Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Times and Life During the California Gold Rush

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read about the era in their history books, write in their journals revolving around the Gold Rush, making crafts such as newspapers, and also play the part of the Forty-niners.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

California's Golden History: 1848-1880

For Teachers 11th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Integrated Lesson Plan

For Teachers 4th - 5th
An ambitious and engaging lesson on the Westward Movement for your students to enjoy! Groups of learners rotate between learning tasks such as learning about the Chislom Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the Gold Rush. A WebQuest is also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gold Rush

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars identify the routes involved in the Gold Rush on a map. In this map skills lesson, students use a United States map to locate the routes used to travel to California during the Gold Rush. Young scholars demonstrate how to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Traveling to the Gold Rush

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research the experiences the people who traveled to California during the Gold Rush by land and sea. They create a map showing the various routes that individuals took to get to California. Students explain the...
Unit Plan
Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo History Museum: Curriculum Guide

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Learn about the California Gold Rush from an institution that has been in place since the early days of the American West: Wells Fargo History Museum. From domain-specific vocabulary review to group research projects, an expansive packet...
Lesson Plan
Mathematics Assessment Project

Maximizing Area: Gold Rush

For Teachers 7th Standards
Presenting ... the gold standard for a lesson. Learners first investigate a task maximizing the area of a plot for gold prospecting. They then examine a set of sample student responses to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
Interactive
University of Richmond

The Overland Trails 1840-1860

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What led Americans to head west in the 1800s? Using an interactive map and journals from those who traveled, pupils explore the stories of those who migrated. In addition, they see how the numbers fluctuated in response to the push-pull...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

A Day in the Life of a San Francisco Native Animal

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gold Rush -- Lesson 4

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students continue their examination of the Gold Rush in California. In groups, they use a map to examine the original sites of the towns and what happened to them. They work together to create a brochure for one of the towns and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baltimoreans in the California Gold Rush

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the reasons for migration to California during the Gold Rush.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders read letters about the opportunities and obstacles people faced.  Students create a map of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boom Town/Gold Rush

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners discover the history of California by researching the Gold Rush.  In this economics history instructional activity, students participate in a class discussion about the book Boom Town, and the value of gold in...
PPT
Curated OER

The Brief American Pageant: Renewing the Sectional Struggle

For Teachers 9th - 11th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Klondike Fever

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students consider the geographical aspects of the gold rush. In this gold lesson, students research just what gold is and where it has been found. Students create maps that highlight the regions of the world where gold has been...
Worksheet
Curated OER

California- Gold Fever

For Students 4th - 5th
In this Gold Rush worksheet, learners read a one page article with pictures and maps pertaining to the Gold Rush in California in 1949. Students then answer 4 essay questions.
PPT
Missouri University of science & Technology

General Overview History of the Panama Canal

For Students 10th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Traveling/Mapping

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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.
PPT
Curated OER

Manifest Destiny

For Teachers 8th - 11th
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...
Lesson Plan
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?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
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.     
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mystery State #26

For Students 4th - 6th
In this mystery state worksheet, students answer five clues to identify the state in question. They then locate that state on a map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introducing The Cariboo Gold Rush

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The News Spreads

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students examine ethnicity and the Gold Rush. In this lesson on the Gold Rush, students research the different ethnic groups present at the Gold Rush. Students will work in groups to answer questions concerning ethnicity and fill out an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How is Gold Found in the Ground?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders participate in a series of activities designed to simulate mining for gold. They pan for "gold" and create a safe tunnel.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heading West

For Teachers 4th - 5th
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...