Lesson Plan

The Gold Rush and San Francisco

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This The Gold Rush and San Francisco lesson plan also includes:

The California Gold Rush rewrote the history of the American West, but especially that of San Francisco. After analyzing images of the city and primary sources, such as a diary entry, scholars discuss these changes. Scaffolded questions help pupils compare and contrast images and examine them for reliability and limitations. 

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CCSS: Adaptable
Concepts
san francisco, the california gold rush, california history, american history, primary sources, primary source analysis, primary source images
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Additional Tags
social studies
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Instructional Ideas
  • Use primary source images of San Francisco to discuss the Gold Rush's impacts on the city
Classroom Considerations
  • To use the lesson, create a free account with Stanford History Education Group
  • Class members should be familiar with with the Gold Rush 
Pros
  • Images and textual sources appeal to a variety of learners
  • Activity reinforces previously taught content
Cons
  • None