SOC 900
Gold Rush: Mother Lode History
Explore California's Southern Mother Lode through communities such as Mariposa, Agua Fria, Hornitos, and La Grange while examining the people and events that shaped Gold Rush history.
Online Professional Development for Educators
Explore California History.
Create Learning You Can Use.
Choose from eight independent-study courses designed to deepen your knowledge of California history while helping you create practical instructional resources for your classroom.
3 Graduate-Level
Professional Development Credits Each course
Professional Development Credits Each course
100% Online
Independent study
Flexible
Work at your own pace
Designed for Educators
Practical classroom application
Professional Learning Built for Teachers
These courses combine rich California history with practical instructional application so your learning continues long after the course ends.
1
Explore History in Context
Investigate important people, places, events, perspectives, and historical developments through readings, primary sources, multimedia, and virtual experiences.
2
Discover Rich Resources
Engage with museums, archives, historic sites, photographs, maps, narratives, digital collections, and resources selected with educators in mind.
3
Create for Your Classroom
Apply what you learn by creating lessons, activities, instructional materials, digital resources, and other tools that can support your own students.
California History Courses
Select a course below to learn more about the content, assignments, resources, and classroom applications before registering through Fresno Pacific University.
SOC 901
California Gold Rush: 49ers/Miners
Examine the discovery of gold, migration, mining, technology, diverse perspectives, and the lasting effects of the Gold Rush while developing meaningful classroom applications.
SOC 902
Monterey: Historic Capital of California
Explore Monterey's role in California history, from Spanish and Mexican California through statehood, while discovering historic places and instructional resources.
SOC 903
Historic Los Angeles: Reflections on Its Heritage
Investigate Los Angeles through influential people, Native history, El Pueblo, museums, literature, Mission San Gabriel, and classroom-ready historical learning.
SOC 905
Historic Sacramento: Through the Years
Explore California's capital through its people, institutions, historic sites, political development, and changing role in the story of the state.
SOC 906
California Missions: 1769–Secularization
Examine California's mission era through history, architecture, culture, Indigenous perspectives, primary sources, historic sites, and classroom applications.
SOC 917
California: Reflecting America
Explore California as a reflection of broader American history through its diverse people, geography, culture, innovation, migration, and historical development.
SOC 984
Japanese Internment Camps: Pearl Harbor–Post Release
Investigate Japanese American incarceration during World War II through primary sources, personal narratives, historical evidence, civil liberties, and classroom resources.
How Your Course Works
Select the course that best fits your professional learning goals, register through Fresno Pacific University, and complete your work online through a flexible independent-study format.
1
Explore a Course
Review the individual course page to learn about content, assignments, resources, and outcomes.
2
Register Through FPU
Complete official enrollment through Fresno Pacific University's Center for Professional Development.
3
Learn Online
Work through course modules, historical resources, readings, activities, and assignments independently.
4
Apply Your Learning
Create materials and instructional experiences that extend course learning into your own classroom.
Ready to Register?
Continue to Fresno Pacific University
Official registration for Teacher's Learning Connection courses is completed through Fresno Pacific University's Center for Professional Development.
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