Student Notebook

PREVIEW

Complete this map of your classroom.
Follow your teacher’s directions.
On the map, you will draw directions on the compass rose. You
will also draw objects in your classroom, show which direction
things are from each other, and how far they are from each other.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Finding Places in California  1

READING NOTES

Read Section 1, The 50 States, and Section 2, Mapping California. Then
follow these directions.
• Label the compass rose.
• Label the map key.
• Label the scale.
• Find your state on the map, and outline it.
• Find your community in your state. Draw a dot for your community.

CANADA 0 250 500 miles
0 250 500 kilometers New
45˚N Washington North Minnesota
Dakota Hampshire Maine
Montana Vermont

Oregon Wisconsin New Mass.
Michigan York
Idaho South RIshlaondde
Dakota Connecticut
40˚N Wyoming Nebraska Iowa Pennsylvania New Jersey
IllinoisIndiana Ohio Delaware
125˚W Nevada Utah Maryland
35˚N California WV

Colorado Kansas Virginia N
Oklahoma
Missouri Kentucky North NW NE E
Texas Carolina
PA C I F I C Arizona New Mexico Arkansas Tennessee South W SE
OCEAN Carolina 70˚W
SW
120˚W S
ARCTIC OCEAN Georgia
Mississippi ATLANTIC
OCEAN
Alabama

Alaska 0 150 mi Louisiana Florida

0 400 mi 0 150 km MEXICO Gulf of Mexico 75˚W
PACIFIC U.S. capital
OCEAN 0 400 km Hawaii
95˚W 90˚W 85˚W 80˚W
PACIFIC
OCEAN

2  Finding Places in California © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

READING NOTES

Read Section 3, The State Capitol. Where is the State Capitol?
• Add and label a dot on the map with the name of your community.
• Label the dot on the map with the name of the place you just read about.
• Draw a line from your community to that dot. Use your ruler to measure

the distance between them. Write the distance on the line.

Complete the sentences below.

The distance from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to the state capitol building is about ______________ miles.

The direction from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to the state capitol building is ____________________________________ .

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Finding Places in California  3

READING NOTES

Read Section 4, The Golden Gate Bridge. Where is the Golden Gate Bridge?
• Add and label a dot on the map with the name of your community.
• Label the dot on the map with the name of the place you just read about.
• Draw a line from your community to that dot. Use your ruler to measure

the distance between them. Write the distance on the line.

Complete the sentences below.

The distance from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to the Golden Gate Bridge is about ______________ miles.

The direction from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to the Golden Gate Bridge is _____________________________________ .

4  Finding Places in California © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

READING NOTES

Read Section 5, Yosemite National Park. Where is Yosemite National Park?
• Add and label a dot on the map with the name of your community.
• Label the dot on the map with the name of the place you just read about.
• Draw a line from your community to that dot. Use your ruler to measure

the distance between them. Write the distance on the line.

Complete the sentences below.

The distance from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to Yosemite National Park is about ______________ miles.

The direction from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to Yosemite National Park is _____________________________________ .

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Finding Places in California  5

READING NOTES

Read Section 6, Central Valley Farms. Where is the Central Valley?
• Add and label a dot on the map with the name of your community.
• Label the dot on the map with the name of the place you just read about.

Draw a line from your community to that dot. Use your ruler to measure
the distance between them. Write the distance on the line.

Complete the sentences below.

The distance from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to the Central Valley is about ______________ miles.

The direction from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to the Central Valley is ________________________________________ .

6  Finding Places in California © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

READING NOTES

Read Section 7, Olvera Street. Where is Olvera Street?
• Add and label a dot on the map with the name of your community.
• Label the dot on the map with the name of the place you just read about.
• Draw a line from your community to that dot. Use your ruler to measure

the distance between them. Write the distance on the line.

Complete the sentences below.

The distance from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to Olvera Street is about ______________ miles.

The direction from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to Olvera Street is ______________________________________ .

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Finding Places in California  7

READING NOTES

Read Section 8, The San Diego Zoo. Where is the San Diego Zoo?
• Add and label a dot on the map with the name of your community.
• Label the dot on the map with the name of the place and its state.
• Draw a line from your community to that dot. Use your ruler to measure

the distance between them. Write the distance on the line.

Complete the sentences below.

The distance from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to the San Diego Zoo is about ______________ miles.

The direction from ______________________________________________
(name of my community)
to the San Diego Zoo is _____________________________________ .

8  Finding Places in California © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

STUDY YOUR COMMUNITY

Where in the World Is Our Community?
Step 1: Find a statue, building, or other place that helps tell the story of
your community. Draw it on this postcard. Write its name in one corner.

Step 2: Use the back of the postcard to tell a friend why the special
place is important in your community. Address your postcard.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Finding Places in California  9

STUDY YOUR COMMUNITY

Step 3: Now draw directions from your community to the
special place you wrote about. Be sure to label your map and
use the compass rose to write the directions.

10  Finding Places in California © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

READING FURTHER

Teresa lives in another country. She has heard that the Fourth
of July is special in the United States, but she doesn’t know why.
She wants to know more about it. Tell her about this day by
filling in the blanks in the letter below.



(date)

Dear Teresa,

On the Fourth of July, Americans celebrate

People like to show American flags on this day. .
That’s because the flag stands for .
.
We also have other Fourth of July traditions,
like
and
As you can see, it’s a big day for us!

Your pal,


© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Finding Places in California  11

READING FURTHER

Think of a tradition that you like. It can be anything that
people do together year after year. On the lines below, tell
what the tradition is.

Draw a picture of this tradition in the box.

12  Finding Places in California © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

PROCESSING

Look at the list of places below. Select one you would like
to visit. Use books and other sources in the classroom, in a
library, or at home to find out where this place is in California.

• Santa Cruz Boardwalk
• Hollywood Walk of Fame
• the Transamerica Pyramid
• Lake Tahoe
• Disneyland

Now follow these directions:

1. Write the name of the place you chose next to its dot on
the map.

2. On the map, draw a straight line from your community to
this place.

3. Use your map ruler to measure the distance between the
two dots. Write the distance on the line.

4. Draw an arrow on the compass rose to show which
direction to travel from your community to the new place.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute Finding Places in California  13

PROCESSING

14  Finding Places in California © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute