In the following activities you will learn
about some of the major events in California history, including
the California Gold Rush.
ACTIVITY 1: MAJOR EVENTS IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY (45 minutes)
PART 1. To discover some of the important dates
in California history, find the missing information on the
following timeline
(- see word document!)
Use this website to find the answers: http://www.californiahistory.net/
PART 2. Use the information on the same website
to answer the following questions.
(Hint: First try reading the main descriptions of each event.
If you can't find the answer, click on the buttons on the
left side.)
1. A Spanish town was called a _________________.
a. Presidio
b. Pueblo
c. Mission
2. What was the result of the Mexican-American war?
3. A miner during the Gold Rush was called a __________________.
Why?
4. Why was completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
important for California?
5. Which of the following is not one of California's
industries?
a. Oil
b. Movies
c. Steel
d. Agriculture (farming)
6. Explain in your own words what a panacea is.
Activity 2: THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH (1 hour)
One of the most interesting and important periods in California
history was the Gold Rush. In this activity you will read
some stories and view some pictures of the Gold Rush to
get an "inside view" of this exciting time.
PART 1. To learn more about the Gold Rush, read the
following description and view the following art gallery
of the Gold Rush. Remember, you don't need to understand
all of the words in the description of the Gold Rush, but
you should look for the main ideas.
Description of the Gold Rush: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/kids/goldrush/goldfever.html
Art Gallery of the Gold Rush: http://www.museumca.org/goldrush/art-sfbay.html
After you have read the description and viewed the paintings,
consider the following questions. Write your answers here
and on the back.
1. Would you have gone to California to join the Gold Rush?
Would you have been a gold miner or a business owner, or
would you have stayed at home? Why or why not?
2. Do you think these paintings show the reality of the
Gold Rush? Why or why not?
3. Why do you think the Gold Rush was an important time
in California history? List at least 3 reasons why.
4. Do you think California is a "Golden" land
of opportunity, even now? Why or why not?
PART 2. Choose two of the following topics that interest
you and read a story for each one. While you are reading,
write down some notes on the most interesting things you
have learned. Also, as you read, think about the question:
Would you have joined the Gold Rush?
- We will discuss what you have learned as a group.
- Remember, you don't need to know all the words in the
stories, just read for the main idea.
Write your notes here and on the back side:
PRESENTATION ON CALIFORNIA HISTORY (10 minutes)
You will be presenting what you have learned about California
history to your classmates. You will have 45 minutes to
prepare your presentation and 10 minutes to present it.
Read the following directions on how to present.
TIMELINE POSTER SHOW:
Referring to the timeline you filled out in Activity 1,
create a poster show of the major events in California history.
Use one sheet of paper to make a poster for each event.
On each poster (1) write the date of the event, (2) write
the name of the event, and (3) draw a picture of the event.
For the presentation you will line up in order, each holding
a poster, and describe the events to your classmates. When
you present the timeline posters, make sure to explain these
points for each event:
1. When the event happened
2. What the event was
3. Why the event was important
4. How the picture represents the event
Guessing Game: After you have presented the timeline, you
will test your classmates' knowledge. Using a new set of
timeline posters that only have the pictures of the events
on them (not the date or name of the event), have your classmates
guess the names of the events and try putting them in the
correct order. You can do this by each holding a poster
in front of the class and standing with the events out of
order. Then your classmates can tell you where to stand
to put the events back into the correct order.
