Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Striking It Rich! Lesson PlanStriking It Rich! Lesson Plan
Publisher
Curated OER
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Lesson Plan

Striking It Rich!

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Striking It Rich! lesson plan also includes:
  • Worksheet
  • Join to access all included materials

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 inquiry-based.

61 Views 98 Downloads
Concepts
the california gold rush, california history, california

Additional Tags

california gold rush, english language arts
Show More Show Less

Resource Details

Grade
5th
Subjects
English Language Arts
5 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
5 days
Instructional Strategy
Project-Based Learning
Technology
Video

See similar resources:

Worksheet

Gold Rush Boomtowns

K12 Reader
The California Gold Rush sparked many people to try for their fortunes and led to the formation of some well-known California cities. Have your class read about the changes that happened and then respond to the five included questions.
4th - 5th English Language Arts
CCSS: Designed
Worksheet

Discrimination Against Gold Rush Immigrants

K12 Reader
Immigration to the US has been a topic of discussion for many years. Inform your class about discrimination against immigrants during the Gold Rush with a short reading passage. After reading, class members answer five questions related...
4th - 5th English Language Arts
CCSS: Designed
Handout

Understanding California

California Historical Society
Here is a beautiful handout through which learners can explore the history of California, from the earliest Europeans to visit the Golden State up through its experiences during the Great Depression and position in the modern...
4th - 8th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

California Gold Rush

Curated OER
Students discover the people who lived in California before and after the gold rush. They use primary source documents to identify how the finding of gold changed the area. They also discover the discrimation that was present during the...
3rd - 5th English Language Arts
PPT

Glory, God and Gold: Voyages and Adventures - America 1500

Curated OER
By providing an in-depth and interesting overview of European exploration in the New World, this presentation would be a wonderful complement to a unit on this topic. The 17 slide presentation is both thought-provoking and informative....
2nd - 7th Social Studies & History
Instructional Video

The California Gold Rush Cartoon 1849 (The Wild West)

Simple History
There's gold in them thar hills! A short cartoon introduces middle schoolers to the California Gold Rush of 1849. The video encourages viewers to dig deeper and mine for a lode of information about gold mining, the 49ers, and the...
2 mins 4th - 8th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

Gold Rush California and its Diverse Population

Curated OER
Students compare contemporary cultural differences with historical differences based on population percentage. In this cross-curriculum Gold Rush/math instructional activity, students analyze aspects of California's Gold Rush population...
5th - 12th Math
Activity

Read Works: Westward Expansion the California Gold Rush

Read Works
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the discovery of gold along the West Coast. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
5th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

California State Parks: Gold Rush

Other
The California State Parks presents a brief unit on the California Gold Rush including three lessons which begin with the westward movement to California for gold, the actual process of mining for gold, then the effects of the rush on...
3rd - 8th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

Census and Gold Rush Town

Curated OER
Students analyze data and form a mental picture of the make up of a gold rush town. They explain social life in a gold rush town. They use online sources to see paintings of camp life and read accounts of miners' lives.
4th - 8th Social Studies & History
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use