American
History Curriculum
Topic 25 The Gold Rush
and Pioneers
Click the picture of the books above to get more information about the titles and materials used in this topic - including reviews, current prices (new & used) and more!
This history topic is about the exciting Gold Rush days and also about pioneers with some great hands-on projects. Scroll down to the schedule below for all of the activities! While studying this topic you will get to:
- Read about the California Gold Rush
- Do a bee science unit
- Grow a potato plant
- Make homemade butter out of cream
- Create some shadow puppets
Key:
M next to a title indicates there is a corresponding map assignment in
the Map or Globe section of the schedule
T next to a title indicates there is a corresponding Timeline suggestion
in the Timeline section of the schedule.
Click
here for a daily schedule that corresponds with this topic, although I recommend
you use the materials to fit around your own schedule and preferences.
| Previous | Next |
Topic
25 The Gold Rush and Pioneers |
|
| Workbook | The Story of the U.S.A Book 2: Chapter 11 America Reaches from Coast to Coast (T-1) (M-1) Chapter
12 Gold in California
American Adventures True Stories From America’s Past 1770-1870: 1849 (8) The Gold Rush Days |
| Reading | Children
of the Gold Rush
A Pioneer Sampler (T-2)
|
| History Pockets | History Pockets Moving West: (T-3) Pocket 8 The Gold Rush Panning for gold science experiment Gold Fever acrostic |
| Video | Bees Daily Pioneer Life |
Map or Globe (M) |
1. Rio Grande River |
| Timeline (T) | 1. 1846-1848 Mexican American War Zachary Taylor led the army (Taylor was born in 1784 and died in 1850) 1845-1849
President Polk (made it so the U.S. stretched from coast to coast)
2.
1840 A Pioneer Sampler Book Cover
3. 1826-1897 John Sutter 1848 Gold is found at Sutter’s Mill by James Marshall |
| Notebooking (Language arts, history papers, illustrations, etc.) | San Francisco
Times (newspaper type article with comprehension and discussion questions)
President Polk info and coloring page Gold! Discovery! info and coloring page (Crayola.com
requires free registration)
Manifest
Destiny (for history notebook)
|
| Science | Bee
science unit (to go with Pioneer Sampler) –97 page guide with worksheets,
diagrams, geography, science, etc. Excellent!
|
| Cooking | Bake homemade bread (find a recipe online or in your favorite cookbook) |
| Crafts | Projects from A Pioneer
Sampler (these can be spread out over several topics). They include crafts, science,
math, cooking and more:
Sap Experiment *sugar, 2 plastic cups, marker (science) Pioneer measuring (math) Grow a potato plant (science) Honey-butter *honey and butter, make your own butter *whipping cream, jar (cooking) Make your own cream cheese *cheesecloth, plain yogurt, string, salt, optional dried herbs (cooking) Finger spinning *cotton, like from the top of a pill bottle Dye project *onion, alum, washing soda, cotton cloth Punched tin picture *aluminum pie plate, nail, hammer Pioneer water carrier Balance scale *2 small yogurt containers, nail, string, coat hanger, pennies (math) Homemade ink *walnut shells, vinegar, salt, candle (for lampblack) Rollers/levers/ramps (science) Drying apples *apples (cooking) Shadow shapes and puppets *flashlight, white cloth, wooden frame, cardboard, Popsicle sticks (or skewers), lamp Stenciling *cardboard, utility knife (PARENT), paint Jumping jack *cardboard, nail, brass paper fasteners, string
Easy Make & Learn Projects: Colonial America: Look-Inside Log Cabin Spinning
Wheel model
Dog origami (for the Gold Rush dogs book) |
| Extras, Alternate Books and Notes | Wee Sing: Old Settler’s Song Sacramento |
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