Blended Learning and the California Gold Rush
Carolyn Molina
Oakley School
Santa Maria-Bonita School District
Description:In order for students to become proficient 21st Century learners, they must be able to learn from a variety of sources--not just the teacher or textbook. Using a blended learning model and multiple types of media, students will analyze the effects of the Gold Rush.
Project outcomes:Students will be able to use various media in order to (1) compare how people traveled to California, (2) analyze the effects of the Gold Rush on the physical environment, and (3) explain how laws were different during the Gold Rush.
Target student grade level:Target student grade level, special needs, or interests: 4th grade, Gifted and Talented Education, English Language Learners
Time required:Approximately 1- 1/2 hours (can be split into smaller sessions)
CA Content or Common Core State Standards addressed with this project:
grant.
Social Studies 4.3.2. Compare how and why people traveled to California and the routes they traveled
Social Studies 4.3.3. Analyze the effects of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life, politics, and the physical environment (e.g., using biographies of John Sutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Louise Clapp).
CCSS-ELA RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Assessments:Grading:
Students will earn up to 20 points on this assignment. Each section of the multimedia text set will be worth 4 points. There are 5 sections. Complete, correct answers will earn 4 points. Students can receive partial credit of 2 points for answers that are incomplete or partially correct. Incorrect answers will receive 0 points.
Materials: All students need internet access with a tablet, computer, laptop or cell phone.
Lessons:The following is a copy of the Google Doc the students will find in Google Classroom.
Topic:
Gold Rush
Text/Media to teach me: / I learned/Makes me think:YouTube Video- Sutter's Mill / What was one new fact you learned from this video?
One new fact I learned was
Read the section called “Law and Order”- Article online / Think about how life was different during the time of the gold rush. Write two ways laws were different.
1.
2.
Read the paths to the Gold Rush:
Part 1: The Journey by Land and The Journey by Sea /
- Go to this document (Google Form)
- Vote for the way you would have traveled to the gold rush. On the second page of the document, add the reasons or evidence for your choice. Be prepared to discuss your reasons in class.
Presentation (Slides): Famous People of the Gold Rush / Watch this presentation. Choose one of the people from the presentation that interests you. If you could be any of these people, who would you be and why?
If I could be a person from the gold rush, I would be
Read Social Studies book
pg. (240-241) Section: Damage to the Land / Why was hydraulic mining so harmful?
Hydraulic mining was harmful because
Screenshots of Media Resources
Section 1: Sutter’s Mill Video from YouTube
Section 2: Law and Order during the Gold Rush from KidPort Reference Library
Multimedia Text Set Section 3: The Journey by Land and The Journey by Sea
Multimedia Text Set Section 4: Presentation via Prezi
Multimedia Text Set Section 5: Social Studies Textbook
Student Work Sample #1
Text/Media to teach me: / I learned/Makes me think:YouTube Video- Sutter's Mill / What was one new fact you learned from this video?
One new fact I learned was that the gold rush lasted all from 1848 to 1852.
Read the section called “Law and Order”- Article online / Think about how life was different during the time of the gold rush. Write two ways laws were different.
- If you committed a crime such as robbery or killing you were hung.
Read the paths to the Gold Rush:
Part 1: The Journey by Land and The Journey by Sea /
- Go to this document (Google Form)
- Vote for the way you would have traveled to the gold rush. On the second page of the document, add the reasons or evidence for your choice. Be prepared to discuss your reasons in class.
Presentation (Slides): Famous People of the Gold Rush / Watch this presentation. Choose one of the people from the presentation. If you could be any of these people, who would you be and why?
If I could be a person from the gold rush, I would be Sam Brannan. I would be Sam Brannan because he was a clever man and he was once the richest man in all of California.
Read Social Studies book
pg. (240-241) Section: Damage to the Land / Why was hydraulic mining so harmful?
Hydraulic mining was harmful because it sometimes sent dirt rolling into the river which led to San Francisco bay and ships that were trying to get to California got stuck in the mud.
Student Work Sample #2
Text/Media to teach me: / I learned/Makes me think:YouTube Video- Sutter's Mill / What was one new fact you learned from this video?
One new fact I learned was that only 1 out of 20 miners returned home rich while the remaining 19 out of 20 had only found despair.
Read the section called “Law and Order”- Article online / Think about how life was different during the time of the gold rush. Write two ways laws were different.
1. Small crimes were punished by hitting the guilty suspect with a whip.
2. For big crimes, they hang the one who is guilty on a cross.
Read the paths to the Gold Rush:
Part 1: The Journey by Land and The Journey by Sea /
- Go to this document (Google Form)
- Vote for the way you would have traveled to the gold rush. On the second page of the document, add the reasons or evidence for your choice. Be prepared to discuss your reasons in class.
Presentation (Slides): Famous People of the Gold Rush / Watch this presentation. Choose one of the people from the presentation. If you could be any of these people, who would you be and why?
If I could be a person from the gold rush, I would be Sam Brannan because John Sutter was greedy and wanted to keep gold a secret and Brannan told the entire world that gold now had been found.
Read Social Studies book pg. (240-241) Section: Damage to the Land / Why was hydraulic mining so harmful?
Hydraulic mining was harmful because the environment was being ruined. Hydraulic mining had used water to power it. Even though miners found a lot of gold with this method, a large amount of water and dirt fed into San Francisco. This method also had mud that stopped some ships.
Student Work Sample #3
Text/Media to teach me: / I learned/Makes me think:YouTube Video- Sutter's Mill / What was one new fact you learned from this video?
One new fact I learned was that in spring 1849 the gold rush turned to a gold epidemic.
Read the section called “Law and Order”- Article online / Think about how life was different during the time of the gold rush. Write two ways laws were different.
1. One way laws were different is because if you murdered or robbed someone you would hang on a rope, now people go to jail.
2. Another way laws were different is because if you did a small crime you would get whipped. In 2017 right now you either go to court, get a ticket or pay a fine.
Read the paths to the Gold Rush:
Part 1: The Journey by Land and The Journey by Sea /
- Go to this document (Google Form)
- Vote for the way you would have traveled to the gold rush. On the second page of the document, add the reasons or evidence for your choice. Be prepared to discuss your reasons in class.
Presentation (Slides): Famous People of the Gold Rush / Watch this presentation. Choose one of the people from the presentation. If you could be any of these people, who would you be and why?
If I could be a person from the gold rush, I would be Lotta Crabtree. I would like to be Lotta Crabtree because she was an actor at the age of 6! Another reason I would like to be Lotta Crabtree is because she traveled around the world.
Read Social Studies book pg. (240-241) Section: Damage to the Land / Why was hydraulic mining so harmful?
Hydraulic mining was harmful because it would send tons of dirt to the San Francisco Bay. Another reason that hydraulic mining was bad is because it flooded the waterways after heavy rainfall, which damaged farmlands nearby.
Student Work Sample #3 Continued