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This is a faithful reproduction of the Spanish-built presidio in Santa Barbara from 1786, created by a grad student named Shelly Long from Cal State Northridge. The buildings are beautifully done, but the rooms are mostly empty. It is worth the trip to see the chapel. It's interior is very detailed including intricate artwork, wooden furniture, and lighted candles. You can even kneel at a prayer bench and recite the Lord's prayer! I picked up a free set of archaelogist's tools. Young students might enjoy this exposure to a piece of early California history, following up with internet research into the lives of the people who lived here, including their lifestyle and sustenance.

I agree with Robert this is a great way for students to be exposed to a piece of California history. I'm wondering if there are more presidios or missions just like this? I enjoyed the aesthetics of this simulations too. It is very well done with lots of interesting details, such as the burning fireplace. The local radio music however, was a tad annoying. I'd like to have seen a few interactive opportunities included, such as creating notecards that outline "what you've learned".

My design document included an idea of connecting my senior students in Multicultural Literature class to students in another part of the country or even another part of the world. The goal of the class is to learn about other cultures and SL allows teachers to collaborate with other teachers to do this--inexpensively. The link above is to an article entitled "Student Exchange, Without the Jet Lag: Educational Collaboration in a Virtual World." The article details how students in Modesto, California connect with students in Kyoto, Japan -- it's called the Pacific Rim Exchange. They meet in Teen Second Life on a group of private islands. Eventually, these students will meet in person, however, they get to know each other virtually before they do.