Grade Level of

Students

4th/5th

Title/Author

Westward Expansion -The California Gold Rush

- ReadWorks

Synopsis of Text/
Rationale for
Choosing this Text

The text selection tells about the California Gold Rush and
the effects that it had on people. Students read about John A.
Sutter as well as other important people during that time in
history. The text also explains how the Gold Rush led to the
building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
I chose this text selection to align with what the students are
currently learning about. They have read a variety of text
sections about the Transcontinental Railroad, as well as the
Oregon Trail.

Quantitative analysis
(Lexile and grade level
of text) / Rationale

Lexie Level: 660

Word Count:553

Qualitative analysis/
Rationale

The Lexile level of this text is at grade level.

Students are challenged with a variety of vocabulary words.

Use this chart to map out the lesson itself:

Objective

BTEOTLTSW
- Closely read and annotate the text.
- Students will look at the text for unknown words.
- Students will look at the text for important
information that can be used to answer a variety of
teacher directed questions.

Common Core Standard

OrientationCreate a purpose

for readingdo your students

have questions about the text? Do
you? Keep the background
information to a minimum.

As a class, we will be reading a text and annotating.

Lets review the annotations we make as we read.
-Circle any unknown or important words in the text.
-Underline important information.
-Use numbers to notate events in chronological order.
-Star any information that surprised you.

Close ReadingWhat will

students do as they read through
the text, independently, for the
first time?

Think Aloud
Select at least two sections of the
text that you think are particularly
challenging. Model how you, as a
proficient reader, make sense of
these complex sections. This
could include making sense of
challenging vocabulary.

Students will begin by reading the text selection

independently, while making any annotations that
they feel are important.
Next, the teacher will read the text selection, one
paragraph at a time. Students will share what they
annotated. The teacher will model for students the
annotations.
Paragraph 2:
Sutter asked all of his workers to keep the news a
secret for just 6 weeks. But it was hopeless. The news
spread like wildfire.
When I read the sentence, the news spread like
wildfire, I need to make sense of the vocabulary to
really understand the point that author is trying to
make. Can someone please tell me what a wildfire is?
Wait for student response.
In this sentence what does wildfire mean?
Wait for student response.
Spread like wildfire is an idiom, meaning that the
news traveled very quickly. I was able to infer that by
knowing that a wildfire is a fire that travels very
rapidly.
Paragraph 5:
One of the greatest fortunes made from the gold rush
had nothing to do with gold. In the spirit of invention,
Sam Brannan came up with a scheme. He had found
out about the gold from a reliable source.
When I read the first sentence of this paragraph, I
notice something that is very interesting. The entire
text selection has been about people rushing to
California in search of Gold. I am going to underline
the first sentence, as it seems important to the rest of
the reading. As I underline this part of the paragraph I
believe that it will help me to answer other questions I
may have during my reading.

Text Dependent Questions (&

answers)

Performance Assessment

Reflection:

In paragraph 3, I
notice the word, vast,
what is the meaning
of this word?

Vast means huge or

enormous.

In paragraph 3, I
notice the word,
allure, what is the
meaning of this
word?

Allure means something that

has the power to attract.

Why did John

Sutter say that the
discovery of gold
would change the
entire West Coast?

John Sutter believed that

many people would discover
plentiful amounts of gold and
wold become very rich.

What was Sam

Brannans scheme?

Sam Brannans scheme was

to make money selling tools
to miners. He spread the
news of the gold in
California so that he could
sell shovels to fortuneseekers.

How did the Gold

Rush eventually
lead to the decision
to build the
transcontinental
railroad?

The population in California

increased as people searched
for gold.

Students have completed the text dependent questions in a

whole class think-aloud. Now I will present to them a final
question, Using information from this text, in what ways
do communities evolve?
We will work together to break apart the question. I will
make sure that students are familiar with the word evolve
and fully understand the question. Students will write one
paragraph responding to the question.