Californians: any favorite CA History resources or can't miss field trips?

[jaderbee]

I'm still wired to study CA History in 4th grade. Maybe it's the fond memories or spray painting everything gold for our model Gold Rush Town, playing with clay to make mini adobe homes or visiting the missions. Anyhow, I loved that part of 4th grade and want to give my girls some of the same fun. So for those who have BTDT are there any great resources or field trips you would recommend? TIA

[Ellie]

I'm still wired to study CA History in 4th grade. Maybe it's the fond memories or spray painting everything gold for our model Gold Rush Town, playing with clay to make mini adobe homes or visiting the missions. Anyhow, I loved that part of 4th grade and want to give my girls some of the same fun. So for those who have BTDT are there any great resources or field trips you would recommend? TIA

 

For California history from a Christian POV, my favorite resource is His California Story, by Lesha Myers. Best.California.history.ever. Lesha asked me (and others) to proofread her original manuscript, and I learned so much about California history that is completely different from the public-school variety. Lesha was not from California, and she had not cared for history at all; but when her children were old enough that she thought they should learn state history, she discovered that she didn't care for what she found, and wondered if there was any Christian element to California history. Turns out...:-)

 

When my dc were 9 and 6, we visited all 21 California missions, 18 of them in just a week-long car trip.

 

Never do that!!! :laugh:

 

But really, you should visit as many of the missions as possible, because they are important to California history, and if you can go during a local festivity, that would be even better. You should be able to find that information on-line. (We also watched "Vertigo" with James Stewart, which was filmed on location in San Francisco, and included scenes at Ft. Pt. Mason and Mission Dolores in the City, and at Mission San Juan Bautista further south, but your dc might be too young for that movie.). We enjoyed living history days at Ft. Sutter in Sacramento. And I looked for local (San Diego) history things to do; back in the day I depended on newspapers to find that information, which was interesting, but the Internet will be much more efficient, lol).

[KrissiK]

A couple years ago during our California Studies I read aloud to the kids "Pioneer California" by Margaret Roberts. This was an awesome book. It's got great narratives of the early explorers and the people who built up this state. It had a good section on the Donner party as well. That story was rather grisly, but it was nice to have some background information as to why the group found itself in that predicament.

 

Edited to add: two other favorite fiction books - Blue Willow by Doris Gates (one of my favorite books, ever!) and By the Great Horm Spoon by Sid Fleischman (a fun, fun and entirely unpredictable book)

 

 

Field trips - well, of course the missions(my favorites were San Jaun Bautista, San Luis Obispo, and this one tiny one out in the middle of nowhere kind of near Paso Robles, I can't think of the name right now), take a trip up and down El Camino Real, Monterey (our first capital) has some interesting museums, and of course Sacramento and the Gold Country.

[Ellie]

A couple years ago during our California Studies I read aloud to the kids "Pioneer California" by Margaret Roberts. This was an awesome book. It's got great narratives of the early explorers and the people who built up this state. It had a good section on the Donner party as well. That story was rather grisly, but it was nice to have some background information as to why the group found itself in that predicament.

 

Field trips - well, of course the missions(my favorites were San Jaun Bautista, San Luis Obispo, and this one tiny one out in the middle of nowhere kind of near Paso Robles, I can't think of the name right now), take a trip up and down El Camino Real, Monterey (our first capital) has some interesting museums, and of course Sacramento and the Gold Country.

 

I think that's Mission San Antonio. It's the one that you drive onto/through an Army base, where the guard in the guard shack just sort of waves you on 'cuz you're probably the only car he's seen in the last two hours. :-)

 

Here's a map of all the missions.

[Carol in Cal.]

The mission that seems to retain the most of its original character and surroundings of the ones I have seen is the one in San Juan Bautista.  Go there, and have lunch at La Casa Rosa if possible--it is in a charming old Victorian and serves food that reflects the days of the Californios.  

 

Visit Columbia (near Sonora), a living history town of the Gold Rush.  Especially nice is going during the Columbia Diggins days, which are toward the end of the spring semester every year--that way you can see 49er era mining encampment type stuff in addition to the ca. 1859ish town.  Ride the stagecoach!  Do not miss that!  And you can also pan for gold there.

 

Visit Sutter's Fort in Coloma, near Sacramento, to see where gold was discovered and to visit the bookstore which has an awesome assortment of living history books set in historic California.

 

La Brea Tar Pits in LA has a great exhibit about prehistoric beasts who populated the area.

 

Read Island of the Blue Dolphins, which is based on a true story.

 

When you visit San Francisco, go to Alcatraz, the Sheraton Palace hotel, and the forts.  Visit Coit Tower.  Ride the cable car and go to the cable car museum.  Go to the Chevron headquarters and see the museum of oil.  Oil discovery and refining are a big driver of CA's early modern economy.  While you're in the area, do the nearby Los Trancos Earthquake Walk to learn the local geology of earthquakes.

 

In Santa Clara County visit the Tech Museum and the Computer History Museum to learn about the pioneering work in CA moving technology forward.  And step back a bit in time to visit the Peralta Adobe in San Jose, to see how the early Spanish settlers lived.  

 

 

 

 

 

[SeaConquest]

You might like the Beautiful Feet California pack:

 

http://bfbooks.com/Literature-Packs/California-History-Pack

 

 

[momto2Cs]

Places to go in addition to the missions:

Oakland Museum of California History

State historic parks (which oftentimes have Living History Days)

Sacramento has Gold Rush Days at the end of August

I agree with the San Francisco recommendations, and Sutter's Fort. Placerville also has a really neat mine for touring.

The Petrified Forest in Calistoga is a good field trip too.

 

I made a booklist for CA history once.

 

[clemota]

 

Sacramento has Gold Rush Days at the end of August

 

Gold Rush Days were cancelled in 2014 due to the drought  - the streets in Old Town are covered with dirt for the event; they decided it wasn't worth the water usage to clean them afterwards.  They may offer it again in 2015, but since the drought's worse this year, it doesn't seem likely. 

 

Even if they don't offer it, Old Town Sacramento has some great resources:the California State Railroad Museum, history museum, one-room schoolhouse, etc.  Worth a trip even without Gold Rush Days.  

 

I really liked this site, created by the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center:  I think it does an excellent job of explaining the CA Indian side of the Mission story without being too forceful or guilt-inducing.  It's meant for 4th grade kiddos, so more an explanation from their side without a lot of talk about slavery, bloodshed, etc.  Under the "genocide" video, she makes a comparison of what it would feel like to have your home overtaken by strangers (and the word "genocide" is only used at the very end.)

 

The kids loved the _Dig Into History with California Jones_ videos - we got them from the library through Link+.

[momto2Cs]

Gold Rush Days were cancelled in 2014 due to the drought  - the streets in Old Town are covered with dirt for the event; they decided it wasn't worth the water usage to clean them afterwards.  They may offer it again in 2015, but since the drought's worse this year, it doesn't seem likely. 

 

Even if they don't offer it, Old Town Sacramento has some great resources:the California State Railroad Museum, history museum, one-room schoolhouse, etc.  Worth a trip even without Gold Rush Days.  

 

I really liked this site, created by the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center:  I think it does an excellent job of explaining the CA Indian side of the Mission story without being too forceful or guilt-inducing.  It's meant for 4th grade kiddos, so more an explanation from their side without a lot of talk about slavery, bloodshed, etc.  Under the "genocide" video, she makes a comparison of what it would feel like to have your home overtaken by strangers (and the word "genocide" is only used at the very end.)

 

The kids loved the _Dig Into History with California Jones_ videos - we got them from the library through Link+.

 

Wow, I didn't realize that! They are listed on the Old Sacramento Special Events site, but who knows... they may well end up canceling it. Other good events on that page though.

[Allearia]

We also liked San Juan Batista. It is also next to a state historic park with a lot of artifacts and buildings from later California history, such as a house, hotel, tools, coaches, etc. a lot of history packed into one place.

[KrissiK]

We also liked San Juan Batista. It is also next to a state historic park with a lot of artifacts and buildings from later California history, such as a house, hotel, tools, coaches, etc. a lot of history packed into one place.

And you can look right down on the San Andreas fault. So you've got your geology in there as well!

[jaderbee]

Thank you for all the book recs and field trip suggestions. Looks like we'll be making a trip up north! I love the idea of tying in geology. I really appreciate the links! Thank you!

[momto2Cs]

One more... UC Berkeley has a paleontology museum, and if you make it there, definitely visit the Campanile, which aslo has fossils!

[Sarah0000]

You can tie in Government during a trip to the Capitol. They have a room that is often playing a history video with seating (its usually empty so a good place for quiet snack time). There are paintings of all the Governors hung throughout the wings. You can sit in on some of the public proceedings. The grounds have various memorials, a rose garden, and are just pretty to walk around.

[Sarah0000]

And I can't remember any specific place names, but east of the Sacramento region, in the foothills, are some Native American centers. I remember one that has actual teepees set up, and I think little demonstration centers on cooking and such. There are also some Gold Rush places where you can dig for gold, and a cave you can tour where they mined, I believe.

[rebbyribs]

Thank you all!  I grew up on the East Coast, but my kids are Californians, so we should do some of this stuff!

[justme824]

Great thread :) We plan to tackle California history this year and then plan a road trip around the state as a grand finale. These ideas will help me out!!!

[Ellie]

Useless information for the evening: The California Education Code (§51210–51230) says that California history should be taught somewhere between first and sixth, and again somewhere between seventh and twelfth.

 

Grades 1-6

Social Sciences – Anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology and sociology to fit the maturity of the pupils; foundation for understanding history, resources, development and government of California and the U.S.; American economic system, including entrepreneurs and labor; man’s relations to his human and natural environment; eastern and western cultures and civilizations; contemporary issues.

 

Grades 7–12
(in addition to requirements for grades 1–6)
Social Sciences – American legal system, operation of juvenile and adult criminal justice systems, rights and duties of citizens under the criminal and civil law and the State and Federal Constitutions; human rights issues, with attention to the inhumanity of genocide.

 

You're welcome.

[KrissiK]

And I can't remember any specific place names, but east of the Sacramento region, in the foothills, are some Native American centers. I remember one that has actual teepees set up, and I think little demonstration centers on cooking and such. There are also some Gold Rush places where you can dig for gold, and a cave you can tour where they mined, I believe.

I think you're talking about Columbia. http://www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com

I haven't been there, but a lot of schools take field trips there. And there's also Sutter's Fort, where gold was actually discovered, which is a fun place, too.

[serendipitous journey]

We are reading and narrating the books from the Beautiful Feet California History pack referenced above, which is great for us. 

 

I've also been very happy with California History for Kids -- this we're also doing as a read-a-section and then narrate and discuss, but not doing the projects (A. doesn't want to do them).  There are bits of CA history that the Beautiful Feet books cover lightly or not at all -- Native Californian peoples, Asian immigration to California, Japanese internment during WWII -- and I was uneasy without this addition. 

 

-- thanks to other posters: we haven't really begun our field trips yet, and I am glad to have the suggestions y'all posted!

[jaderbee]

Places to go in addition to the missions:

Oakland Museum of California History

State historic parks (which oftentimes have Living History Days)

Sacramento has Gold Rush Days at the end of August

I agree with the San Francisco recommendations, and Sutter's Fort. Placerville also has a really neat mine for touring.

The Petrified Forest in Calistoga is a good field trip too.

 

I made a booklist for CA history once.

I'm getting DH all excited about taking trips to Sacramento and Northern CA. Thank you for the tips. FYI your booklist came up by invitation only?

[CelticHaiku]

I remember going to the La Brea Tar Pitts for a school field trip (LA area). It is more prehistoric and Native American history. Also, if you are an outdoorsy family go to Yosemite and learn about John Muir. The preservation of the Yosemite Valley had a huge impact on the way the National Parks are operated today. 

[jaderbee]

I remember going to the La Brea Tar Pitts for a school field trip (LA area). It is more prehistoric and Native American history. Also, if you are an outdoorsy family go to Yosemite and learn about John Muir. The preservation of the Yosemite Valley had a huge impact on the way the National Parks are operated today.

We are looking to camp more next year. Great idea! Thanks.

[momto2Cs]

Point Reyes National Seashore is another great place to visit. It has a historical lighthouse, a Miwok village (recreated), archeological sites, etc.

 

One of our favorite, and very quirky, California history books is An Everyday History of Somewhere: Being the True Story of Indians, Deer, Homesteaders, Potatoes, Loggers, Trees, Fishermen, Salmon, and Other Living Things in the Backwoods of Northern California.

[momto2Cs]

Sorry for multiple posts!

[momto2Cs]

Double post!

[momto2Cs]

I'm getting DH all excited about taking trips to Sacramento and Northern CA. Thank you for the tips. FYI your booklist came up by invitation only?

Book list should be back up now!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jaderbee]

Book list should be back up now!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Gillian! I saw you had some Randall A. Reinstedt books in your list. Did you enjoy them? I think I saw a booth about him at CHEA last year and series looked fun.

[shinyhappypeople]

We're getting ready to begin a unit on California history and I'm definitely including the book, Adopted by Indians: A True Story.  It takes place in the mid-19th century and tells a story of the Native tribes in central California. I'm excited because in school all we ever learned about were the Plains and Woodland Indians.   I grew up here (Central California) and I had NO idea Native tribes had once lived in this area.

 

OP, if you end up going to Yosemite -- and you really should, it's magnificent -- take time to explore the Gold country while you're there.  Mariposa has the California State Mineral and Mining Museum, and Columbia is fun.  We go there every year or so.  

[momto2Cs]

Thanks Gillian! I saw you had some Randall A. Reinstedt books in your list. Did you enjoy them? I think I saw a booth about him at CHEA last year and series looked fun.

 

Yes, definitely fun books!

[jaderbee]

For California history from a Christian POV, my favorite resource is His California Story, by Lesha Myers. Best.California.history.ever. Lesha asked me (and others) to proofread her original manuscript, and I learned so much about California history that is completely different from the public-school variety. Lesha was not from California, and she had not cared for history at all; but when her children were old enough that she thought they should learn state history, she discovered that she didn't care for what she found, and wondered if there was any Christian element to California history. Turns out...:-)

 

When my dc were 9 and 6, we visited all 21 California missions, 18 of them in just a week-long car trip.

 

Never do that!!! :laugh:

 

But really, you should visit as many of the missions as possible, because they are important to California history, and if you can go during a local festivity, that would be even better. You should be able to find that information on-line. (We also watched "Vertigo" with James Stewart, which was filmed on location in San Francisco, and included scenes at Ft. Pt. Mason and Mission Dolores in the City, and at Mission San Juan Bautista further south, but your dc might be too young for that movie.). We enjoyed living history days at Ft. Sutter in Sacramento. And I looked for local (San Diego) history things to do; back in the day I depended on newspapers to find that information, which was interesting, but the Internet will be much more efficient, lol).

Ellie, I ordered His California Story. It arrived a few days ago. Wow! It is such a rich resource! I think we could drop our other history plans for the year and just work on Ms. Myers' book and easily have enough history for a year. I enjoy her tone and the flow of the book. His California Story has taught me more about California's history than almost 4 decades of living here. What to do... :)