Get Free Access for 10 Days!
Instructional Video

The California Gold Rush Cartoon 1849 (The Wild West)

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

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 businessmen who struck it rich.

66 Views 46 Downloads
Concepts
the california gold rush, cartooning, editorial cartoons, political cartoons, the wild west, gold, gold mining
Show More Show Less
Additional Tags
social studies
Show More Show Less
Instructional Ideas
  • Use the video to introduce and encourage research into the California Gold Rush, gold mining, and businessmen like Levi Strauss
Classroom Considerations
  • The video ends with an ad asking viewer to sign up for the Simple History: Wild West Today series
  • Show the video in full-screen mode to avoid inappropriate comments
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • The narrator's accent is sure to engage young viewers
Cons
  • The video is an overview and lacks specific details