Gold Rush
Level R/40
Social Studies Teacher’s Guide
Skills & Strategies
Anchor Comprehension
Strategies
• Identify Sequence of Events
• Identify Cause and Effect
Comprehension
• Write about it
• Draw conclusions
• Use graphic features to interpret
information
Vocabulary/Word Study Strategy
• Use context clues to determine word
meaning
Social Studies Big Idea
• The quest for gold had significant effects
on the economic, social, and political life
of western-expansion settlements, as well
as on the physical environment. Themes
• Risk
• Supply and Demand
B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Le sson at a G l a nce
Before Reading (page 3)
• Build Background
• Introduce the Book
• Administer Preassessment
During Reading (pages 4–10)
Chapter 1 (pages 4–6)
•M
odel Metacognitive Strategy:
Write About It
• Set a Purpose for Reading
• Discuss the Reading
• Model Comprehension Strategy:
Identify Cause and Effect
• Use Graphic Features to Interpret
Information: Time Lines
Sample Lesson Planning Guide
Navigators Lesson Guides provide flexible options to meet a
variety of instructional needs. Here is one way to structure
this lesson.
Day
1
Build background:
quick-write about
what students
know about gold
Introduce/preview
the book: back
cover blurb, table
of contents, identify
two chapters
2
Model
metacognitive
strategy: write
about it
Model
comprehension
strategy: ­identify
cause and effect
Use graphic
­features to ­interpret
­information: ­time
lines
3
Apply
metacognitive
strategy: write
about it
Guide
comprehension
strategy: ­identify
cause and effect
Use context clues
to determine word
meaning:
­definitions
4
Apply
metacognitive
strategy: write
about it
Apply
comprehension
strategy: identify
cause and effect
Use context clues
to determine word
meaning:
­definitions
5
Draw conclusions
based on causeand-effect
information
Chapters 2–3 (pages 7–8)
•A
pply Metacognitive Strategy:
Write About It
• Set a Purpose for Reading
• Discuss the Reading
• Guide Comprehension Strategy:
Identify Cause and Effect
• Use Context Clues to Determine
Word Meaning: Definitions
Chapters 4–5 (pages 9–10)
•A
pply Metacognitive Strategy:
Write About It
• Set a Purpose for Reading
• Discuss the Reading
• Apply Comprehension Strategy:
Identify Cause and Effect
• Use Context Clues to Determine
Word Meaning: Definitions
After Reading (page 11)
• Administer Posttest
• Synthesize Information: Research and
Draw Conclusions
Writing Workshop (page 12–13)
•M
odel the Writing Process: Write a
Cause-and-Effect Paragraph Using
Signal Words and Phrases
Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships (page 14)
Use Context Clues to Determine
Word Meaning: Definitions
(page15)
Activities
Additional Related Resources
Notable Trade Books
for Read-Aloud
• Gregory, Kristiana. Seeds of
Hope: The Gold Rush Diary
of Susanna Fairchild (Dear
America). Scholastic, 2001.
• Kalman, Bobbie. The Gold Rush
(Life in the Old West Series).
Crabtree, 1999.
• Stein, R. Conrad. The California
Gold Rush (Cornerstones of
Freedom). Children’s Press, 1995.
Web Site for Content Information
• PBS—The Gold Rush
http://www.pbs.org/goldrush/
allabout.html
PBS provides students and teachers
with multiple opportunities to learn
about the gold rush. The site
includes classroom resources, tales
from the mines, and fun facts.
Cause and Effect (page 18)
2
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other
part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4108-1117-2
Before Reading
Build Background
•Ask students to think about what they know about gold.
Say: For one minute, I want you to write down everything you
can think of about gold. When the minute is up, we will share
what we know.
Gold
Time
Place
People
Other
Details
• When students are done writing, encourage them to share what
they have written. Write down information students give on a
chart similar to the one shown.
• Ask students what they know about the gold rush. Explain that
gold had an important impact on American history.
Introduce the Book
• Give students a copy of the book. Read the back cover blurb aloud
to them. Ask: What do you think this book is about? (Students
may guess the book will be about the California gold rush.)
• Have students turn to the table of contents. Ask volunteers to
pick two chapters they find interesting. Skim the chapters with
the class, looking at pictures, captions, and other graphic ­features.
• Explain that Gold Rush! is about the discovery of gold in various
parts of the United States and the effects of that discovery on
the country.
• As a point of reference, locate the four places—northern
California, Nevada, Colorado, and Alaska—on a map in your
classroom or in a social studies text to identify where the gold
rushes in the book took place.
Administer Preassessment
• Have students take Ongoing Assessment #15 on page 66 in the
Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 4).
• Score assessments and use the results to determine instruction.

Informal
Assessment Tips
1. Assess students’ ability to
locate chapters using the
table of contents.
2. Document informal
­ bservations in a folder or
o
notebook.
3. Keep the folder or notebook
at the small-group reading
table for handy reference.
4. For struggling students, place
a ruler beneath the title of
any chapter in the table of
contents. Have ­students draw
an imaginary line from the
chapter to the corresponding
page number. Then have
students locate the chapter.
• Keep group assessments in a small-group reading folder. For ­
in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Gold Rush! 3
During Reading: Chapter 1
Content Information
Explain to students that gold has
been considered precious for
thousands of years. It has many
unique characteristics.
• It is one of the heaviest of all
metals. One cubic foot of gold
weighs over 1,200 pounds.
• It can be hammered into very thin
sheets and drawn into a very fine
wire. One ounce of gold can be
made into a wire fifty miles long.
• It is also very scarce.
Minds-On/
Hands-On Activity
1. Have students plan what they
would take if they were going
to find gold. Tell them they must
plan everything they will need
for the three months it will take
them to get to the gold fields.
2. Have students work in pairs to
make a list of supplies. Remind
them that they must take food
for themselves, their group, and
their animals. They will need
clothing and other supplies. They
cannot take more than will fit in
a single covered wagon.
3. When students have finished,
have them compare their lists
with classmates’ lists. Students
can determine what they have
included that they might not
need and what they have
forgotten to include.
4 Gold Rush!
Model Metacognitive Strategy:
Write About It
Good readers write about what they are reading. Writing
about what is read helps readers stay engaged with the text
and enhances understanding. To use this strategy, readers
stop every so often and jot down a few thoughts about the
reading in a journal or on self-stick notes. Good readers do
not have to write a lot or write perfectly. The writing is for
the reader and no one else.
•Use a real-life example of writing about it. Say: Good readers
write down thoughts about what they are reading whenever a
thought strikes them. Last week I was reading a book about a
woman who studied gorillas in Africa. As I read, I thought about
how hard it must have been for her to live alone with the
­gorillas. I jotted that thought down on a self-stick note. Later in
the book, the woman described how hard it had been to be all
alone. It was interesting to see how her description mirrored my
thoughts.
You can do the same thing. You can read a text and write down
your thoughts about it. Today we’re going to write down our
thoughts about gold.
• Read pages 2–3 aloud to students. After page 2, stop and say:
People seemed to do whatever was needed in order to get to
the gold. I’ll write that on a self-stick note and place it in my
book on the ­bottom of page 2. Just thinking about what I’ve
read isn’t always enough to help me remember what I’ve read.
I’ll remember more if I write my thoughts down on self-stick
notes or in my journal.
Set a Purpose for Reading
•Ask students to read pages 4–5 and look at the time line on
pages 6–7 to find out about gold and gold rushes in the United
States. As they read, they should jot down any thoughts they
have about what they are reading. Encourage them to write
their thoughts on self-stick notes and place them in the text. Tell
them they will share their thoughts after finishing the chapter.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Discuss the Reading

Informal
Assessment Tips
•Ask students to share what they have written on their self-stick
notes. Discuss how writing their thoughts helped them connect
with the text and understand it more fully.
1. Watch students as they write
• Ask: What thoughts did you write down about what you read?
What questions did the reading raise that you would like
answered?
2. In a folder or notebook, jot
Model Comprehension Strategy:
Identify Cause and Effect
• Ensure that students understand what it means to identify
cause-and-effect relationships. Say: When I read, I look for
­information that tells what happened and why it happened.
The reason why something happens is the cause. What happens
as a result is the effect. It isn’t always easy to identify cause-andeffect relationships. I have to look carefully to ­determine what
information is the cause and what information is the effect.
• Pass out the graphic organizer Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships (blackline master, page 14 of this guide).
• Explain that as students read, they will complete the first three
rows together. The last two rows will be completed independently.
• Have students look at the book and follow along while you
show them how to extract cause-and-effect relationships from
chapter 1. Write the information on the graphic organizer as
you find it. (You may want to make a chart-size copy of the
graphic organizer or use a transparency.) Read page 3 aloud.
Say: This page tells about the value of gold. It explains why gold
is so valuable, stating that gold is highly valued because it is rare
and hard to find. I know this is a cause-and-effect relationship
because one of these events caused the other event. To
­determine the effect, I ask myself, “What happened?” Gold
became very valuable. I’ll write that in the Effect column. To
determine the cause, I ask myself, “How or why did it happen?”
Gold was very rare and hard to find. I’ll write that in the Cause
column.
about what they are reading
in their journals or notebooks.
down what you see each
­student doing.
3. Students should be writing
about what they think as they
read. Document students who
are and are not using this
metacognitive strategy.
4. If students are not writing
down what they think about
as they read, remind them that
noting their thoughts as they
read will help them
understand the text more fully.
Identify Cause-and-Effect Relationships
Chapter
1 (page 3)
Cause
Effect
There isn’t much
gold and it is very
hard to find.
Gold is highly valued.
(page 5)
2 (page 11)
3 (page 19)
4 (page 23)
5 (page 26)
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Gold Rush! 5
Chapter 1 (continued)
Identify Cause-and-Effect Relationships
Chapter
1 (page 3)
(page 5)
Cause
Effect
There isn’t much
gold and it is very
hard to find.
Gold is highly valued.
People hoped to
strike it rich.
Some people left
their jobs and families and traveled to
places where gold
was found. Others
brought their families to new places,
increasing the
­population of
­unsettled areas.
2 (page 11)
3 (page 19)
4 (page 23)
5 (page 26)
6 Gold Rush!
•Read page 5. Say: I can also determine a cause-and-effect
relationship from the text on page 5. If I ask myself what
happened, I can learn that people left their jobs and families.
They traveled to the places where gold was found. I can write
this in the Effect column. If I ask myself why it happened, I can
see that people hoped to strike it rich. I can write this in the
Cause column.
•Say: Sometimes an effect has more than one cause. Sometimes a
cause has more than one effect. What other effect did people
wanting to strike it rich have? (They brought their families to
new places and increased the population of unsettled areas.)
Use Graphic Features to Interpret
Information: Time Lines
•Have students turn to the time line on pages 6–7. Explain that
time lines show what happened at certain times in history. The
time line has a title that tells its topic. It also has dates in
chronological order. Sometimes a time line explains why each
event is historically important.
•Ask: What can you learn about the Klondike gold rushes in 1897
and 1899? (Possible answers: They were two years apart. The
news heard in 1897 was gold in the Yukon while the news in
1899 was gold in Nome.)
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Chapters 2–3
Apply Metacognitive Strategy: Write About It
•Have students look at their journals to review what they wrote
on self-stick notes about yesterday’s reading. Ask them to share
their most interesting insight about the chapter. Discuss
­responses. Remind them that writing about what they read
helps them connect with and better understand the text.
• Say: Today we are going to write more about what we read.
Read page 8 aloud to students. Say: I can imagine everyone in a
town rushing off to look for gold. I think the same thing could
happen today. I’ll write my observation on a self-stick note and
place it beside the second paragraph on page 8.
• Have students read page 9 to themselves. Tell students to think
of an observation to make about the information on page 9.
Say: What thought did you come up with? I ­wondered if a
­president today would announce that gold had been found
someplace. I’ll write that question on a self-stick note and place
it beside the last paragraph on page 9. Please do the same thing
with your thought.
Set a Purpose for Reading
Content Information
Tell students that children who
went west during the gold rush
with their parents had a lot of
chores to do during the trip such as:
• milking cows
• minding younger children
• fetching water and firewood
• helping with cooking and laundry
• fishing and hunting
Minds-On/
Hands-On Activity
1. Tell students that many
prospectors started off to
California from Missouri. Have
students figure out how many
steps it took to go the 2,000
miles.
•Have students finish reading chapters 2 and 3 to learn about the
California and Colorado gold rushes. Remind them to jot down
thoughts and questions on self-stick notes and place them beside
the text that inspired the thoughts and questions.
2. Have students measure the length
Discuss the Reading
3. Ask them to divide the number
• Ask students to share their thoughts about the text. Discuss
what they wrote and how it helped them understand the
­reading more fully.
• Ask students if they were surprised to learn that there were
gold rushes in Colorado as well as in California. Encourage them
to write their reactions to the information on self-stick notes.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
of one of their steps from the
heel of their back foot to the heel
of their front foot.
of inches in a mile—63,360—by
the number of inches in one of
their steps. That is the number
of steps in a mile.
4. Finally, ask them to multiply the
number of steps in a mile by
2,000—the number of miles from
Missouri to California. That is
how many steps it would take to
walk the distance the
prospectors walked.
Gold Rush! 7
Chapters 2–3 (continued)
Identify Cause-and-Effect Relationships
Chapter
1 (page 3)
(page 5)
Cause
Gold is highly valued.
People hoped to
strike it rich.
Some people left
their jobs and families and traveled to
places where gold
was found. Others
brought their families to new places,
increasing the
­population of
­unsettled areas.
Gold was
The population of
California grew from
14,000 to 250,000.
2 (page 11) discovered in
California.
3 (page 19)
Effect
There isn’t much
gold and it is very
hard to find.
The rugged
­mountains made
gold mining difficult
in Colorado.
Mining in Colorado
required expensive
equipment. Few miners
struck it rich.
Companies got rich
instead.
4 (page 23)
5 (page 26)

Informal
Assessment Tips
1. Watch students as they help
complete the cause-and-effect
chart.
2. In your folder, jot down what
you see the students doing as
they complete the activity
with you.
Guide Comprehension Strategy:
Identify Cause and Effect
•Review cause and effect by reviewing the graphic organizer.
Explain that as a group you are going to revisit chapters 2 and 3
to find cause-and-effect relationships.
• Ask students to skim the last paragraph on page 11 to locate a
cause-and-effect relationship. Once the relationship is found,
remind students that they must determine what is the cause and
what is the effect. Ask: What happened? (The population of
California rose from 14,000 to 250,000.) We can write that in the
Effect column for chapter 2. Why did it happen? (The gold rush
brought thousands of people to California.) Let’s write that in the
Cause column.
• Follow the same procedure for the last paragraph on page 19.
Remind students that a cause can have more than one effect. Use
the completed graphic organizer on this page for suggested answers.
Use Context Clues to Determine
Word Meaning: Definitions
• Have students find the word cholera on page 11. Point out that the
author gives clue words to help the reader determine the meaning
of the word. In this case, the clue word is disease. This word tells
what cholera is—it is a disease. This type of clue is a direct
definition. The author also tells that cholera is a disease that can
kill.
• Have students find the word outfitters on page 18. Say: The
author uses the clue word called to help you figure out the
meaning of outfitters. The author also tells what outfitters did:
they sold ­packages to gold seekers. That tells me something about
the meaning of outfitters. The sentence before tells me even
more. The author writes, “Some people struck it rich by taking
­advantage of gold seekers.” By reading both sentences, I can learn
the definition of outfitters. They were people who struck it rich by
taking advantage of gold seekers when they sold them packages.
3. Ask yourself: Are students
­ aving problems with this
h
strategy? If so, what are the
problems? Are students
­mastering this strategy? If so,
how do I know?
8 Gold Rush!
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Chapters 4–5
Apply Metacognitive Strategy:
Write About It
•Have students look at their self-stick notes to review the
thoughts they jotted down about the text. Ask them to share
thoughts they feel added to their understanding of the reading.
• Say: Today we are going to write down our thoughts about two
more gold rushes.
• Read pages 20–21 aloud to students. Say: As I read, I can
­compare this gold rush to the one in California and the one in
Colorado. I’ll write a note saying that the mining process was
more difficult. I’m amazed to learn that they actually found
­silver, not gold! I’ll write that on another self-stick note. My
notes will help me understand the differences between the
various gold rushes. They will also help me remember that this
gold rush was actually a silver rush. Remember that anything
you think of that connects to the text is important.
• Ask students what they are going to do as they read the next
chapters. (Write thoughts about the reading on self-stick notes.)
Set a Purpose for Reading
• Have students read the rest of the book silently. Ask them to
write their thoughts on self-stick notes and place them beside
the text that inspired the thoughts. Point out that page 24
describes the hardships the Klondike prospectors faced. Ask
them to write at least one thought about the description on a
self-stick note.
Discuss the Reading
• Ask students to share their thoughts about the reading.
Discuss students’ thoughts and questions and how they aid in
understanding the text.
Content Information
Tell students that what is now the
United States is not the only place
where gold rushes occurred.
Explain that gold rushes took place
in these places:
• Russia, in 1737
• Canada, in 1862
• Australia, in 1845
Minds-On/
Hands-On Activity
1. Have students divide into pairs.
One in each pair can be a
prospector in the Klondike gold
rush. The other can be a
­newspaper writer who will
­interview the prospector.
2. The student who is the
­ ewspaper writer can prepare
n
several questions to ask the
prospector. During the interview,
the writer should jot down notes
about the prospector’s answers.
3. After the interview, newspaper
writer and prospector can work
together to write a short news
article based on the interview.
4. When news articles are finished,
pairs can share them with the
rest of the group.
• Ask: How did the various gold rushes change the history of the
United States? (They brought people to undeveloped areas in
large numbers, creating new towns, cities, and states.)
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Gold Rush! 9
Chapters 4–5 (continued)
Identify Cause-and-Effect Relationships
Chapter
1 (page 3)
(page 5)
2 (page 11)
3 (page 19)
Cause
Effect
There isn’t much
gold and it is very
hard to find.
Gold is highly valued.
People hoped to
strike it rich.
Some people left
their jobs and families and traveled to
places where gold
was found. Others
brought their families to new places,
increasing the
­population of
­unsettled areas.
Gold was
discovered in
California.
The population of
California grew from
14,000 to 250,000.
The rugged
­mountains made
gold mining difficult
in Colorado.
Mining in Colorado
required expensive
equipment. Few miners
struck it rich.
Companies got rich
instead.
The Civil War raged
during the
Comstock strike.
President Lincoln
needed money for the
war. He took gold
and silver from the
mines. He also made
Nevada a state so it
would fight for the
Union.
Many miners died
Canada required
prospectors to bring
enough food and
supplies for a year.
4 (page 23)
5 (page 26) journeying to the
Yukon.
Apply Comprehension Strategy:
Identify Cause and Effect
•Review the graphic organizer with students and explain that you
want them to try to identify cause and effect relationships on
pages 23 and 26 in chapters 4 and 5 independently.
• Ask if they have any questions about identifying cause-and-effect
relationships before they begin.
• Monitor their work and intervene if they are having difficulty
completing the graphic organizer.
• Discuss student responses together.
• For more practice, have students complete the blackline master
Cause and Effect on page 18 of this guide.
Cause
Effect
Bacon did not go bad quickly.
People took a lot of bacon when
they went west.
Travelers did not know how hot and
dry the plains and deserts were.
Travelers often ran out of water.
Water was very scarce on the trail
west.
Water could cost up to $100 per
glass.
Use Context Clues to Determine Word
Meaning: Definitions
•Remind students about the direct definition lesson from
chapters 2–3.

Informal
Assessment Tips
1. Watch students as they
i­dentify cause and effect.
Ask yourself: How have the
students ­progressed with
identifying cause and effect?
What ­problems are they still
having? What questions pop
into my mind about what I
see them doing?
2. Watch students as they
c­ omplete the graphic organizer
independently. Ask yourself:
Who is still struggling with this
strategy? What are they doing
or not doing that makes me
think they are struggling?
How can I help them?
3. Jot down your thoughts in
your folder or notebook.
10 Gold Rush!
•Have students find the term flutter wheels in the caption on
page 22. Ask them how the caption helps them define the term. (It
says the flutter wheel was a device prospectors used to mine gold
and silver.) How does the picture help you define the term? (The
picture shows a flutter wheel, illustrating that it is a kind of water
wheel.)
•Repeat the exercise with the term Klondike Kings on page 29.
Lead students to understand that the Klondike Kings were
prospectors in the Klondike who struck it rich. Ask: How do you
know the meaning of this term? (It is defined directly in the text.)
•For more practice on direct definitions, have students complete
the blackline master Use Context Clues to Determine Word
Meaning: Definitions on page 15 of this guide. Students can do
this during small-group reading or at their desks.
smells
1. odors ________________________________________________________________
heavy slips worn under dresses
2. petticoats_____________________________________________________________
bad or unhealthy
3. rancid _ ______________________________________________________________
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
After Reading
Administer Posttest
•Have students take Ongoing Assessment #16 on page 68 in the
Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 4).
Synthesize Information:
Research and Draw Conclusions
• Have students research another gold mining location around the
globe. Provide instructional materials on gold mining in such
places as Brazil, South Africa, China, and Argentina.
• Ask students to work in small groups to answer the following
questions:
How much gold is found yearly in this country?
What effect does gold mining have on the country and its
environment?
How large an industry is gold mining in the country?
• Have students work together to write a brief report on gold
mining in the country they have chosen. Ask them to use
­information from their research to draw conclusions about
the positive and negative effects of gold mining. Say: Although
the texts may not give us the information directly, we can learn
things about the topics that are not stated in the text. We call
this drawing conclusions. Let’s think about the effects of gold
mining on the United States that we learned about in the book.
Then we can think about the effects of gold mining in other
countries.

Informal
Assessment Tips
1. Score assessments and
­ etermine if more instruction
d
is needed for this strategy.
2. Keep group assessments in a
small-group reading folder.
3. Look closely at students’
responses. Ask yourself: Why
might this student have
answered the question in
this manner? For in-depth
analysis, discuss responses
with individual students.
4. Use posttests to document
growth over time, for parent/
teacher conferences, or for
your own records.
• Ask: What effects did gold mining have on the United States?
(It increased population in the West. It also resulted in the death
of many people.) What conclusions can we draw about gold
mining in other countries, based on what you have learned?
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Gold Rush! 11
Writing Workshop
eaching Tips:
 TProcess
Writing Steps
1. Have students independently
write a first draft using the
cause-and-effect text structure.
2. After students complete their
paragraphs, have them revise
and edit with the help of a
­classroom buddy.
3. Conference with each student
following the first revision and
editing.
4. Have students make any
­ dditional changes and create a
a
final copy of their paragraphs.
5. Finally, invite students to share
their paragraphs with a group
of other students.
Model the Writing Process: Write a
Cause-and-Effect Paragraph Using Signal
Words and Phrases
•Remind students that throughout the book Gold Rush!, they
read about cause-and-effect relationships.
• On chart paper or the board, create a diagram like the one
below, showing the effects of gold mining on water systems.
• Use the writing model to show how the information from the diagram can be used to write a paragraph that describes causeand-effect relationships. Remind students that certain ­signal
words and phrases can help them describe cause-and-effect
­relationships in their writing. Those words and phrases include
because, so, as a result, since, if, leading to, and that’s why. You
can write these words on chart paper or the board and leave
them up as students write.
• Have students think about an aspect of mining to research, or
have them use the information they gathered as part of the
Synthesize Information activity. Encourage them to organize
information they find in a chart similar to the one shown.
• Have students use their information to write a paragraph
showing cause and effect. Remind them to use signal words
as needed.

Informal
Assessment Tips
1. Observe students as they
­ articipate in the group
p
­writing project. Identify those
who might need additional
assistance during the various
stages of the writing process.
Jot down notes in your journal.
Cause/Effect Chart
Cause: Low water flows
downstream from mining
Effect: Loss of plant and
animal life
2. During conferences, keep
notes on each student’s
­writing behaviors. Ask
­yourself: What evidence do
I have to support the
conclusion that this ­student is
writing well or poorly? What
can I do about it?
3. For struggling students,
­ ractice writing sentences
p
containing cause-and-effect
relationships; then move to
short paragraphs.
12 Gold Rush!
Cause: Large consumption
of water in mining
Effect: Lack of water
for other uses
ause: Chemicals used to
C
mine gold
Effect: Pollution in water
caused by release of
chemicals
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Writing Model
Mining and Water
Gold mining can have a very negative effect on
water. Often, miners find gold at the ­bottom of
streams or rivers. Miners dam up streams to make
the search for gold easier. Because of this, there is
less water flowing ­downstream. Lack of water can
destroy plant and animal life downstream from
mining activities. After stream-bottom mud is
collected, miners use more water to wash it,
hoping that gold will be left behind. If there are
many miners in an area, the amount of water they
use can be very great. As a result, there is less water
for other uses, such as growing crops. Finally, in
modern mining, chemicals are often used to extract
the gold. These chemicals are left behind in the
water, leading to pollution in streams and rivers.
This makes the water dangerous for plant, animal,
and human life.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name_________________________________________ Date___________________
Identify Cause-and-Effect Relationships
Chapter
Cause
Effect
1 (page 3)
(page 5)
2 (page 11)
3 (page 19)
4 (page 23)
5 (page 26)
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name_________________________________________ Date___________________
Use Context Clues to Determine
Word Meaning: Definitions
Directions: Read the passage. Highlight or underline any direct definitions.
Complete the exercise at the bottom of the page.
The Smelly Trail West
In the days when people traveled west by covered wagon, there
was no such thing as a bathroom. There was also no deodorant.
People did not take baths very often. These conditions created a
problem on the trail: ­terrible odors, or smells.
Much of the trail west went through very hot places. People
­sweated a lot. They didn’t wear shorts and T-shirts, either. Women
wore long dresses and petticoats, heavy slips under their dresses.
Men wore long pants and long-sleeved shirts. These clothes kept
them from getting sunburned, but it also made them sweat more.
They didn’t change their clothes very often.
In addition, the water the travelers had to drink was often bad,
or rancid. This made them sick to their stomachs. They would have
to dig holes to use as toilets. The holes were often not very deep.
It was probably easy to find the trail to the west. All you had
to do was follow your nose!
In the space below, write the definitions of the underlined words using the text.
1. odors ____________________________________________________________
2. petticoats_________________________________________________________
3. rancid____________________________________________________________
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Skills Bank
Build Comprehension
Identify Sequence of Events
••Explain Create an overhead transparency of the graphic
organizer “Gold Rush” or draw it on the board. Say: Books
sometimes tell about things that happened in the past. The events
happened in order, or sequence. When you tell about the order in which
things happened, you are identifying the sequence of events.
••Model Say: Let’s figure out the sequence of events in Gold Rush.
We will start at the beginning. Ask students to turn to page 8. Say:
I see the date January 1848. On this date, gold was discovered on
Johann Sutter’s land in California. In the first box on the graphic
organizer, write 1848: gold discovered on Sutter’s land
in California. Ask students to scan through page 11. Say: Now
we will read on to see another significant event or situation in the Gold
Rush. We see the date end of 1849. In just a year, some 90,000 people
had flocked to California. In the second box on the graphic organizer,
write 1849: nearly 90,000 people flocked to California.
••Guide Say: Let’s look for the next important event in the Gold Rush
years. On page 16, what new event is described? (Allow time for
students to respond, assisting if needed.) Yes, in 1858, William
Russell found gold north of Pikes Peak in Colorado. The discovery of gold
in Colorado is the next event in the Gold Rush years. In the third box
on the graphic organizer, write 1858: William Russell found
gold north of Pikes Peak.
••Apply Ask students to work with a partner to find the remaining
significant events in the Gold Rush years by scanning the remaining
pages in the book for dates. After each partnership shares, agree
on how to word the entries on the graphic organizer. Finally, ask a
volunteer to read the completed graphic organizer aloud.
16
Gold Rush!
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name_________________________________________ Date___________________
Gold Rush
Identify Sequence of Events
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name_________________________________________ Date___________________
Cause and Effect
Directions: Identify the cause-and-effect relationships in the passage.
Complete the graphic organizer using information from the passage.
Supplies on the Trail West
People going west to find gold had to bring all the supplies they
would need for the long trip with them. They packed their wagons
full of food. They tried to take food that would last a long time.
Bacon was one such food. Because it was a cured meat, it took a long
time to go bad.
One thing the travelers often did not think about was water. They
assumed they would find lots of water on the trip. They did not
know how hot and dry the plains and deserts were. They often ran
out of water. On the way, they would stop at every ­little town they
passed. When they tried to get water, they would find that it was
­terribly expensive. Some people paid as much as one hundred dollars for a glass of water!
Other supplies also became very expensive. This was because they
were in short supply. Sugar cost a lot. So did coffee. However, bacon
only cost about ten cents per pound.
Cause
Effect
Bacon did not go bad quickly.
Travelers often ran out of water.
Water was very scarce on the trail
west.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Notes
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Notes
©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC