Eureka! California Gold Rush

November 10, 2007

This past week in school the kids learned about the California Gold Rush. We had a fun and creative learning with this one. On Monday, after I read to them a little about the California gold rush I had them try their hands at gold digging. I got the idea from a teacher book to give the kids a store bought chocolate chip cookie and a toothpick. They were to use the toothpick to pull out as many gold nuggets(Chocolate chips) as they could. Baba even wanted to try this one. What kid could pass up chocolate chip cookie crumbs.

I expanded on this concept a bit further by using a plastic Math scale to have them weigh their findings. Our scale weights only had gram weights to be used so we needed to learn how to convert grams into ounces.
We found out that an ounce of gold back then was priced at $21.00. I had my oldest, Chip do the conversions and weighing. The winner would be named the best "forty-niner" in the family.

Chip learned that there are 28 grams in one ounce. After weighing he discovered that each kid did not even have an ounce or a half ounce. Coco had a quarter of an ounce. He calculated roughly $5.25. Baba from what I remember had earned $3.33. Chip had $2.25. I think more eating and less digging took place with the boys. Coco was our mighty "forty-niner"!

When the kids were finished they got to eat their gold and some more yummy cookies!

After writing about the Gold Rush on Tuesday the kids wanted to dig in the backyard in search for gold. All they did find was rocks and a rusty old nail.

On Thursday we had a field trip to the Western Heritage Museum. We enjoyed a docent led tour about the Gold Rush and the Indian Culture. The Gold Rush event was educational and hands on for the kids. The lady was impressed that our kids were so knowledgeable. The kids got to outfitted as gold miners and to experience panning for gold. If you are ever in the Los Angeles area you must visit the Western Heritage Museum. You must preregister in advance to do the docent led program.

Here are a list of books that we read this week:

-Boom Town by Sonia Levitin

-The Story of the Gold at Sutter's Mill by Conrad Stein

-Paul Bunyan by Eric Blair

-Paul Bunyan by Brian Gleeson

That's all Folks!