ED 345 Calvin College Lesson Planning Form

Teacher: Date: Subject/ Topic/ Theme:

I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
California Gold Rush
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan? (If applicable.)
Unit: Westward Expansion Lesson: gold rush that happened as a result.
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) Indicate connections to applicable national or state standards. If
an objective applies to only certain students write the name(s) of the student(s) to whom it applies.

SWBAT identify how, where, and when the gold rush started.
SWBAT describe where gold could be found
SWBAT describe who could find gold, where people came from to get gold
SWBAT identify what people who searched for gold were called and why they were called that.

II. Before you start

Prerequisite knowledge and skills.
Lessons 1-6

Assessment
Questioning and game.
(formative and summative)

Materials-what materials (books,

California gold rush game, pasta strainer, California Gold Rush page in packet
handouts, etc) do you need for this
lesson and do you have them?

Do you need to set up your Floor space

classroom in any special way for
this lesson? If so, describe it.

III. The Plan

Time Parts The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher activities and student activities
Motivation
(Opening/ What do we know about the lives of overlanders once they get out west?
Introduction/ What do we know about the gold rush?
Engagement) Today we are going to be mining for gold!

Development
 Read page about California Gold Rush
(Have two students read the paragraphs)
Where was gold first found?
Who were forty niners? Why were they called that?
There is a football team in San Francisco, California called the 49ers why do you think that is?

Pull out pasta strainer. This is a pasta strainer but back then they used something that looked kind of like
this to pan for gold in rivers. The water and tiny bits of dirt would go through the holes and leave the gold
behind.

Who searched for gold? Where did they come from? (some people even came from China!!!)
Did everyone find gold?
How many people made it rich?

What would you have done? Would you search for gold? How would you do it?

California gold rush game-groups of 3 or 4 roll both dice at a time and add up the numbers to see how
many spaces you will move. If you land on a money space you have to pick a card from fortune. Have
someone else in the circle ask you the question and give you options for answers. If you answer correctly
you get to roll again. If not, you stay there. If you land on a star space you must pick a fate card. You must
do whatever is on that fate card. The goal is to get to the gold nugget at the middle of the board!

Walk around during game and see how they are doing.

Pause! Time to clean up. Did anyone get to the gold nugget? Our basketball team in Denver is called the
golden nuggets. Why do you think that is? What is something you learned that you didn't know before
Closure
(go around the room and share). Awesome! I learned that people came all the way from China to try to
find gold! God used something natural he created to bring people from all over the world together! Isnt
that awesome?

Your reflection on the lesson including ideas for improvement for next time: