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Manifest Destiny
Complete with maps, photographs, and historical documents, this presentation would be a great resource throughout a unit about mid-19th century America. Manifest Destiny, Texas Independence, the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican War are all...
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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 They study historical documents and participate in a variety of hands-on activities designed to reinforce the concept of the lesson.
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California Here We Come!
Young scholars, 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.
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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.
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How is Gold Found in the Ground?
Fourth graders participate in a series of activities designed to simulate mining for gold. They pan for "gold" and create a safe tunnel.
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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.
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Grade 6 Reading and Writing Assessment
In this grade 6 reading and writing learning exercise, students complete an assessment. Students read the poems and essays about the Gold Rush and complete the essay questions on the lines provided.
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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.
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Mystery State #26
In this mystery state activity, students answer five clues to identify the state in question. They then locate that state on a map.
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Gold Rush Word Scramble
In this Gold Rush worksheet, students unscramble words/phrases to make new words connected with the Gold Rush. Worksheet includes link to additional activities.
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Introducing The Cariboo Gold Rush
Students demonstrate appreciation of contributions of Aboriginal peoples, the French, and the British to the development of Canada and explain how supply and demand are affected by population and the availability of resources. They then...
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The Brief American Pageant: Renewing the Sectional Struggle
A panorama of the mid-19th century in America, this series of images present several issues that were prevalent before the Civil War. Territorial and social conflicts were heated during this time, and one map in particular shows a...
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"All We Want Is an Equal Chance, an Open Field, and a Fair Fight"
Young scholars investigate the California Gold Rush. In this California history lesson, students analyze images, letters, and documents from the era to discover information about the events and social conditions spurred by the Gold Rush....
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Follow The Road to Riches
Students examine the various events occurring at the time of the Gold Rush. They see archival photographs and hear historians talk about this era. They create a time line in order to facilitate thinking about this region during the...
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Foreign Miners
Students examine primary source documents from miners who went to California in the search of gold. They compare and contrast the letters they read and discuss what types of discrimination still exists today.
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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...
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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....
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San Francisco Explodes
Students investigate why San Francisco grew so quickly during the Gold Rush. They
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Decision-Making Scenerios
Eleventh graders review what they have gathered on the Gold Rush and how the Native Americans lived in the Plains. Using a worksheet, they choose one scenerio they would have liked to be a part of and write their opionions about it...
San Francisco Symphony
By the Great Horn Spoon!
By The Great Horn Spoon is a fantastic novel for introducing learners to life during the California Gold Rush. First, kids research and analyze American folk songs, then they connect to the text as they listen to symphonic pieces written...
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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.
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Follow the Road to Riches
Learners study the story of gold and silver mining in the San Juan region. Through the use of interactive video and the Internet, they will examine the various events occurring at this time. They create a timeline highlighting the major...
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Early American History
US history classes will enjoy the challenge of a cut-and-paste activity in which they put various historical events in chronological order. The worksheet provides space for learners to write details about each event, which could be...
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The Gam Saan Adventure- Are You Willing to Risk it?
Students explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power, tracing the transformation of the California economy and its development since the 1850's.