This semester while perusing online for social studies/history resources, I came across a web site for EEI (Education and the Environment) California Science and Social Studies Curriculum. Not only is this curriculum free for California teachers, but it offers an excellent means to create cross-curricular integration between language arts, science, social studies, and history. I only took the opportunity to review the elementary school curriculum which included social studies and history topics which could be specifically tweaked to address topics for this coursework (Origins to 1800) including: Kindergarten: "Some Things Change and Some Things Stay the Same," 1st Grade: "People and Places," 2nd Grade: "California Lands Then and Now" and "From Field To Table," 3rd Grade: "California People: Exploring Regions" and "California's Economy: Natural Choices," 4th Grade: "Witnessing the Gold Rush" and "California's People and Management of Natural Resources," 5th Grade: "Agricultural Advances in Ancient Civilizations," "Human Settlement and the Natural Regions of the Eastern Seaboard" and and 6th Grade: "Paleolithic People: Tools, Tasks, and Fire," "Paleolithic People: Adapting to Change," "Nature and Newcomers," and "The Rivers and Ancient Empires of China and India." The units for middle school social studies, social science, and history fit directly in even better and are more culturally aware of East Asia and easier to adapt and format for this coursework. Each of these units is specifically based upon California Common Core Standards for social studies/history and science. Each can be easily added to in order to include information, lectures, tasks, activities, and materials directly from this coursework related to East Asia, directly relating to the people, culture, history, and traditions of China, Japan, and South Korea!

This past semester in my Kindergarten classroom I used the EEI unit "Some Things Change and Some Things Stay the Same." After going online and taking the short survey, I was mailed a kit directly to my school at no cost which included a very all-encompassing teachers guide (in color!), student workbooks, posters, a big book, a trade book, and large flashcards with both color and black-and-white photographs on the front with explanations/teacher directions on the back. The kit was very impressive. I taught the unit to my Kindergarteners and they loved it! This unit in particular compared "old" and "new" life in towns throughout California from about 150-200 years ago to life today. The photo cards and student workbooks were fantastic! It took use about three weeks to complete the unit. While we were working on this unit, I had gone online and taken another survey in order to receive the next unit from EEi…again for FREE! The second time around I ordered a science based unit called "The World Around Me" which fit right in to my curriculum plan for working at an environmental sciences magnet as well as provide me the opportunity to include more information, materials, resources, and history learned during the semester in this course related directly to East Asia. Overall, this curriculum was fantastic, easy to order, and very perfect for adapting to any age/grade level curriculum relating to East Asia and Origins to 1800.