5.5.5 The Gold Rush of 1849 SUMMARY This article describes the allure of the Gold Rush of 1849 in California It discusses why so many people risked everything to go there It describes the risks and rewards involved in searching for gold It relates the Gold Rush to the history of California The book is filled with vivid illustrations and photographs from the period LESSON VOCABULARY economic independence recalled vacant freight overrun scrawled ventured INTRODUCE THE BOOK INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR Discuss with students the title and the author of The Gold Rush of 1849 Ask students to think about the title and what the book will be about Have them look at the illustration on the cover of the book and ask if it gives them further clues about the book’s content BUILD BACKGROUND Discuss what the students know about the California Gold Rush of 1849 Have any of the students visited a ghost town? PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES Encourage students to study the illustrations in the book Discuss how the illustrations, photographs, and maps help to make vivid the lives of those who came in search of gold 108 GENERALIZE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS READ THE BOOK SET PURPOSE Most students will be interested in reading this book so that they can find out more about the Gold Rush of 1849 STRATEGY SUPPORT: GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS Suggest that students draw a simple graphic organizer as they read the book to help them understand ideas that seem difficult They can create a chart in which they jot down details as they read COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS PAGE Who controlled California in the early 1840s? (Mexico) PAGE How did John Sutter dream of making his fortune? (in farming) PAGE What was James Marshall building when he discovered gold? (a sawmill) PAGE 10 How did Sam Brannan make his fortune? (by selling gold mining tools) PAGE 20 What were the miners’ towns called that had been left vacant after the Gold Rush? (ghost towns) PAGE 22 Name a few of the other states where gold was discovered (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming) The Gold Rush of 1849 16911_LRD_TG_108-109 108 11/17/05 9:01:10 AM REVISIT THE BOOK READER RESPONSE Possible response: Most people were not successful because there wasn’t as much gold as people hoped Some of the most successful people were those who sold equipment to the miners Possible responses: California Before the Gold Rush: Only 5,000 people living there in the early 1840s; not a state California After the Gold Rush: Three years after the Gold Rush, there were 250,000 living in California; California became a state in 1850 The prefix of independence is in It changes the word dependence to an opposite meaning The prefix of recalled is re It changes the word called to mean call again Sentences will vary Responses vary EXTEND UNDERSTANDING Have students look at the maps on pages 14–15 Ask students if these maps help them understand more clearly how the miners traveled to California during the Gold Rush of 1849 RESPONSE OPTIONS WRITING Have the students write a letter from the point of view of a miner They are sending a letter home about their adventures traveling to California and the results of their search for gold SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION Have students research the history of the California-Oregon Trail When did people start crossing to the West on this trail How long did the journey take? They can use the Internet or the library Skill Work TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Go over the meaning of the vocabulary words Tell students you have chosen a mystery word and it is their job to guess what the word is, based on two clues about the word (For example: Which words can be broken into two separate words? over-run, in-dependence) Create mystery words for all other vocabulary words Ask your ELL students if any of them have been to California If they have, have them describe what they saw there TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY GENERALIZE As this book presents a number of facts and figures about thousands of people who rushed to California in 1849, students will need to organize these facts to generalize To express what the gold miners have in common, students’ generalizations should show likenesses by using clue words such as many, most, generally, and overall GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS Remind students that graphic organizers are used to organize information in a visual way Have students create a before and after chart by taking a piece of lined paper and drawing a line down the center Have them write Hopes over the left-hand column, and Reality over the righthand column Then as they read, have them enter what the miners hoped to find before they arrived out West, and what they found once they got there ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION MAIN IDEAS AND DETAILS Remind students that each text can be boiled down to a number of main ideas Remind students that each of the main ideas will be supported by a number of supporting details As they read, have them think about what are the main ideas of The Gold Rush of 1849 The Gold Rush of 1849 16911_LRD_TG_108-109 109 109 12/2/05 12:45:41 PM The Gold Rush of 1849 Name Generalize • A generalization is a broad statement or rule that applies to many examples • A generalization is made after thinking about a number of examples or facts and what they have in common Some made the journey by boat and others by land The Mexican government gave a land grant to Sutter Sutter built a huge complex The people seeking gold destroyed his fort and crops Many people from the East chose to travel by boat to California Many travelers got seasick Although many people gave up and left town, thousands stayed California now had its independence from Mexico, but was not yet a state The fort has sleeping quarters, a bakery, blanket factory, blacksmith shop, and carpenter shop 10 Sam Brennan was a San Francisco merchant 11 Unfortunately, many people found very little gold or none at all 12 Gold was easy to find in the waters of the American River 13 The first people to find gold became rich © Pearson Education Directions Tell whether each of the following is a broad statement or a specific statement 110 16911_LRD_TG_110-111 12/2/05 12:46:52 PM The Gold Rush of 1849 Name Vocabulary Directions Write the word from the box that has the same meaning as the underlined word or phrase in the sentence Check the Words You Know © Pearson Education economic independence recalled vacant freight overrun scrawled ventured In the evenings, the miners sometimes quickly wrote letters home The empty towns became known as ghost towns In 1847, California had won its freedom from Mexico, but was not yet a state Many left their homes and families and braved going to California Many miners endured a lonely life in the hope of money-related gain The mining camp was filled to the brim with people looking for gold Men felt homesick when they remembered the life they had before coming west Traders had to haul their transported goods by wagon or boat Directions For each set, write the word that does not belong full, overrun, vacant 10 scrawled, sang, wrote 11 hid, braved, ventured 111 16911_LRD_TG_110-111 12/2/05 12:46:54 PM ... each of the main ideas will be supported by a number of supporting details As they read, have them think about what are the main ideas of The Gold Rush of 1849 The Gold Rush of 1849 16911_LRD _TG_ 108-109... 16911_LRD _TG_ 110-111 12/2/ 05 12:46 :52 PM The Gold Rush of 1849 Name Vocabulary Directions Write the word from the box that has the same meaning as the underlined word or phrase in the sentence Check the. .. to the miners Possible responses: California Before the Gold Rush: Only 5, 000 people living there in the early 1840s; not a state California After the Gold Rush: Three years after the Gold Rush,