example, we learned that the Haas-Lillenthal family was Jewish, but they used Christmas decorations (in addition to decorating with a hanukkiah) because they wanted to fit into Victorian society,” explains Ms. Mackenzie. “And the architecture tour helped deepen our understandings of the architectural features students have been learning about.” MORE PHOTOS
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