Curated OER
The Adventure Begins: "Boys I Believe I Have Found a Gold Mine!"
Pupils view and discuss historical documents regarding Native Americans and Californians prior to the gold rush in the 1940's. They complete a variety of activities designed to show what they have learned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
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.
Annenberg Foundation
Masculine Heroes
What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...
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, students compare the Mexican and American rules regarding slavery.
Curated OER
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.
DocsTeach
Reasons for Westward Expansion
"Go West, young man!" is a familiar refrain in American history. But why did people leave their homes in the East to travel westward and what impact did that movement have on people already living in the American West? By examining...
Curated OER
A Timely Occupation
In this Gold Rush worksheet, students fill out a chart for the job or business, the products or services provided, what we have today, and the services it provides. Students complete this for 14 jobs during the Gold Rush.
Curated OER
Klondike Fever
Middle schoolers consider the geographical aspects of the gold rush. For this gold lesson, students research just what gold is and where it has been found. Middle schoolers create maps that highlight the regions of the world...
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
Call of The Wild
Prompt your class to interact with Jack London's Call of the Wild. By analyzing the events in the novel, middle schoolers discover how human experiences create who a person becomes. They critique and analyze the reading, focusing on...
Missouri University of science & Technology
General Overview History of the Panama Canal
Called the Eight Wonder of the World by some and the Big Ditch by others, the Panama Canal is indeed an engineering marvel. The long, complicated, and sometimes controversial history of the canal is captured in a presentation loaded with...
Curated OER
Chinese Immigration in the Mid-19th Century
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Chinese immigration lesson, students research the Chinese immigration between 1850 and 1882.
Curated OER
the World Rushed In: "Who Are These People? And How Came They Here?"
High schoolers 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...
Curated OER
Getting There: "Do You Want To Go To California?"
Students, 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 culture of...
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
"All We Want Is an Equal Chance, an Open Field, and a Fair Fight"
Students 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....
Curated OER
Understanding Cause and Effect
Identify the author's organizational pattern for expressing ideas. After reading an article on the California Gold Rush, middle schoolers determine the author's purpose for writing a passage of informational text. A full list of...
California Academy of Science
A Day in the Life of a San Francisco Native Animal
Before Google, before Sillicon Valley, before the Gold Rush, the San Francisco landscape was a biome filled with grizzly bears, mule deer, tule elk, coyotes, gray fox, gophers, and moles. To explore the early days of yesteryear, kids...
Teachnology
Westward Expansion Vocabulary
Here is a nice set of worksheets that your kids can use while studying the fascinating period of Westward Expansion in the United States. Types of worksheets include a vocabulary quiz, acrostic poem handout, reading comprehension,...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: August 2011
Using primary source documents, pupils consider how the United States' democratic story has evolved over time. A second essay question examines the role of geography in history, and multiple-choice questions sharpen test-taking skills.
Curated OER
Legacies of El Dorado
Young scholars 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 activity.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Heritage: Seeking Land or Gold
Students 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.
K12 Reader
Traveling to the Distant West
If you build it they can come. After reading a short article about the impact of western expansion, middle schoolers cite evidence from the article to explain how this expansion forced changes in transportation.