This lesson on "The California Gold Rush and the 49ers" goes with this video from History For Humans :). This is the fourth and final lesson of our Westward Expansion unit.
Gold Rush Video Lesson
As students watch the video, they complete an interactive notesheet with fill-in-the-blanks, critical thinking questions, a warm-up, and a thinking map. The video teaches the amazing story of the Gold Rush and the Forty-Niners starting with the discovery at Sutter's Mill, the journey the 49ers took, working as a prospector, the first western towns that emerged, and the overall impact the Gold Rush had on the country!
After the video, students complete a quick auto-graded Google Form quiz (a printout PDF available too) to check for understanding. Then, there is an optional extension activity that has students use the ideas from the video, their notesheet, and a reading to design a postcard from California and write a letter to a loved one they left behind about their journey and life as a prospector! Fun, engaging, and builds critical thinking skills!
After the video there is an optional extension activity that has students use the ideas from the video, their notesheet, and a reading to design a postcard from California and write a letter to a loved one they left behind about their journey and life as a prospector! Fun, engaging, and builds critical thinking skills!
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