Denise Duffy
Fieldcrest C.U.S.D. #6
Toluca, Illinois
Summer 2008
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University
When is money important, and when does it affect our lives? When gold was discovered in California, new settlers came with dreams of striking it rich. Some made their fortune in gold, while others learned that the best gifts come when a person is giving to others.
This lesson will be completed by 3 rd
graders as a supplemental activity supporting the first story in the 3 rd
grade Scott Foresman basal reading book.
Overview /
Materials /
Historical Background /
LOC Resources /
Standards /
Procedures /
Evaluation /
Rubric /
Handouts /
Extension
Objectives
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Students will:
 listen to teacher read aloud about California.
 discuss and provide information for KWL chart about California, Boom Towns, and the Gold Rush.
 create a “Gold” folder to keep their work in.
 read a short story about Pioneer Life in Sacramento,
California written on November 25, 1849.
 listen to an old Gold Rush song entitled "The Days of Forty-Nine.”
 complete a sound recording analysis for the Gold
Rush song.
 observe and analyze a photograph of a gold miner.
 write responses to the observations made when analyzing the gold miners photograph.
 travel back in time and complete the gold mining activities on the United States Mint website.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

Recommended time frame
Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials
One 30 minute whole group session at the beginning of the unit. Three or four 30 minute independent computer sessions followed by a “Wrapping it Up” whole group session at the end of this experience.
3 rd
Grade
Language Arts

Gold file folders – 1 per student

California Excerpt for Read Aloud

Student KWL Charts & 1 large chart for classroom

Link to short story about Pioneer Life in Sacramento
November 25, 1849

Link to Gold Rush Song

Sound Recording Analysis Worksheet

Handout of Gold Miner photograph.

Writing handout for exploring the photograph .

Image Table

Rubric
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Language Arts:
GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency.

1.A.
The learner will apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections.

1.B. The learner will apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.

1.C. The learner will comprehend a broad range of reading materials word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections.
GOAL 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas.

2.A. The learner will understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.

2.B. The learner will read and interpret a variety of literary works.
GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.

3.B. The learner will compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.

3.C. The learner will communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
GOAL 4: Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations.

4.A. The learner will listen effectively in formal
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and informal situations.

4.B. The learner will speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.
GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information.

5.A. The learner will locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas.

5.B. The learner will analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources.
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Session One – Introduction to Gold Rush – Boom
Town Unit:

During whole group instruction - Teacher Read
Aloud about California at the following “Library of
Congress – Explore the States” website: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/es?section=es&subject=ca&x=11&y=1
0

Whole group discussion about the state of
California, Boom Towns, and the Gold Rush while
completing a KWL chart .
 Students will create a “GOLD” folder to keep their work in. The folder will be clearly labeled with student’s name and the title: GOLD RUSH –
BOOM TOWN.
Session Two:

During computer time, students will go to the following website and read the 3 page short story
“Pioneer Life in Sacramento November 25, 1849.” http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/jb/reform/gold_1

After reading the story, students will listen TWO
TIMES to "The Days of Forty-Nine," an old Gold
Rush song: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/jb/reform/gold_3

Students will complete the “Sound Recording
Analysis Worksheet” for the Gold Rush song “The
Days of Forty-Nine” and place it in their “GOLD”
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folder.
Sound Recording Analysis Worksheet
Session Three:

Students will complete the “Photo Analysis Guide” for the “Gold Miner” Photo and place it in their
“GOLD” folder:
Handout of Gold Miner photograph .

Students will complete the “Writing Activity for…
Exploring the Photograph: What Have You
Learned?” and place it in their “GOLD” folder.
Writing handout for exploring the photograph.
Session Four:

During computer time students will go to the following website, click on the year 1859, and complete the activities as if they were a gold miner.
This mining activity begins in Colorado and ends in
California: http://www.usmint.gov/kids/timeMachine/
After finishing the Colorado mining activities, students will click on the “California Gold Rush” icon and print out the fact page about “Gold in California.” Students will put their name on the fact page and place it in their
“GOLD” folder.
Session Five:

Wrapping it Up!
During whole group instruction teacher will review the components of this learning experience with students.
Students should have the following completed work in their “GOLD” folders:
1.
Sound Recording Analysis Worksheet
2.
Photo Analysis Guide
3.
Writing Activity for Exploring the Photograph:
What Have You Learned? (worksheet)
4.
Fact page about California Gold Rush printed from the United States Mint website.
5.
Completed student KWL chart

Revisit the KWL chart from the beginning of this learning experience and fill in new information as necessary. Students will complete their KWL charts
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and place them in their “GOLD” folder.
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
Students will be evaluated using the
rubric for “Gold
Rush – Boom Town”
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
Students can return to the United States Mint website and explore the many other learning games and activities. http://www.usmint.gov/kids/timeMachine/
Teaching with Primary Sources
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When is money important, and when does it affect our lives? When gold was discovered in California, new settlers came with dreams of striking it rich. Some made their fortune in gold, while others learned that the best gifts come when a person is giving to others.
Session One – Teacher Read Aloud from this website: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/es?section=es&subject=ca&x=11&y=10
Nicknamed the "Golden State," California is the third largest state in area after
Alaska and Texas. The discovery of gold and the immigration in 1849 of thousands of
"forty-niners" in search of the precious metal helped California's admission into the
Union in 1850. Today, California, land of the giant redwoods, has the highest population of any state in the nation and is America's principal agricultural state. It is also the home of Hollywood, the center of America's movie and television industry. Its capital is
Sacramento and the state flower is the golden poppy.
Session Two - Students will be reading the following short story when they visit this website: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/reform/gold_1
Pioneer Life in Sacramento
November 25, 1849
Page 1 -Did you ever wonder what it would have been like to head for California during the Gold Rush? In 1849, after the announcement that gold was discovered in Sutter's
Creek, 40,000 people, called forty-niners, traveled to California by sea. Thousands more traveled across land. They were lured by the prospect of finding gold and riches. Yankee trader Franklin A. Buck was among those who headed west to seek his fortune. Just 20 years old, Buck left his job in New York and set sail for California in January 1849. On
November 25, 1849, he wrote a letter to his sister Mary about his experiences in the boomtown of Sacramento City. Buck opened a supply store there and business was booming like the town!
Page 2 -Though homesick, the young forty-niner wrote to his sister, "I have not come
20,000 miles to turn around and go right back again like some persons who have been here and gotten homesick." Young Buck told Mary about the success of his business.
"Week before last," he boasted, "we sold out of our little store $1,500 worth of goods. All cash trade in one day. Tell Joseph to beat that . . . The flour that I bought in San Francisco for $18 per sack (200 lbs) we sold for $44 and are all out." Among those seeking gold in
California in 1849, many went home again penniless. But merchants, like Buck, who provided supplies for the miners, tended to do well in the golden West.
Page 3 - Buck described for Mary the growing town of Sacramento City, consisting of
"more than 800 framed buildings, besides the tents." The California weather, he told her, was great. "Today is Sunday. Gloomy November, probably, with you, but here the weather is splendid, not cold enough to need a fire." Despite his enthusiasm, Buck could
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not conceal his homesickness, and how he missed his family. "I should like to be at home on Thanksgiving Day. I suppose you have had or will have one about this time. (Bake me a turnover!) Be sure and write me all about it. I look forward with great pleasure to spending a Thanksgiving with all the family once more in my life." Have you ever felt homesick? If you were a forty-niner, would you have felt like Franklin Buck?
Session Four – Students will print this fact page off the following United States Mint website: http://www.usmint.gov/kids/timeMachine/
Gold was found in California in 1848, but the rush didn’t really begin until about a year later because communication was slow and people weren’t sure they could believe the reports.
When President Polk confirmed the discovery, many people left everything to make their fortunes in the West. They came not only from the East but from all over the world.
In those days, gold, silver, and copper were the basis of America’s money and all our coins were made from one of these precious metals.
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Image
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Description
A new map of the gold region in
California.
Citation
Library of
Congress,
Geography and
Map Division.
URL http://memory.loc.g
ov/cgibin/query/r?ammem
/gmd:@field(NUM
BER+@band(g436
0+mf000063))
California 1883
Topographical sketch of the gold
& quicksilver district of
California.
Library of
Congress,
Geography and
Map Division
Library of
Congress,
Geography and
Map Division http://memory.loc.g
ov/cgibin/query/r?ammem
/gmd:@field(NUM
BER+@band(g436
1p+rr001890)) http://memory.loc.g
ov/cgibin/query/r?ammem
/gmd:@field(NUM
BER+@band(g436
1h+mf000057))
California
Gold miner
Library of Congress
America’s Story from America’s
Library
Western
History/Genealogy
Department, Denver
Public Library http://www.america
slibrary.gov/cgibin/page.cgi/es?sect
ion=es&subject=ca
&x=11&y=10 http://memory.loc.g
ov/cgibin/query/r?ammem
/hawp:@field(NUM
BER+@band(codha wp+10060202))
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"Hutchings'
California Scenes -
- Methods of
Mining": From
GS-Mining
Photographs: Gold
Rush
Miscellaneous
The Bancroft
Library,
University of
California,
Berkeley.
A gold hunter on his way to
California, via, St.
Louis
Placer mining - panning out
Library of Congress
Prints and
Photographs
Division
Washington, D.C.
20540 USA
RIGHTS
INFORMATION:
No known restrictions on publication
Library of Congress
Prints and
Photographs
Division
Washington, D.C.
20540 USA
No known restrictions on publication
Welcome Nugget Rare Book,
Manuscript, and
Special Collections
Library, Duke
University
.
http://memory.loc.g
ov/cgibin/query/r?ammem
/cic:@field(DOCID
+@lit(chs691)) http://memory.loc.g
ov/cgibin/query/r?pp/ils:
@filreq(@field(NU
MBER+@band(cph
+3a04669))+@field
(COLLID+pga)) http://www.loc.gov/ pictures/item/20027
19083/ http://memory.loc.g
ov/cgibin/query/r?ammem
/eaa:@field(DOCID
+@lit(eaa003159))
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Student listened during whole
group time and during teacher read aloud without conflict.
Each question completed with clear thoughts and details.
Each question completed with clear thoughts and details.
All answers on
worksheets contain correct punctuation and neat, easy to read handwriting.
Gold Miner
Photo, Gold
Rush fact page and student
KWL chart are in student’s
GOLD folder.
Student listened during whole group time and during teacher read aloud with minimal conflict.
Most questions completed with clear thoughts and details.
Most questions completed with clear thoughts and details.
Most answers on worksheets contain correct punctuation and neat, easy to read writing.
One paper is missing.
Student had difficulty listening during whole group time or during teacher read aloud.
Less than 4 questions are completed.
Less than 5 questions are completed.
Some evidence of correct mechanics and attempts at neat, easy to read writing.
Two papers are missing.
Student had difficulty during whole group time
AND during teacher read aloud.
Sound Analysis worksheet missing or not done.
Photo Analysis
Writing
Activity missing or not done.
No evidence of correct mechanics or attempts at writing neatly.
All 3 papers are missing from student’s
GOLD folder.
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Name: ___________________________________________
Sound Recording Analysis Worksheet for the
Old Gold Rush Song: “The Days of Forty-Nine”
DIRECTIONS: After listening to the song TWO TIMES, complete the following worksheet.
1.
Whose voice did you hear on this recording? ___________________
2.
What is the mood or tone of this recording? (Circle all that apply)
Happy Joyful Sorrowful Sad
3.
List two things in this sound recording that you think are important:
1.
________________________________________
2.
________________________________________
4. What does this sound recording tell you about being a gold miner in the days of 1949?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
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Student Name: ________________________________________________
Writing Activity for… Exploring the Photograph: What Have You Learned?
Directions – Look at the photograph and finish the following sentences.
This is a photograph of ____________________________________________.
In this photograph, the place the man is at is ___________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
The man looks like he is ______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
The sounds the man might hear are ___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
He might hear these sounds because __________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
In this photograph the man might smell _______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
In this photograph, the setting is ______________________________________
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Read the questions below and keep them in mind as you study this photo.
1.
What is happening in this photograph?
2.
Where is this place? City? Suburb? Country?
3.
Who is in the photo?
4.
How is this person dressed?
5.
What can you tell from the expression on this person’s face?
6.
Is there anything interesting or surprising about this photo?
7.
Is there a problem or frustration suggested by this photo?
8.
What help might be needed here?
9.
What is unique about this photo?
10.
Based on your answers, in one word, what would be a good title for this photo?
Teaching with Primary Sources
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Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University