SD’s fourth-grade students traveled back in time this week as the Garden of Hope was transformed into a vibrant California rancho from the 1800s. The immersive history lesson brought textbooks to life as students experienced firsthand the daily activities that defined this pivotal era in California’s past.

“We rolled out fresh tortillas and stirred pots of simmering beans,” shared Co-Teachers Brooke Gelber and Anne Malamud. “There’s something magical about learning history by doing rather than just reading.”

Students rotated through authentic activity stations that included traditional candle making, leatherwork with real needles and thread, and making tin toys and whirligigs. The hands-on approach helped students connect deeply with California’s heritage.

“I never knew making a candle took so much work!” exclaimed one of the fourth graders, their fingers still sticky with beeswax. “People back then had to make everything themselves.”

The day culminated with students learning about fandangos—the lively celebrations that brought rancho communities together with dancing, food, music, and even bullfights. Students practiced simple dance steps of the traditional jota, and finished the day by eating together just as the rancheros used to do. “We wanted to give the students a hands-on experience of what life was like on the ranchos,” shared Malamud. 

Next up, the students will do another simulation involving the vibrant trading activity up and down the coast of California, before diving into the California Gold Rush era.