Gold Mountain: Real Gold or Fool's Gold

The California Gold Rush was not just an opportunity for the male gold miners sifting for shiny nuggets. Small groups read accounts of the ways women took advantage of the influx of workers to run hotels, bake pies, and wading out into...

Inquiry, investigation, and research are the hallmarks of a lesson that asks class members to examine a variety of primary and secondary sources about the Alaskan gold rushes. Groups then present their findings in the form of a play, a...

Why are US dollars no longer backed by gold and silver? What is our medium of exchange, and what would it be like to live in a barter economy? Learners consider these questions, as well as learn about the major historical events in the...

Take your class back to the New West and the times of the Gold Rush, with a great slide show. They'll find wonderful images and lots of easy-to-read informational text describing everything from boom towns to The Battle of Little Big...

Sal further ponders the meaning of wealth in this video, which explores the values of gold, land, and money. Touching on Adam's Smith's definition of wealth, the presentation discusses the philosophy of utility and what different media...

Why carry around a heavy suitcase full of gold when you can write a check to your neighbor in the village? Sal's village banks flourishes in this video with the introduction of checks, demonstrating how a check essentially works. While...

Viewers learn about the value of liquidity and solvency in this video, which addresses not natural science but banking and finance. Sal explains the value of solvency for a bank, and how it relates to the process of making and receiving...

Students compare contemporary cultural differences with historical differences based on population percentage. In this cross-curriculum Gold Rush/math lesson, students analyze aspects of California's Gold Rush population and diversity...

Students research gold leafing techniques and the history of gold artifacts in this three-day introductory lesson provided by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Emphasis is placed on group research and presentation.

Using a variety of online resources, learners study life and society in California during the gold rush. They use a map to identify area where gold was located, explore pre-selected websites, describe mining practices, and create an...