The California Department of Education standards state that fourth-graders in California should be able to "describe the social, political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among people of California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods." This includes being able to describe the Spanish colonization of California, factors in the placement of the missions and how the missions expanded the influence of Spain and Catholicism in the New World. The mission project is a way to make this part of California's history come to life for students.
A map of all of the missions can be found at the californias-missions website (see Resources). Most classes allow students to select their own mission, rather than assigning them. You might want to select a mission near you so that you can actually visit it. Or, if you have a personal connection to or special interest in a specific mission, choose that one. If not, look at pictures of the missions online and see which one you think would be the most interesting to construct.
Unless otherwise specified, the building materials are up to the student. Map the layout of your mission, then decide which materials will work best for you. Missions can be built out of anything: Styrofoam, Popsicle sticks, miniature clay bricks, cardboard or sugar cubes. Plan your layout first, then purchase or find materials. Most classes do not allow the use of mission kits, so if you are considering using one, check with your teacher first to find out if it's okay.
While this project is designed to teach state history, it's also meant to inspire creativity. Once the basic structure of your mission is built, it's up to you how to decorate it. That's one of the benefits of visiting your mission--you can reconstruct such things as gardens, statues or fountains that you saw there. You can also get these details from photographs or use your imagination. Just be sure to keep it realistic and historically accurate.