Equal Access to Public Pools

2 Days (55 Minute Classes), 11-12 Grade

In what ways does having access to public pools impact a community? Students will learn about the creation of public pools and the challenges presented to equal access by exploring historic access to pools in three Inland Empire cities: the Fairmount Park Plunge in Riverside during the 1920s, the Sylvan Plunge in Redlands in the 1930s, and the Perris Hill Plunge in San Bernardino during the 1940s. Students will identify why having access to a public pool was important then and now – and how it impacts individuals and the community. Finally, students will research and map access to public pools in their own community to analyze current needs.

Curriculum African American Civil Rights Latina/o/x Redlands Riverside San Bernardino Segregation

Baseball & Civil Rights

2 Day Lesson (55 Minute period), Grade 9-12

How did Baseball help forge community ties and a strong sense of ethnic identity, pride, and power that was necessary for the fight for civil rights? Students will explore the impact of segregation on communities of color, with a particular focus on the Latino community in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. Students will analyze an excerpt from the book Mexican American Baseball in the Inland Empire, an oral history from South Colton and photographs highlighting Latino baseball and softball players during the era of segregation. Through critical discussion and analysis, students will develop a broader perspective on how segregation shaped everyday life and how the community resisted by forging community pride, support, and identity as they fought in the ongoing struggle for civil rights.

Curriculum Civil Rights Colton Community Leaders Ethnic Studies Latina/o/x Riverside San Bernardino

Building Spaces of Belonging, Resistance & Care in the IE

4-day lesson (55-minute class periods)

How have Inland Empire communities built and sustained spaces of belonging, resistance, and care across generations? Students use historical images from Riverside’s Eastside to explore the concept of spatial entitlement, the idea that marginalized communities have the right to claim and shape space for belonging, resistance, and care. Students will learn the concept of spatial entitlement through personal reflection, an analysis of Orange Valley Lodge, and the study of sonic spaces inspired by Gaye Theresa Johnson’s Spaces of Conflict, Sounds of Solidarity. Students will then research a local Inland Empire space and creating a historical “postcard” that illustrates how the site embodies spatial entitlement. The lesson culminates with a peer postcard exchange and analysis, deepening their understanding of local histories and the power of place.

Curriculum African American Asian American Business Community Leaders Ethnic Studies Latina/o/x Native American Riverside

Historical Markers & Sacred Sites: Pá’čapa & Mt Rubidoux

2-3 Days (55 minute classes), 11-12 Grade

Which sites are remembered, how are they remembered, and who has the power to decide? In this multi-day lesson, students will look at historical markers and sacred sites in order to explore concepts of colonialism, displacement, and forced assimilation and their impact on Southern California Native people. Students will examine how sites like Pá’čapa or Mt Rubidoux are remembered and have the opportunity to write/rewrite a historical marker that centers the indigeneity of the Inland Empire and proximal areas.

Curriculum Ethnic Studies Native American Riverside

School Desegregation in Riverside & San Bernardino

2-3 Days (55 minute classes), Grade 11-12

How did communities in Riverside and San Bernardino challenge educational segregation, and what do their efforts reveal about the ongoing struggle for educational justice? This lesson introduces students to the underrepresented history of educational segregation and resistance in the Inland Empire, particularly San Bernardino and Riverside. Students will analyze primary sources and maps, hear community voices, and interview elders to construct a more inclusive narrative of civil rights history. They will apply historical thinking concepts to assess the causes, consequences, and varied community responses to segregation and integration. Students will demonstrate their learning by selecting a method that best suits their learning style.

Curriculum Civil Rights Education Ethnic Studies Riverside San Bernardino Segregation

Student StoryMaps

Maps Stories African American Asian American Environmental Justice Latina/o/x Redlands Riverside San Bernardino

Harada Family: House on Lemon Street

This lesson plan provides students the opportunity to use local primary sources to learn about Japanese immigration in the late 19th and early 20th century and the ways California and federal laws created land ownership barriers for Japanese Americans. Students will learn how the Harada family in Riverside challenged racial housing restrictions and ultimately launched a historic legal court case that reaffirmed the rights of American-born children of immigrants were entitled to all the constitutional guarantees of citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, including land ownership. The lesson plan provides a way to connect local history to national laws like the 1790 Naturalization Act (which excluded non-white immigrants from becoming citizens), the 14th Amendment, and the 1913 CA Land Law.

Curriculum Asian American Civil Rights Ethnic Studies Housing Immigration Riverside