Hands-On History Projects & Activities for Tales & Treasures: California Gold Rush

Discover anew some of California's history with these engaging story books. The lively stories in these books explore the legends, facts, anecdotes, and lore surrounding people and events from California's past. Explore how the gold rush began; where the gold seekers came from (and where they went); how they lived, worked, fought, and played; and the effect they had on California history through the stories of Francisco Lopez, Sam Brannan, Joaquin Murrieta, Black Bart, Samuel Clemens, Lotta Crabtree, and many others. Trace the legacy of the missions through the shipwrecks, lost mines, buried bandit's loot, and fabled Indian gold that are part of the history of seven missions (San Diego, San Gabriel, Santa Barbara, San Antonio, San Carlos, Santa Clara, and San Francisco) and the communities that sprung up around them. The books explore and expound on the colorful and often little-known tales of the eras and are enjoyable to read in their straight-forward style. Black and white illustrations are sprinkled here and there throughout the text.

Hands-on History Project and Activity Books for each book are also available. These books provide a number of projects, activities, games and other ideas to help you integrate skills acrosss the curriculum, including a reader's theatre. While written for classroom use, they are easily adaptable for home use. They include black and white illustrations, answers, and are reproducible. sc, 56-65 pgs. ~ Zach