At Washington Unified, field trips are an important part of every student’s educational experience. 4th graders at West Fresno Elementary are studying California history. As part of their education, they had the opportunity to visit Monterey State Historic Park.
Monterey served as California’s capital under Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. military rule. The U.S. flag was first officially raised here on 7-7-1846. WFES 4th graders participated in the “Demonstration Field Trip.” The trip included a guided tour at the historical Custom House and Pacific House. The students learned about the California Native Americans pre-European contact, and Spanish and Mexican periods. Students participated in acorn grinding, Native American hunting techniques, and practiced their hunting skills before walking to the Custom House for a talk about “Hide and Tallow” trade and a scavenger hunt.
Afterwards, students boarded the bus to the San Juan Bautista Mission for a self-guided tour. San Juan Bautista Mission was founded in 1797 by Spanish missionaries and is the largest Mission of the California Missions. The Mission adjoins the last remaining Spanish plaza in California, the last intact section of El Camino Real, and the San Andreas Fault.
Students were excited to visit the places that they have been studying in class!