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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation AreaThe Tarantula can be seen crossing fields and trails as the evening sun sets over Cheeseboro Canyon.
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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Struggle and Opportunity:
A California Cultural Journey
The traveling trunks contain items that will help students  gain a better understanding of the history and cultures of people living in the Santa Monica Mountains Area.
3rd through 5th Grade
Teacher-led Traveling Trunk Program



This Cultural Heritage program is a teacher-led traveling trunk program that compares and contrasts past cultural periods that existed in Southern California and in the Santa Monica Mountains area.  Students learn the concept and definition of culture and apply this knowledge to Chumash or Gabrielino/Tongva culture (depending on school location), and discover how these cultures changed with the introduction of the 19th century Spanish/Mexican cultures and the mission and rancho periods.  This program is especially suited to 4th and 5th grade students.  Interested teachers check out one or two trunks from one of 3 locations.  One trunk contains Native American material representing Chumash and Gabrielino/Tongva peoples and the other trunk contains material that represents the Spanish influence during the Mission and Rancho periods. The Native American trunk meets curriculum needs for 3rd grade teachers and their students.

Meets the following California Benchmarks:

Language, visual arts, and social studies, including California history and Native American cultures.


For The Chumash: A Changing People, A Changing Land, or Struggle & Opportunity: A California Cultural Journey Traveling Trunk program contact us at 805-370-2348, FAX 805-499-1098.   

The adult female of this cub died in 2005.  

Did You Know?
A study that began in 2002 reveals a lion and his offspring are surviving in the Santa Monica Mountains. Radio collars track them crossing roads and navigating through open spaces. Their future is uncertain, but with conservation efforts, they may continue to make these mountains their home.

Last Updated: September 24, 2008 at 20:55 EST