8th Grade
Cultures in Contact
Lesson Purpose
While many settlers began to move west satisfying what John O. Sullivan coined as Manifest Destiny, several more followed chasing the Gold that was found at Sutter's Mill, January 24,1848. From every corner of the world, would-be miners converged upon California. They came from Boston, New York, Chile, China, France, Italy, Ireland, Japan and the Polynesian Islands. Women and men, free and fugitive came seeking their future in the gold mines of California. Joining these travelers from afar were Native Americans and Californios who had made California their home for years prior to the Gold Rush.
The story of the Gold Rush in California helps us to understand that the rich multicultural heritage found in California today has deep roots. While there have been many waves of immigration and emigration to our Golden State, the Gold Rush marked the first measurable influx. Consequently, it is an excellent example to include in a Westward Movement unit. Additionally, by learning about the many groups who populated the mining fields, the students will discover that the history of the West and the multiple experiences of those who came to California in search of gold and riches makes up a grand milieu that lies at the cornerstone of California's rich and unique multicultural heritage.
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/critical_thinking/chronological.html
Chronological and Spatial Thinking
1. Students explain how major events are related to one another in time.
Research, Evidence, and Point of View
2. Students distinguish fact from opinion in historical narratives and stories.
3. Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, essential from incidental information, and verifiable from unverifiable information in historical narratives and stories.
4. Students assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources and draw sound conclusions from them.
5. Students detect the different historical points of view on historical events and determine the context in which the historical statements were made (the questions asked, sources used, author’s perspectives).
Historical Interpretation
1. Students explain the central issues and problems from the past, placing people and events in a matrix of time and place.
4. Students recognize the role of chance, oversight, and error in history.
5. Students recognize that interpretations of history are subject to change as new information is uncovered
Academic Content Standards Addressed
Grade 8
California History - Social Science Content Standards
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/standards/grade8.html
8.8 Students analyze the divergent paths of the American people in the West from
1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges they faced.
2. Describe the purpose, challenges, and economic incentives associated with westward expansion, including the concept of Manifest Destiny (e.g., the Lewis and Clark expedition, accounts of the removal of Indians, the Cherokees’ “Trail of Tears,” settlement of the Great Plains) and the territorial acquisitions that spanned numerous decades.
3. Describe the role of pioneer women and the new status that western women achieved
(e.g., Laura Ingalls Wilder, Annie Bidwell; slave women gaining freedom in the West; Wyoming granting suffrage to women in 1869).
Grade
8 California Reading/Language Arts Standards
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/SCORE/stand/sbestd.html
1.0 Writing Strategies
Students write clear, coherent, and focused essays. The writing exhibits students’ awareness of audience and purpose. Essays contain formal introductions, supporting
evidence, and conclusions. Students progress through the stages of the writing process
as needed.2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Students write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive essays of at least 500 to 700 words in each genre. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0.
Last Modified: By Michele
Larkey
Thursday, March 21, 2002