Going for Gold!

Going for Gold!

Web Scavenger Hunt

     

                              

Subject Matter:  Social Studies

Grade Level:   4th Grade

Lesson Objective:

Learners will demonstrate knowledge of the California Gold Rush and its effects on the settlements, daily life and physical environment of California to write a narrative journal in the perspective of a miner.

Common Core State Standard:

CCSS. HIST-SOC. 4.3.3 Analyze the effects of the California Gold Rush on Settlements, daily life, politics and the physical environment ( e.g. using biographies of John Stutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Louise Clapp).  

CCSS. WRIT.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Background:

The discovery of gold in the 1848, led to a great migration west to California.  Miners, later know as the 49ers travelled far to try their luck at finding gold. Some found gold and others found nothing but struggles. Join the search to learn more about the California Gold Rush below.



Join the 49er miners and search for your golden nuggets of information to answer the questions below.

1.      SF Museum-The Discovery of Gold in California

2.      Social Studies for Kids- California Gold Rush   

3.      The Start of the California Gold Rush 1849 Video

4.      The California Gold Rush Cartoon 1848 Video  

5.      California Museum- Gold Rush

Essential Question: 

What effect did the gold rush have on California’s economy, people and its settlements?

Questions:

1. Who were John Sutter and James Marshall and how do they relate to the discovery of gold?




2. How did word spread about the discovery of gold?




3. Who moved or immigrated to California because of the discovery of gold?




4. What methods of transportation were used to get to California?




5. How did the gold rush change the population of San Francisco and why?




6. How did the discovery of gold affect the cost of common items?




7. How did miners search for gold?




8. What is a boomtown and how were they created?

Assessment:

Pretend you are a 49er Miner. Write a narrative journal entry describing your journey to California, your reasons for coming to California and daily life as a gold miner.