The fourth grade visited Sacramento for some hands-on learning to enrich our Social Studies and STEAM program. First, we visited the Sacramento History Museum for a guided tour focussed on how the Gold Rush transformed the state of California. We even got to pan for gold – EUREKA! We walked the cobblestone streets of Old Sacramento and bought some candy and soft-serve during our lunch break. Then we visited the Capitol Building where our amazing chaperone Chen Attar pulled some strings to arrange a surprise visit from State Senator Josh Becker. He asked the students what issues they cared about, and told us a bit about his portfolio and his participation in the Jewish Caucus. We ended our trip with a visit to the State Indian Museum and a peek at Sutter’s Fort. “My favorite parts were visiting this really cool museum about Native Americans where there was a giant boat and taking a tour of the Capitol building and learning about the history of its construction” says Fiona. Shaked adds, “I loved panning for gold and visiting the old town candy shop!” We were lucky to have Josh Roza – a real-life gold prospector – as a chaperone as well, and we are grateful for his knowledge of the history we are learning in class. While nobody found any gold nuggets of significant value, it was a very rewarding experience for our Dalet class!
