The population boom and sudden westward expansion caused by the Gold Rush affected people from different backgrounds and cultures. Many staked claims, some fought for survival, and others fled the confusion. All however, contributed greatly to the diverse tapestry of life which became the trademark of the new California.


---

Your group are the experts on the Cultural Diversity of the Gold Rush. Your job is to research, learn, and share this expertise with your fellow prospectors.

---

Digging for Gold...

• Think about what you know
• Research on the Internet
• Analyze new resources
• Write a journal entry
• Create a Gold Rush newspaper

---

Think . . .

Use the logbook to record your thoughts about your expert topic.   THINK about...  ï What you know at the start of your journey  ï What you want to know  ï What you have learned by the conclusion of the project

Return to
Digging

Research . . .

Click the links below to explore new resources about different cultures during this rush for gold in California. Concentrate while navigating the Internet and use the BACK button on the toolbar to return to your expert page. Latinos Black Miners Gold Mountain

Analyze . . .
 

Explore the concepts you discover while browsing the Internet resources on your expert topic. Think critically as you analyze the information and record your answers to the following relevant questions in the logbook.  1. How were Mexicans treated during the Gold Rush? Why? 2. What was the Foreign Miners' Tax Law of 1850? 3. How did Jeremiah Sanderson & Mifflin Winston Gibbs strike their "gold"? 4. What was "Gold Mountain"? 5. Why did Chinese miners need "protection"?

Return to
Digging 

Write . . .
 

Imagine you were living back in the times of Gold Rush Fever. Compose a diary entry from a day in the life of a Gold Rush immigrant. Be creative and record your thoughts in the logbook.   Some ideas to consider:   ï What time did you rise in the morning?  ï What was for breakfast (lunch or dinner) and who cooked it?  ï How did you dress? (probably depends on where you worked)  ï Who did you meet during the day?  ï Why did you come out west?  ï Who was in your family  ï Where did you live?  ï What are your feelings about living during the Gold Rush?

 
Return to
Digging

Create . . .

As pioneering journalists your group will design and create your own newspaper which illustrates your area of expertise. Each group member should write at least one article and draw one picture for the paper.
 

Newspaper Elements:  Title  Date/place/cost Lead story (headline) Supporting articles Interesting pictures Table of contents  Weather Obituaries Advertisements Classified (help wanted, or something to buy or sell)

Materials for Design:  Large paper Markers Rulers Crayons Scissors

Return to
Digging