Materials on Concord History for Teachers and Students

Concord History
Third Grade
(Bare Bones)
by Mary Ehmke

Day 1 - Find out why parents moved here – (homework)
Where is Concord? Look at US map, California map, etc.
Land Forms – Walk about playground and observe what can be seen, hills, Mt. Diablo.

  • Discuss Mt. Diablo. (3, 896 feet at summit, once under water, huge land plug pushed up; not a volcano, many layers of rock set on end; first called "Kah Woo Koom.")
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    • Draw Mt. Diablo. Make a sketch from the playground or other outside location if possible.

    Discuss Concord’s climate.

    Day 2 - Early Animals

    Saber tooth tigers (Smilodons) Show pictures.
    shaggy elephants (mastodons)
    ground sloths ((megatheriums)
    early camels (long necks)
    Fossils found at base of mountain; no fossils of dinosaurs

    Do page 1 of flip book
  • A flip book is made by folding a 12 x 18 piece of construction paper in half lengthwise. Divide the top side of the folded paper into four equal sections; cut from the long side up to 1"from the fold to make the four sections which may be opened up one at a time to see inside. Students draw a picture of a local prehistoric scene; cut and paste on top of the first section. As a class or individually, students write a descriptive paragraph about prehistoric time in this area on lined paper precut to fit the section, and paste below the drawing they have made.

    • Day 3 – Early Native Americans

    Saklans of Miwok Tribes
    Saklan village (once located on Concord Naval Weapons Station)

  • Peaceful gatherers, basket weavers, (women) and hunters (men). They used digging sticks, giving them the name "Diggers.) They were short, had dark skin, long straight dark hair, some beards. (They used fire to shorten hair, shells to pull out facial hair.)
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    • Do page 2 of flip book

    Day 4 – Homes = wowies

  • round, shallow poles; poles leaned to center, covered with twigs and tule branches, mud; a central hole opening for smoke. When home became dirty, it was burned and new one built.

    Food – acorns (main food source; mortar and pestle used to grind acorns.), roots,seeds, berries, insects, animals, fish

    Clothing – men and women wore skirts of plants, animal skins, cloaks of skins (rabbit, deer). Blankets made of skins.
    Men covered themselves in mud, took steam baths. (Sweat houses)
    Lots of jewelry made from wood, bones, and shells. Headdresses for ceremonies

    Artwork     – tightly woven baskets, jewelry, tattoos

    Transportation – feet!

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    • Day 5 – Mt. Diablo important

    Legend – Coyote & Eagle (Stories California Indians Told)
    tribes would gather in fall (trade, ceremonies, sports)

    Creative – pretend to be tribes

    Day 6 – 1772 Spanish came to N. Calif. Missions, captured Native Americans; now no freedom, many diseases, Indians left or died.

    Compare Miwoks with other tribes studied. Make comparison chart.

    Show pictures of Concord’s Founding Fathers

    Day 7 – Mexicans come to Concord

  • Mexican soldiers and leaders could get land grants. They had to build on the land and raise cattle. House + cattle = rancho. Owners = rancheros
    Salvio Pacheco was given land grant in 1834—17,921 acres
    Fernando Pacheco    , son of Salvio, sent to oversee cattle on land grant at age 17. His home now a national historic site at 3119 Grant St. Leased to Horsemen’s Assn. He loved people, parties, became huge, 400 lbs. See p. 40 Mini History of C.C.C.
    Salvio Pacheco had large home built of adobe bricks (1874 Adobe St.) where many fiestas, celebrations were held.
    Francisco Galindo     , son in law of Salvio Pacheco built home at 1721 Amador. Three men called Concord founders, gave land for a public plaza, Todos Santos Plaza. A general store, blacksmiths, hardware store, hat shop and saloon, first businesses.

    Show Concord History Book

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    • Draw page 3 of flip book
  • Read The Little House by Virginia Burton
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    • Day 8 – Concord became a city in 1905; Joseph Boyd was first mayor. It was a small country town. Wheat fields and then orchards
    Schools were built, railroads were built, etc.
    After WW II Concord really grew as many new families came to live.

  • 1970’s - Bank of America, Chevron built big office buildings. Orchards were made into tracts of new homes.
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    • Draw page 4 of flip book

    Day 9 – Concord’s Government

    City Manager with five council members elected

    Read Who Came Down That Road by George Ella Lyon

  • Show The Changing Country Side by Jorg Muller if available. (This is a portfolio of eight full color fold out pictures showing the changing of the same location over a period of many years.) Also The Changing City Compare to Concord
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    • Read The Sky Was Blue by Charlotte Zolotow

    Give test of Concord History

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