Grades K-2 Lesson Plan - The Golden Opportunity

Map 8 Main Page

Core Map: "Map of the Leading Mining Claims of the Whitewood District" in Caledonia Gold Mining Co., (San Francisco: [Daily Exchange Print], 1879). Newberry Library call number: Graff 4936 (Printable PDF version of the Core Map)

Resources related to Map 8.
Curator's Notes for Map 8.

Overview
Students use the core map to recreate a gold mining landscape and role-play as prospectors to explain why they came to this region.

Objectives
By the end of this lesson students are expected to:

1. identify features of mining claims on a map.
2. translate map features into a small-scale floor map.
3. explain why prospectors came to this region.

Key Terms
claim, mining, prospector, summit, mill, gulch, run, creek

Materials
computer image or overhead of the core map, copies of the core map, contemporary photographs of the Caledonia mine region (see Resources), signs for each claim (Caledonia, Clara, Homestake, etc.), colored pencils, blue yarn, construction paper (brown, red, and yellow)

Time
4 30-minute sessions

Getting Started

1. Introduce the maps with a discussion about the Gold Rush to the Black Hills or with a short story or description of Gold Rush life (for example, the life of a prospector).

2. Project the core map and discuss its features with the entire class. Identify:

   a. Title and Date
   b. Orientation
   c. Landforms and waterways
   d. Human features: cities, claims, mills

3. Select "View Photographs" from the menu on the core map and click on the highlighted areas to show students contemporary photographs of the Caledonia mine region.

4. Distribute copies of the core map. Have students color in their map, creating a key as they add features, as you demonstrate how to color each feature.

   a. Waterways - outline in blue
   b. Hills - color in brown
   c. Cities - color in yellow
   d. Mills - color in red
   e. Outline each claim
   

   i. Larger, consolidated claims (rectangles with hachures) - orange
   ii. Smaller claims - green

5. Discuss the student's maps with them, probing for answers to the following questions (see the Curator's Notes and the supplied answers):

   a. Can the students guess where most of the gold in this area was found? (where the claims are clustered)

   b. What is the most common shape of the claims? (rectangular) Why? (Most gold veins were long and thin; claims tried to follow them; this allowed prospectors to run long tunnels into hillsides to reach the gold.)

   c. Why were some claims consolidated? (because some prospectors gave up or went bankrupt; to resolve conflicts or to increase one company's chances of finding gold-as in the case of the Caledonia Mining Co.)

   d. What is the most common type of name for these claims? (personal names)

   e. Who were the people these claims were named after? (We don't know all of the answers to this question for certain; but good guesses include friends, family members, famous people, and the prospectors themselves.)

   f. What is the land like ? (hilly or mountainous)

   g. Where are the towns located? (along the streams) Why? (the land is flatter and there is a supply of water)

   h. Why are the towns long and narrow? (the sides of the valleys are very steep)

   i. From what you see on the map, is gold usually found in or near mountainous areas? (yes) Explain why? (Gold and other precious metal deposits usually occur in places where volcanic activity or mountain building has allowed the metals to reach near the surface from far below Earth's crust.)

Developing the Lesson

1. In a large space, recreate the mining map. (If you have tiled flooring, use that as a grid.)
   a. Lay blue yarn to represent the waterways. Have students identify each with its name.
   b. Lay out the brown construction paper in the pattern of the hills.
   c. Recreate the cities with yellow construction paper. Label them.
   d. Add mill sites with red construction paper.

2. Have students play the role of a gold prospector. Distribute one claim name to each student. Ask students to think about why (s)he came to this claim and gave it the name it has. Students can also include information about the location of the claim and whether they have a big claim or a small one. One by one, students should stake their claims and tell their stories.

3. Have students draw a picture of their prospector staking his claim. Under the picture have students write why they joined the gold rush to the Dakota Territory.

Evaluation
Using a 1-4 scale (4=excellent, 3=good, 2=fair, 1=poor) assess student performance as follows:

For 4 points, the student participates in discussions. As a prospector, the student gives a detailed and creative explanation of staking his claim. The picture shows a prospector in context of staking a mining claim, and the caption is very detailed.

For 3 points, the student participates in discussions. As a prospector, the student gives an explanation of staking his claim, but lacks creativity in role playing and/or lacks detail in the explanation. The picture shows a prospector staking a claim, and the caption states what the picture shows.

For 2 points, the student listens to discussions. As a prospector, the student gives a brief explanation of staking his claim. The picture shows a prospector staking a mining claim, and the caption states what the picture shows.

For 1 point, the student does not participate in discussions. As a prospector, the student places his or her claim with little explanation. The picture shows a prospector, and the caption is weak or missing.

Extension
Select "Show Sites" from the menu on the core map and click on the titles to show students contemporary photographs of the Caledonia mine region.