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4^th Grade Lesson Designs

Day 5 - Wrapping it Up – Where in the World is Allen B. Light?

1. Objectives:
1. Given the facts surrounding the discovery of Light’s two documents, students will orally and/or in written lists, provide at least 3 hypotheses why Light buried the documents in his neighbor’s wall by the end of the class.
2. After the students have discussed their hypotheses as a class, they can then be assigned to write individual ‘detective reports’ summing up their findings on the Allen Light mystery, justifying each inference with facts they have learned in the past week about Allen Light and California history.

• Time for entire lesson: 50 minutes

1. Materials:
1. Maps of Old Town, all the other material students have written or mapped in the past four days, pencils and paper.
2. Preparation Guidelines: Xerox copies of the map of Old Town with Light-Freeman house indicated; or reproduce the same map on transparency paper and project on wall so that students can see where Allen Light lived.
2. Lesson Presentation

1. Introduction: (5 minutes) In the last four days we’ve looked at Allen Light’s letters. We’ve also pieced together the reports about him from people who knew and worked with him. We found out what his different jobs were, where he lived and what was going on in California during his life. But we haven’t figured out what happened to him after he disappeared from San Diego. We also haven’t figured out why he hid those two important letters in the wall instead of bringing them along with him. Knowing what you do about Allen Light now, let’s brainstorm for answers to these two questions.
2. Class or group discussion: (20 minutes) Students must write a list of their theories/speculations on Allen Light’s disappearance from San Diego and his decision to leave letters behind. If group discussion is used, each group must be able to defend their theory with facts they’ve learned about Light and California history. If discussion is conducted as a class, then individual students can present their theories. An opinion poll (simple show of hands for voting) on the ideas presented can then be conducted.
3. ‘Detective Report’: (25 minutes) Writing activity - Have each student write his/her own detective report summing up what s/he thinks happened to Allen Light after 1851, supporting this report with facts about Light and California History.

IV. Evaluation:

Class discussions and individual detective reports.

V. Extension Activity

Plan a field trip to the San Diego House in Old Town. The owner and manager, Mr. Leroy Brown, is an entertaining and talkative storyteller who keeps copies of the Allen Light papers on the counter of his tea and coffee store.

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