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...
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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...
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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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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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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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Grade 6 Reading and Writing Assessment
In this grade 6 reading and writing worksheet, 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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THE GAM SAAN ADVENTURE ARE YOU WILLING TO RISK IT?
Fourth graders study the lasting influence of the Pony Express, Overland Mail Service, Western Union, and the building of the transcontinental railroad, including the contributions of Chinese workers to its construction. They explore 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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Gold Fever
Learners 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!
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Gold Fever
In this reading worksheet, young scholars answer 10 multiple-choice questions about the book. For example, "Why did John Sutter ask James Marshall to keep the gold a secret?"
K12 Reader
Call of the Wild
Using a paragraph from Jack London's Call of the Wild, readers demonstrate their ability to identify the main idea and supporting ideas in a passage.
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Narrative History - Hypertext Dialogues
Students create scripts about California settlers. The document reflects the settlers' fears, expectations, and realizations.
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"Go West, Young Man!"
Students examine reasons why people migrated west. They describe how the geography of the U.S. changed in the 19 th century and design a PowerPoint presentation to convey factors for westward expansion.
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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.
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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...
Central Bucks School District
Making Generalizations
Being able to recognize patterns, craft generalizations, and draw conclusions based on information in a text passage are essential critical thinking skills. Encourage learners to hone these skills with a learning exercise that asks them...
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Values and Beliefs of Manifest Destiny
Fourth graders examine the beliefs of Manifest Destiny and its role in the California Gold Rush. They analyze a painting to gather information about Manifest Destiny.
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The California Gold Rush:
Learners complete an Internet treasure hunt designed to give them practice in using Internet resources.
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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
Learners 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...
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Links to the Past
Learners use documents from California As I Saw It: First Person Narratives, 1849-1900 , in American Memory to create a script depicting the motivations, expectations, fears, and realizations of immigrants who settled California between...
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This Great Enterprise”: Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal
Young scholars explore the implications of the "Great Enterprise." In this Panama Canal lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding President Teddy Roosevelt and Panama Canal. Young scholars respond...
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Riding the Pony Express
Fourth graders list the four W's of the Pony Express. They also write an article about Buffalo Bill Cody and discuss the important facts about the Pony Express.