Calif. schools to scrap mission model projects
EL CENTRO — Almost a rite of passage for fourth grade history/ social science students, the building of mission replicas seems to be going the way of the flip phone.
For ages, students learning California state history would routinely be assigned to construct models of the Spanish style missions that had been erected by early settlers. The mockups were frequently fashioned out of Popsicle sticks and sugar cubes and later, Legos.
But when curriculum underwent an overhaul last year, increasing numbers of teachers have dropped the requirement.
The new framework for kindergarten through 12th grade aims to extract less of the floor plans of missions and dig deep into what life was like in the 19th century for missionaries and native peoples.
But for some school districts it would be ignoring a part of the truth.
Todd Evangelist, Imperil County Office of Education director of development and community relations, remarked enhancement of California’s curriculum standards will not rule out a teacher from replicating missions in their classroom.
“The focus for schools at all grade levels revolve around teaching the four C’s: critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity,” said Evangelist. “If a teacher or school feel that a mission project would utilize one or more of those skills then they might still use it.”
Luis Panduro, Brawley Elementary School District assistant superintendent, pointed out the district has converted to the California State Standards, which directs what is taught in the classroom.
“California History-Social Science content standards require students to engage in the four C’s,” said Panduro.
“With this is mind, project-based learning becomes an option for students to demonstrate their learning.”
Panduro followed suit by incorporating California Standard 4.2, a comprehensive approach, which may use a mission project as part of fulfilling that standard. But it could not satisfy the entire intent of the standard. Adhering to 4.2, students will depict the cultural, economic and political life from pre-Columbian societies to Spanish missions to Mexican rancho eras.
Terri Mason, BESD director of special projects, echoed Panduro’s support for the new standard and noted that 4.2, discusses California’s indigenous population, how they adapted to an agricultural, rather than prolonging a hunter gatherer economy. The 4.2 standard also describes Spanish colonization, including relations among soldiers, missionaries and native peoples.
In addition, the standard explains how the mission system expanded the influence of Spain and Catholicism across the western hemisphere. And it describes the effects of the Mexican War for Independence on what was then, Alta California. It further discusses the period of Mexican rule in California and secularization of the missions and rise of the rancho economy.
Yet, some schools in other parts of the state include the Native American perspective. Instead of building a model, they produce a PowerPoint report on a mission and include how missionaries impacted native peoples. Another school holds a Mission Day. It may comprise tortilla making, leather making, butter churning and even crop planting, but the process of developing lessons could require years. Still, the framework empowers teachers to embrace a more nuanced take on history.
Jose Flores, government teacher at Brawley Elementary Union High School, also believes the standard change is significant. In addition to teaching, he is also an instructional quality commissioner for the California Department of Education.
He currently is vice-chair on the History/Social Science Subject Matter Committee. Their duty is to make recommendations to the California School Boards Association on curriculum by way of state standards, blueprints and textbook adoptions. Their work has been accomplished across the years in public meetings that embraces public comment.
“I benefit greatly interacting with experienced educators and receiving timely, unfiltered information I can then transfer into my classroom,” said Flores. “The new history/social science framework focus is on learning in context, not just to build missions. For example, more inquiry on diverse perspectives on life in the missions is to be learned in context. It takes into account civic duties and environmental issues/responsibilities for everyone involved.”