California is split into four regions: the coastal region, the Central Valley, the mountain region, and the desert region. Its unique geography means that Californians can go surfing and skiing—all on the same day! This primary source reader will introduce students to California's diverse geography. Primary sources help students achieve literacy in social studies by teaching them how to investigate and reflect on various social, economic, cultural, and geographical topics. This text integrates social studies content and literacy, and will engage students while enriching content-area instruction. Important text features include a glossary, index, captions, sidebars, and table of contents to increase understanding and build academic vocabulary. This leveled text offers instructional opportunities to guide students to increased fluency and comprehension of nonfiction text and is aligned to the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) and other national and state standards. The Read and Respond activity immerses students in the content through diverse, engaging activities related to the content. Outline It! extends learning outside of the classroom with an activity that students can respond to at school or home. Explore California with this engaging grade 4 book!