Rebeca Barba

Professor Resnick
HIS 301-02
March 1, 2016
Historic Monument
The Centinela Adobe is located in Inglewood and was built in the early 1800s. It is now a
historical site, known as the birthplace of Inglewood. Before I visited the Centinela Adobe, I was
expecting a large area that was dedicated to the site. No one that I knew had visited or even heard
of this place, so I never heard anything from other visitors. I went in with no previous ideas of
what it would be like. It was difficult to find because it was in a residential area. It was in a
neighborhood, with houses next door. I thought there would might be a park surrounding it, but it
was much like a similar house, only with a larger yard. I was surprised, but still excited to see
what was inside. It was a normal house, filled with furniture from the 19th and 20th century. The
tour guide revealed the significance of every piece of furniture and all the paintings on the wall.
To prepare my students one week before going, I would have them learn about ranchos,
Mexican land grants, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The tour guide went over these
topics, so it would be good for the students to know about it ahead of time. An activity so the
students could learn this information would be to have students get into groups and have them
read an article about the Mexican land grants and the effect of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
They can summarize the main points and discuss how the Treaty affected the landowners.
In addition, I would have students learn about the agriculture of the Centinela Adobe.
There was a section during the tour on how Daniel Freeman, the last owner of the Centinela
Adobe, grew barley on this land, despite people believing he would fail. 1883 was not a good
year for farming, due to rain and winds in Los Angeles. Daniel Freeman converted to dry
farming, and, as a result, The season just past, one of the driest this ranch has ever experienced,

has shown conclusively what can be accomplished.1 I can have a lesson with the students about
agricultural in different environments. The students can then analyze why certain crops, like
barley, thrive in dry environments.
This fieldtrip would fit into the history curriculum when we are learning about the MexicanAmerican War. The Centinela Adobe was built in 1833 and the war was in 1846-1848. It is
important because before the war, the Centinela Adobe was a part of Mexico. After the war, it
became a part of the United States. The students will be able to ask about the impact that the war
had on the landowners. They could see, firsthand, how the war changed everything around for
those that lived in the area that used to be Mexico. The owner during this time, could no longer
afford the ranch, so he had to sell it. The students could come up with questions about the impact
of the war, if they learn it before visiting the Centinela Adobe.
If the students needed to wait for the tour to begin, there are several activities that they
can do. They would be waiting in the yard area, so they are able to see the outside of the house.
The students could get into groups of five and take turns inventing a part of a story, pretending
like they live there. They could talk about what they do during their day, the plants they grow, or
the animals they have. Also, students can have a scavenger hunt worksheet. It could be about the
tour, but it could also include some things to check off before the tour begins. One example
would be Find a plant that you would like to have at your house or Look for one item that you
would find in another century. This could get the kids excited to start seeing outside of what
they normally see every day.
The Centinela Adobe is a perfect place for students to have activities based on Blooms
Taxonomy and multiple intelligences. The first activity would be from knowledge of Blooms
1 Centinela Crops: This Years Work on a Los Angeles Rancho. Los Angeles Times,
August 17, 1883.

Taxonomy. During the tour, students will pay attention to who has owned the house in the past,
and identify 3 previous owners of the Centinela Adobe. The second activity would be based on
the comprehension skill of Blooms taxonomy. Students will pick one room of the house to
summarize and describe the furniture and decorations. The third activity would be from
application on Blooms Taxonomy. Students will relate one piece of furniture in the Centinela
Adobe to something they have at home and discuss how they are similar. The fourth activity
would combine analysis from Blooms taxonomy and logical from multiple intelligences. While
on tour, the student will ask about the types of progress the owners had in technology. They will
compare and contrast the technology that was used in the Centinela Adobe with what is used
today. The fifth activity is from synthesis of Blooms Taxonomy. Students will be asked to
imagine that the people who built the Centinela Adobe were alive today. Students will write
about if they were to build a new house, predict what types of materials they would use that are
the same or different from the ones they used originally.
Additionally, the sixth activity will be from evaluation of Blooms Taxonomy and
Intrapersonal from multiple intelligence. Students should evaluate the importance of maintaining
historical sites for the community. Then, they will think of one place that they enjoy going that
they believe should be a historical site. The students will write a reflection proving that this place
should be a historical site, and be sure to include reasons why. The seventh activity is combining
bodily and interpersonal, both from multiple intelligences. Students will get into groups of 3-4,
and come up with an activity/game that they would have enjoyed doing with friends if they were
children during the time the Centinela Adobe was built. The eighth activity is from musical of
multiple intelligences. While on the tour, students will ask about what type of music the previous
owners listened to or if they played any instruments. Once they get home, they will research

what they found and bring the information to the class the next day. The ninth activity will be for
spatial of multiple intelligences. Students will design their own bedroom as if it were a room in
the Centinela Adobe, and draw a picture of what it would look like. The final activity is from
linguistic of multiple intelligence. Students will create a journal describing what a day in the
Centinela Adobe would be like, remember to include what they would do in the morning, how
they would cook, how the dining room would be set up for dinner, etc.
Once the students have finished their fieldtrip and gone back to class, there should be a
follow-up activity. A good follow-up activity would be to write a journal assignment about their
experience at the Centinela Adobe. I would have certain points on the board that they would have
to include in their journal, including to state three facts that they learned during the tour, name
one thing that they found the most interesting, and to write about someone who they are going to
talk to about the fieldtrip that they went to. This way the students will be able to reflect on what
they learned. They will also think about discussing the fieldtrip with someone they know, which
will help them retain the information they learned.