Book excerpt: Go back in time to learn more about the Spanish missionaries who came to California in the 1700s and how the mission system shaped California's history. Each book in this series examines a region of California that was greatly influenced by missions. Missions introduced in Southern Coast Missions in California include San Diego de Alcalá, San Juan Capistrano, and San Luis Rey de Francia. In this title, you'll learn about the Native Americans living in the Southern Coast area before missionaries arrived; why missionaries chose this area and what happened when they arrived; how the missionaries designed and built the missions; what daily life was like at the missions; what happened to cause the end of each mission; and what the missions look like today. This series also includes California Mission Projects and Layouts, which provides directions for creating models of missions. Get ready for Exploring California Missions!