California Homeschool: Books to Use for 4th Grade Study of California History

For those homeschoolers in California who choose to follow the education standards framework of the state, 4^th Grade is a time to cover California history. A significant portion of California history is that which applies to California's Native Americans. There are some great books to help any homeschooling parent cover a lot of California's most interesting history content pertaining to Native Americans with their children. If you'll be diving into a study of California history in your homeschool this year, check your local library for these very helpful books when getting ready to learn about California's early Native Americans.

California Indians - Part of The First Americans series, this book is authored by C.L. Keyworth and is copyrighted 1991. This book contains a great collection of color and black & white photos of various California Native Americans, the types of homes they lived in throughout the state, and the baskets and jewelry they handcrafted.

Life of the California Coast Nations - This book has a copyright date of 2005, and was written by Bobbie Kalman. Filled with artist renditions of the daily life and traditions of Native Americans who lived along the California coast, the format and text content of this book makes it an appropriate read for a 4^th grader to handle on their own.

Native Ways - A collection of stories and memories specific to California Native Americans, this book is a great one for a homeschooling parent to read with their 4^th grader. Copyright date of 1995.

California Indian Days - This book is the earliest on this list, with a copyright date of 1963. Written by Helen Bauer, California Indian Days is heavy on the text, but contains a ton of great information, much of which is left out of the others on this list. Rather than just providing an overview of California Native American life, this book has a great deal of very specific information that the more recently published ones lack. Definitely worth using in a study of California Native American history if you can get your hands on a copy.

California Native Peoples - Part of the Heineman State Studies series, California Native Peoples is another book that would be appropriate for a 4^th grader to handle on their own. With pertinent vocabulary words bolded throughout and included in the glossary, this book reads much like a traditional public school text. This book contains some much more truthful information than some, and doesn't shy away from describing how specific California politicians actually set out to exterminate California Native Americans. Many homeschooling parents will appreciate that about this book.

Learning about California Native Americans is worthwhile, and important if a solid understanding of the origins of the state is desired. Most, if not all, of these titles should be available in your local library system.