Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "The Gold Nugget and the California Gold Rush"

Van Valen’s Gold Rush Journey

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:08:48 GMT

Investigate the authentic journal of Alex Van Valen, a man who set sail in 1849 to stake his claim in the California gold fields, to discover what life was like during the gold rush. This dynamic project from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History includes student questions to help guide research, rich primary sources, images of artifacts and background information. The student materials can be completed on paper or using the interactive PDF format that allows students to create beautiful publications from their research. The teacher guide includes suggested discussion questions for the introduction and conclusion classes, answers to the student questions, a sheet of Frequently Asked Questions about the gold rush journal, and a summary of what Smithsonian curators learned about the journal's author. Although intended as a project, elements of the site could also be used independently to develop historical research skills.

Maritime Nation 1800-1850

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:52:07 GMT

Students will learn how shipbuilders, mariners, and maritime merchants helped the United States defend itself and grow in this section of On the Water: Stories from Maritime America, an online exhibition. Topics covered are the roles that privateers played during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, immigration, early steam travel and coastal shipping in the Atlantic Ocean, the California Gold Rush, and the life-saving technology that was used to rescue the victims of shipwrecks.

Movement and Migration: The Gold Nugget That Launched the Gold Rush

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:41:38 GMT

This teacher's resource challenges students to think about the gold nugget that began the California gold rush as a valuable resource for understanding westward expansion and the idea of Manifest Destiny. It includes a preliminary activity intended to introduce students to doing history with objects and 3 lesson plans focused on the Gold Rush experience. Also included are annotated links to other online resources that are related to western history and the California gold rush.

This resource is included in The Object of History, a cooperative project between the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and George Mason University's Center for History and New Media.