Lesson Plan - Gold Fever!

Watch a Video: The California Gold Rush
Discuss: What risks did gold prospectors take when they headed to California? 

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• treaty
• prospectors

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about how the Gold Rush affected California. 

1. The article says that the Gold Rush changed the United States forever. How did it do this?
The Gold Rush caused California’s population to soar. This led to Congress making California a state in 1850. And many people who came to seek gold, particularly Chinese immigrants, later helped build America’s railroads.
^{RI.4.5 Cause and Effect}

2. What is meant by the phrase “gold fever” in the headline?
“Gold fever” was the desire to get rich by finding gold. It motivated many people to make their way to California.
^{L.4.5 Figurative Language}

3. Based on the article, did prospectors’ experiences in California match their expectations? Explain.
Prospectors probably expected to find gold and get rich. But looking for gold was slow and difficult. Few gold seekers became wealthy.
^{RI.4.5 Comparison}

FEATURED SKILL: Analyzing a Primary Source
Use the Skill Builder “Seeking Gold” to analyze a news article from 1848. Explain that a news article can be a primary source, an account of a historical event from the time when it happened. 
^{RI.4.6 Analyze a Primary Source}