Using the choice board below and All About The Gold Rush, pick three activities that are of interest to you. Then, read, research, compose, and post your findings on the blog by Friday, February 28 at 2:55 PM.
1. Figure
out how many steps it took for a 49er to walk to California. First, measure one of your normal steps from
front heel to back heel. How many inches is it? Next, divide 63360 (the
number of inches in a mile) by that number. Now you have figured the number
of steps in a mile. Now, multiply the number of steps by 2,000 miles--the
distance to California. The answer is the number of steps it would take for
you to walk from Missouri to California.
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2. Before they left for California, the 49ers
plotted their route west. With a
modern map, plot YOUR route to Sacramento. Try to find the fastest route.
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3. Sam Brannan was a "skilled
craftsman of hype" because he promoted the gold rush when no one else
seemed to care very much. Can you
think of events in modern life that are over-promoted or "hyped" by
the media?
Sam Brannan ran down the streets of
San Francisco and shouted to get people's attention; how do promoters get our attention today? Is hype good or bad?
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4. Gold was a magnet that brought
people--dynamic, energetic people--from all over the world. This vibrant mix
quickly turned San Francisco into a cultural mecca, with theater, opera, and
more newspapers than any city but London. Based on your understanding of the world, what would you say makes
a city interesting and why? Then, name
your top three most interesting cities.
Explain.
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5. If the gold rush had never happened, the
states of California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico might have ended up as
a part of in Mexico--instead of the U.S. How
would life in America be different? How would your life be different?
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6. Many of the 49ers were teenagers who
left home on a 2,000 mile journey to California. Some walked the entire
distance on foot! If you were
planning to journey 2,000 miles across the wilderness, what would you take
along? Remember, there are no supply points along the way; you must pack
everything you need to last 3 months. Make a list of your supplies.
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7. To understand what life was like for the
49ers, try going through an evening
without any modern conveniences. No electric lights, ball point pens, or TV
etc.. Make a complete list of all the things you gave up. (You might make an
exception for bathrooms!)
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8. Imagine
that you are to travel back in time to become a 49er. You are allowed to take
along one modern invention; something that will fit in your pocket. What
would you take? Why?
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9. Before the gold rush, a metal pan in
California cost 30 cents, but after gold was discovered, gold pans sold for
15 dollars. The price change was a result of the economic laws of supply and
demand. Can you think of items
today that are more expensive because they are in short supply? What about things that are inexpensive
because they are in large supply? Can you think of things that have gone up
in price as demand has increased or supply has dwindled?
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