This unit will help 1 ^st – 3 ^rd grade teachers direct students to consider family history, and cultural stories in the historical spaces of their community. This first grade unit targets "A Child's Place in Time and Space" (CA HSS State Standards) through the study of immigration and migration to our city. It is designed to include immigration and migration histories of ethnic groups, background information about our city, teaching strategies, and activity examples to bring the concept of change over time to life. Discovering why friends, family, and community members needed to uproot their lives, move, and settle into a new land is a story with richness and depth, leading to a better understanding of one another with better compassion. The concept of history as change over time is compelling because it teaches students facts shaping their understanding of who they are, how they interact with and fit into the larger history of our community. It is my hope to empower students to make a difference in their life for the better, building up what educator Tara Yosso has called "community cultural wealth."

(Recommended for History and Social Science, Grades 1-3)