33rd Annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest

2017 Theme:  "Native Californians: Food Lessons Learned From the Past and Applications to Today"

The Los Altos Historical Commission and the Los Altos History Museum are co-sponsoring the 33rd annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest, open to third- through sixth-graders who live in the area and/or attend local schools.

The Los Altos History Museum's current exhibit, “Seaweed, Salmon, and Manzanita Cider: A California Indian Feast,” explores traditional California Indian food sources and their extensive system of environmental knowledge underlying their use of food resources. The exhibit highlights the importance and continuing use of native foods in current California Indian communities. It also examines contemporary issues of eating locally grown foods, sustainability, nutrition, and environmental health. Foods important in the lives of Native Californians include fish, shellfish, seaweed, meat, vegetables, berries, fruits, flowers, nuts, seeds, and salt.

The deadline to submit essays is March 3. Public school students should submit their entries to Los Altos School District teachers. For the detailed essay prompt, click here. For general instructions, click here. For the essay rubric, click here. For the cover page, click here.

For more information, visit losaltoshistory.org.