The California Gold Rush

                                       

              

How much do you know about  the California Gold Rush?

                                                                                        

                                                    
        Using the Internet, you will explore and understand  how gold was discovered in California and the effects the Gold Rush had on the people and the land. Use a separate sheet of paper to record your answers to the questions listed below. The websites provided will help you discover your answers.

     

Subject Matter:         California Gold Rush

Grade Level:       4^th Grade

Lesson Objective:  Students will gain an understanding of the events that occurred during the California Gold Rush, giving them insight to how people lived, what tools they used and what living conditions were like for gold miners.

Students will develop necessary computer skills through completing the questions via the Internet. They will demonstrate these skills by exploring several sites which will provide them the answers they are seeking.

Subject Matter Content Standard:

History: 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.

Social Science: 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).

(California - http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp).

Technology Standard: NETS for Students:
3. Research and information fluency: students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
               c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

Website Addresses Used as Resources:

1.     http://www.sfmuseum.org.hist2/gold.html

2. http://www.sfmuseum.net/hist6/star.html

3. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1081

4. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-placerville.html

Student Research Questions:

Essential Question: 

1. What effects did the California Gold Rush have on the people at that time and the land around them?

Subsidiary Questions (6-10):

2. In what year was gold first discovered in California?

3. John Sutter hired someone to help him with his saw mill, it was he that first found gold. What was his name?

4. In which river was gold first found?

5. What types of tools were used in searching for and collecting gold?

6. The area explored by miners was called the “gold region”.  According to the article how many miles were considered to be part of this region?

7. While everyone else was looking for gold, what happened to farms, homes and other businesses?

8. What was the name of the town in which gold was first found?

9.  Why would James Marshall want to keep the discovery of gold a secret?
10. Was John Marshall successful at keeping his secret?