Teacher Resources for California Gold Rush

Summary: Students will examine the economic, social, and political life in California from the Gold Rush to the granting of statehood. They will accomplish this using a variety of resources: literature, journals, videos, a field-trip, a simulation, and a WebQuest. Standard(s): 4.3 Students explain the economic, social, and political life in California from the establishment of the Bear Flag Republic through the Mexican-American War, the Gold Rush, and the granting of statehood. 1. Identify the locations of Mexican settlements in California and those of other settlements, including Fort Ross and Sutter's Fort. 2. Compare how and why people traveled to California and the routes they traveled (e.g., James Beckwourth, John Bidwell, John C. Fremont, Pio Pico). 3. Analyze the effects of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life, politics, and the physical environment (e.g., using biographies of John Sutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Louise Clapp). 4. Study the lives of women who helped build early California (e.g., Biddy Mason). 5. Discuss how California became a state and how its new government differed from those during the Spanish and Mexican periods. Big Ideas: 1. Students will understand that the Gold Rush caused significant immigration and migration which resulted in major social and cultural changes to our state. 2. Students will understand that pioneers who came to California displayed great ingenuity and courage in overcoming obstacles to realize their dreams. 3. Students will understand that the Gold Rush had major political and environmental implications for California. Essential Questions: 1. How and why did men and women come to California? 2. Who were the key individuals in California during the Gold Rush and why did they prosper while others did not? 3. Were immigrants treated fairly? 4. How did the government of California change after the Gold Rush? 5. When is destruction of the environment justified? Knowledge and skills students will acquire as a result of this unit: 1. Students will be able to identify and locate specific settlements pertaining to the Gold Rush: Sutter's Fort, Coloma, Sacramento, and San Francisco. 2. Students will be able to identify the routes that people traveled (both land and sea), and the hardships they encountered when coming to California. 3. Students will know how California became a state and how its new government differed from those during the Spanish and Mexican periods. 4. Students will be able to describe the lives of the men and women who helped build early California (e.g., James Beckwourth, John Bidwell, John C. Fremont, Pio Pico, John Sutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Brannan, Louise Clapp, and Biddy Mason). 5. Students will be able to explain what motivated people to come to California (e.g., natural resources, land, the new frontier) and the impact they had on the environment (erosion of the land and deforestation). 6. Students will know that in the 1850's, women and immigrants were discriminated against and did not enjoy the same opportunities as whites (e.g., couldn't vote, couldn't own land, gold was taxed, excluded from some mining camps). 7. Students will understand the "myth of wealth" (most miners did not become wealthy). 8. Students will understand the cause and effect of supply and demand during the Gold Rush (e.g., Levi's, tools, food, laundry). Assessment      1. Performance Task Letter Home: Directions to students: The year is 1850. You are one of seven immigrants living in a tent in a mining camp. Write a friendly letter home to a loved one. Select a location for your camp (e.g., Rough and Ready, Hangtown), then describe the physical environment. Tell about a typical day. Include such information as: How are you being treated by white people? Are you being treated fairly? Have you been successful? Did you strike it rich? How much do products and food cost in California? Is there law and order where you live? Students will assume the role of immigrants in a mining camp. Their task is to write a friendly letter back home describing the daily life, politics, and physical environment of a particular location in California. Evaluation: This assignment will be measured in terms of:  historical accuracy, thoroughness in answering the questions, insight and creativity, clear and effective communication, and written conventions.   See rubrics. 2. Performance Task Great Expectations Posters: Directions to students:  Your job is to create two informational posters. Poster #1 will depict the expectations of gold-seekers. Include a colored map, with legend, that shows the land and sea routes to California. Also include colored illustrations and text that describe dreams of great riches and the adventure of land or sea travel. Poster #2 will depict the typical experiences of many gold-seekers. Include colored illustrations and text that describe the hardships of travel on both land and sea and the broken dreams of many gold-seekers versus the success of some. Evaluation: This assignment will be measured in terms of: historical accuracy, thoroughness in answering the questions, insight and creativity, clear and effective communication, written conventions, neatness and balance between text and illustrations.  See Rubrics for Great Expectations Posters 3. Performance Task WebQuest:  Tales of the California Gold Rush As a result of this webquest, students will complete two tasks: (1) role-play one of the men or women who had an impact on building early California; (2) and maintain a journal describing the journey to California. 4. Performance Prompt California: A Changing State Students use Venn diagrams to compare and contrast the Spanish, Mexican, and United States governments in California. Evaluation: This graphic organizer will be assessed based on historical accuracy, understanding of content, creativity, clarity and neatness.   See Rubrics for California: Changing State.   5. Selected Response/Short-answer test/quiz Gold Rush: Language of the Discipline: Given a list of terms and definitions related to the Gold Rush, students will correctly match the term with its definition. Mapping Quiz: Given California map, students will correctly match letters on the map with the name of the corresponding settlement. Given a world map, students will accurately trace the routes that were traveled from the east coast of the U.S. to California by land and by sea (Cape Horn, and Panama), and the route from China to California. Print Materials Needed:                 Oh, California! (textbook)                  By the Great Horn Spoon, by Sid Fleischman                  They Saw the Elephant, by JoAnn Levy                  California Gold, by Phylis Zauner                  Gold Rush Adventure, by Linda Lyngheim                  Tales and Treasures of the California Gold Rush, by Randall Reinstedt                  Buffalo Gals, by Brandon Miller                  The California Gold Rush, by R. Stein                  One-Eyed Charley, by Randall Reinstedt                  Asian-Americans in the Old West,by Gail Sakurai                  Tarnished Legacy, by Ellen Hopkins Learning Activities: 1. Complete research reports on a topic related to the Gold Rush (e.g., Sutter's Fort, overland trail, sea routes to California, women pioneers, immigrants in California, a key individual who helped build California, mining methods). 2. Mapping activities that locate countries from which miners immigrated, the overland and sea routes, and the important settlements in California (Sacramento, San Francisco, Coloma, Sutter's Fort). 3. Read appropriate chapters in textbook (Oh, California!) 4. Videos: Gold Rush and Ghost Towns 5. Field-trip to Sutter's Fort and Capital Building 6. Whole class reads The Great Horn Spoon and completes follow-up activities as assigned. Emphasis will be placed on "myth of wealth" (most miners did not become wealthy). 7. Computer program: Oregon Trail 8. Students read a historical fiction novel related to their topic of research (see #1) and give oral book reviews to their classmates.         Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie, by Kristiana Gregory         Bandit's Moon, by Sid Fleischman         California Gold Rush, by May McNeer         Dragon's Gate, by Lawrence Yep         Iron Dragon Never Sleeps, by Stephen Krensky         One-Eyed Charley, by Randall Reinstedt         Patty Reed's Doll, by Rachel Laurgaard         Pioneers Go West, by George Stewart         Rachel's Journal, by Marissa Moss 9. Write a biographical book report on a key individual from the Gold Rush period. 10. Students read excerpts from the book, Tarnished Legacy, and create a poster or mural depicting the destruction of the environment (erosion and deforestation) that resulted from gold mining. 11. Students use graphic organizers to compare and contrast the Spanish, Mexican, and United States governments in California. Students will be provided with a teacher-made handout that covers the necessary information. 12. Two-hour simulation in which students: (1) view a video demonstrating how to pan for gold; claim mining site on a map (done on large graphing paper with lines of longitute and latitude), pan for "gold" (painted pebbles); (2) read information on different Gold Rush towns and create articles for a newspaper about their town; (3) make flapjacks; and (4) take "gold" to assay office to be weighed and exchanged for paper currency.