Curated OER
Gold Rush Abolitionists: How different was the role of Spanish-speaking blacks under Mexican rule from the role of English-speaking blacks under U.S. rule?
Students determine how Spanish-speaking blacks and English speaking blacks were treated differently. In this emancipation lesson plan, students compare the Mexican and American rules regarding slavery.
Curated OER
the World Rushed In: "Who Are These People? And How Came They Here?"
Students discuss the struggles Californians dealt with regarding diversity brought about by the Gold Rush. They participate in a variety of creative, original activities and projects designed to reinforce the idea of historical diversity...
Curated OER
California Here We Come!
Students, in groups, explore the impac the Gold Rush immigration had on the culture of California. They write a newspaper article from the 1850s identifying immigrant groups to California during the Gold Rush era.
Curated OER
The Adventure Begins: "Boys I Believe I Have Found a Gold Mine!"
Learners view and discuss historical documents regarding Native Americans and Californians prior to the gold rush in the 1940's. They complete a variety of activities designed to show what they have learned from these sources and class...
Curated OER
Striking It Rich!
Fifth graders explore the California Gold Rush. They explore the lure of gold and the Wild West, how pioneers traveled to the West, and the hardships and people they encountered along the way. Activities be authentic, hands-on, and...
Curated OER
Skagway: Gateway to the Klondike
Students explore the impact of the Klondike Gold Rush on the development of Skagway, Alaska. Lesson can be used in units on western expansion, late 19th and early 20th-century commerce, and urban history.
Curated OER
Rancho San Pedro
Students perform 15 different activities in order to investigate what life on a rancho in California was like in the 1800's.
Curated OER
Motivational Introduction to the California Gold Rush
Fourth graders download pictures and write script for narration as they create a KidPix slide show to introduce the study of the California Gold Rush.
Curated OER
Yukon Gold Rush
Seventh graders explore the background information for the book, Call of the Wild. They use electronic and video resources to establish the background. Students discuss the poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and the Yukon Gold Rush.
Curated OER
Gold Fever
Young scholars read the story Gold Fever about the Gold Rush and write journal entries as if they were miners. In this Gold Rush lesson plan, students also pull out rocks from a back, and if they pick a gold one, they have struck it rich!
Curated OER
Days of '49: "I've Been Toiling Hard for the Last Two And a Half Years"
Students trace the stages of gold mining in California. They discuss the life of a gold miner and how the discovery of gold influenced towns and cities in California during the 1949 Gold Rush.
Curated OER
History Detectives
Fifth graders investigate the significant events in America's history. Students listen to a variety of books based on significant historical events in America. Students divide into 6 groups, each of which is responsible for researching...
Curated OER
Heritage: Seeking Land or Gold
Middle schoolers write a persuasive letter home defending their decision either to settle in Utah and farm the land, or to go on to California to seek gold. They analyze a problem, make a decision, and write a letter defending their choice.
Curated OER
Getting There: "Do You Want To Go To California?"
Young scholars, in groups, participate in a variety of activities regarding the rise of Anglo-American immigration in the 1840s and its impact upon California. They discuss immigration from the West and the East as it influenced the...
Curated OER
Narrative History - Hypertext Dialogues
Students create scripts about California settlers. The document reflects the settlers' fears, expectations, and realizations.
Curated OER
Legacies of El Dorado
Students explore the development of urban California as it was driven by the Gold Rush boom. They study historical documents and participate in a variety of hands-on activities designed to reinforce the concept of the lesson.
Curated OER
Ethnic Family Life
Eleventh graders examine the impact of the gold rush on different cultures. In this American History lesson, 11th graders examine the reasons for ethnic diversity in the west.
Curated OER
Heading West
Students study the concept of the westward expansion. In this exploration of the western U.S. lesson, students participate in different activities that explain economic hardships, jobs, and land opportunities. Students describe...
Curated OER
San Francisco Explodes
Learners investigate why San Francisco grew so quickly during the Gold Rush. They
Curated OER
Traveling/Mapping
Students examine routes to gold. In this California gold rush lesson, students map land and water routes to California. Students use maps to copy the routes that they want to market to gold diggers.
Curated OER
A Dollar Goes A Long Way
Investigate life along the Old Spanish Trail! They visit websites and identify the history and environment. They create journals, dramatic enactments, and maps to discover the role individuals played in society. They also explore the...
Curated OER
California-Becoming an Agricultural and Insustrial Power
Fourth graders explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power. They trace the transformation of the California economy in its political and cultural development since the 1850's.
Curated OER
The Gam Saan Adventure- Are You Willing to Risk it?
Middle schoolers explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power, tracing the transformation of the California economy and its development since the 1850's.
Curated OER
Go West Young Man#148
Students determine the difference between immigration and emigration. They read and listen to books about emigration westward during the Gold Rush years. They examine life in Gold Rush towns while determining why gold is so valuable....