COLLECTION #41: Vintage California Social Studies Textbooks

California fourth graders have been studying California history as a big part of their Social Studies curriculum for decades.  A big part of that history is learning about the California Missions, and their effects on the state and its culture. Lots of us have no memory of the fourth grade except for building a model of one of the missions as our big Social Studies project. I can still remember mine: the San Luis Obispo Mission, built in 1772.  Back when I was in the 4th grade, we built our models from plaster of paris, or cardboard, or salt dough, or clay... today you can go to Michael's and buy a pre-cut scale model, complete with faux tile and miniature trees. But I digress! 

I have a number of California textbooks, dating from the 30s to the 60s. I remember clearly my own book, or actually books... there were two books that we studied that year: California Yesterdays, and Our California Today.

Generally, these books have a lot of fairly boring photos of things like crops in the Central Valley and the port of San Pedro, but some of the older ones have lovely illustrations.  I hope you enjoy my little collection!