New Almaden Quicksilver
Mining Museum
Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Teaching and Activity Guide
Rev. September 2015
www.parkhere.org
Designed and Developed by
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation Interpretive Staff
and
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum Docents
Rev. September 2015
www.parkhere.org
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Table of Contents
Letter to Educators ......................................................................................................................... iii
Study Unit Goals ............................................................................................................................ iv
Quick Guide to California Content Standards ............................................................................... iv
School Tour and Activities Schedule ........................................................................................... viii
Pre-Visit Activities
Brief History of the New Almaden Mines – Teacher Guide ...............................................1
Brief History of the New Almaden Mines – Student Worksheet ........................................2
Brief Geologic History – Teacher Guide .............................................................................4
Brief Geologic History – Reading .......................................................................................5
Vocabulary and Facts – Teacher Guide ...............................................................................7
Vocabulary and Facts – Reading .........................................................................................9
New Almaden Word Search ..............................................................................................11
The Pagoda – Teacher Guide .............................................................................................12
The Pagoda – Reading .......................................................................................................13
The Pagoda – Student Page, Sketch ...................................................................................14
School Days – Teacher Guide............................................................................................15
Photograph Analysis Worksheet ........................................................................................17
School Days – Reading ......................................................................................................18
School Days in English Camp – Photograph .....................................................................19
Double Jacking and Wheelbarrows – Teacher Guide ........................................................20
Double Jacking and Wheelbarrows – Reading ..................................................................21
A Miner’s Wheelbarrow – Teacher Guide.........................................................................22
A Miner’s Wheelbarrow – Student Page, Sketch ..............................................................23
Quicksilver Crossword Puzzle – Teacher Guide ...............................................................24
Quicksilver Crossword – Student Worksheet ....................................................................26
Ore Car Cutout – Student Page ..........................................................................................27
Post-Visit Activities
Vichy Springs – Teacher Guide .........................................................................................28
Vichy Springs – Reading ...................................................................................................29
Quicksilver Stock Certificate, Old-Time Penmanship – Teacher Guide ...........................30
Quicksilver Stock Certificate – Photocopy Sample ...........................................................31
Old-Time Penmanship – Student Worksheet .....................................................................32
Mineshaft Safety – Teacher Guide ....................................................................................33
Mineshaft Safety – Student Worksheet..............................................................................35
i
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Double Man Cage – Student Worksheet ............................................................................36
Planilla Safety –Student Worksheet...................................................................................37
The Planilla – Student Page, Sketch ..................................................................................38
Mercury Mining Scramble – Teacher Guide .....................................................................39
Mercury Mining Scramble – Student Worksheet ..............................................................40
Photo Credits, Bibliography and Resources ..................................................................................41
Teacher Evaluation
ii
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Dear Educator,
Santa Clara County Park Interpreters and New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum Docents
have prepared this collection of information and activities to enhance your field trip to the
museum. You may reproduce any of the materials for educational use.
Before bringing your class to tour the museum, we suggest that you:
 Visit the museum ahead of time to find and see the facilities.
 Review the vocabulary and fact sheet with your class.
 Do at least two of the pre-visit activities that may be found in this guide. This will give
students an introduction to the museum before they arrive and will help them relate to
tour information and activities.
Your field trip will consist of a tour of Casa Grande and the Quicksilver Museum, one activity of
choice, a lunch break, and an optional visit to the gift shop or optional guided walk around the
historic town of New Almaden.
While in the museum, students learn about the history of the New Almaden Mines and associated
mining communities, methods of mining and processing cinnabar into mercury, the various uses
of mercury, and how New Almaden “quicksilver” contributed to California’s Gold Rush.
Students will view Casa Grande’s period rooms and explore what it was like to live in the San
José area in the 1800s. After your museum visit, you may wish to take your class through the
museum’s gift shop or on a walking tour through the small historic town of New Almaden. The
gift shop has a variety of special mementos and educational games and toys that students may
wish to purchase as a remembrance of their visit. The walk includes a visit to numerous
historical sites: the Mine Supervisor’s House, St. Anthony’s Church, and the Hacienda
Cemetery. Teachers who wish to lead their class on the walk will be provided with background
materials and a map or arrangements can be made by museum staff for a guided walk with a
volunteer docent.
A typical visit to the museum begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 12:00 p.m. Groups are welcome to
stay and enjoy lunch (not provided) or spend time in the gift shop, if requested in advance. The
museum is wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if your class has any special needs so we
may be able to provide the best tour possible for everyone.
Due to capacity limitations in the museum, school tours are limited to 2 classes at a time, or a
maximum or 70 students. Siblings are not permitted for scheduled class programs and tours, as
chaperones will be needed to assist with student supervision and activities.
If you have any ideas that may improve this guide, please let us know by returning the evaluation
form on the last page. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. You may call us at (408) 918-7770.
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to your visit.
Sincerely,
Museum Staff
iii
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Study Unit Goals
To generate an understanding of the history and significance of events, people, and objects associated with the New Almaden
Quicksilver mines, and of their relationships to Santa Clara County and California history.
Quick Guide to California Content Standards
The New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum’s Teaching and Activity Guide strives to meet the California Department
of Education Content Standards for the third and fourth grades in the following areas:
Activity
Brief History of the New
Almaden Mines
HistorySocial Science
EnglishLanguage Arts
Mathematics
Science
3.1.2, 3.2.2, 3.3.2, 3.3.3,
3.5.1, 4.2.1, 4.2.5, 4.2.7
Brief Geologic History
Physical Sciences 3.1.g,
Earth Sciences 4.4.a
Vocabulary and Facts,
New Almaden Word
Search
Reading – Vocab. and
Concept Develop. 3.1.4,
4.1.2
Physical Sciences 3.1.g,
Earth Sciences 4.4.a
The Pagoda
School Days
Historical and Cultural
3.3.4, Artistic Perception
4.1.3
3.3.3, 3.4.2, 4.2.5, 4.4.8
Double Jacking/
Wheelbarrows
A Miner’s Wheelbarrow
Visual Arts
Physical Sciences 3.1.c
Writing Applications
3.2.3, Writing Strategies
4.1.2
iv
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
Activity
HistorySocial Science
Quicksilver Crossword
Puzzle
Vichy Spring Water
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
EnglishLanguage Arts
Mathematics
Reading – Vocab. and
Concept Develop. 3.1.4,
4.1.2
3.5.1
Quicksilver Stock
Certificate, Old-Time
Penmanship
Writing Strategies 3.1.2,
4.1.4
Mercury Mining Scramble
Word Analysis 3.1.4, 4.1.2
v
Science
Visual Arts
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum school programs strive to meet the
California Department of Education Content Standards for the third and fourth grades in the
following areas:
Grade 3 – History-Social Science
Continuity and Change – Students in grade three learn more about our connections to the
past and the ways in which particularly local, but also regional and national, government and
traditions have developed and left their marks on current society, providing common memories.
Emphasis is on the physical and cultural landscape of California, including the study of
American Indians, the subsequent arrival of immigrants, and the impact they have had in forming
the character of our contemporary society.
3.1.2 Trace the ways in which people have used the resources of the local region and modified
the physical environment (e.g., a dam constructed upstream changed a river or coastline).
3.2.2 Discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the local
Indian nations adapted to their natural environment (e.g., how they obtained food, clothing,
tools).
3.3.1 Research the explorers who visited here, the newcomers who settled here, and the people
who continue to come to the region, including their cultural and religious traditions and
contributions.
3.3.2 Describe the economies established by settlers and their influence on the present-day
economy, with emphasis on the importance of private property and entrepreneurship.
3.3.3 Trace why their community was established, how individuals and families contributed to
its founding and development, and how the community has changed over time, drawing on maps,
photographs, oral histories, letters, newspapers, and other primary sources.
3.4.3 Know the histories of important local and national landmarks, symbols, and essential
documents that create a sense of community among citizens and exemplify cherished ideals (e.g.,
the U.S. flag, the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, the U.s. Constitution, the Declaration of
Independence, the U.S. Capitol).
3.5.1 Describe the ways in which local producers have used and are using natural resources,
human resources, and capital resources to produce goods and services in the past and the present.
Grade 3 – Visual Arts
Historical and Cultural Context 3.3.4 – Identify and describe objects of art from different parts of
the world observed in visits to a museum or gallery (e.g., puppets, masks, containers).
Grade 4 – History-Social Science
California: A Changing State – Students learn the story of their home state, unique in
American history in terms of its vast and varied geography, its many waves of immigration
beginning with pre-Columbian societies, its continuous diversity, economic energy, and rapid
growth. In addition to the specific treatment of milestones in California history, students
examine the state in the context of the rest of the nation, with an emphasis on the U.S.
Constitution and the relationship between state and federal government.
vi
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
4.2.1 Discuss the major nations of California Indians, including their geographic distribution,
economic activities, legends, and religious beliefs; and describe how they depended on, adapted
to, and modified the physical environment by cultivation of land and use of sea resources.
4.2.7 Describe the effects of the Mexican War for Independence on Alta California, including its
effects on the territorial boundaries of North America.
4.2.8 Discuss the period of Mexican rule in California and its attributes, including land grants,
secularization of the missions, and the rise of the rancho economy.
4.3.3 Analyze the effects of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life, politics, and the physical
environment (e.g., using biographies of John Sutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Louise Clapp).
4.4.2 Explain how the Gold Rush transformed the economy of California, including the types of
products produced and consumed, changes in towns (e.g., Sacramento, San Francisco), and
economic conflicts between diverse groups of people.
vii
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
School Tour and Activities Schedule
A school visit to the Quicksilver Museum normally lasts about 3 hours, including lunch. This is
a tentative schedule and can sometimes be adapted to fit your
needs.
9:30 – Arrive at museum
 Introduction of staff and volunteers
 Tour of the museum
 Tour of Victorian period rooms
10:30 – Morning Break
10:45 – Activity of Choice
 Victorian Games (pick-up sticks, jacks, marbles, quoits, etc.)
 New Almaden Bingo (fun way to reinforce learning about both the mining history
and Victorian period)
12:00 – Lunch Break
12:30 – Optional visit to gift shop (45 min) or guided walking tour (1 -2 hrs.)
Items that we recommend you bring along:
 Walking shoes and appropriate clothing for outdoor weather (layers!)
 Bag lunch and drinking water
 First-aid kit with antiseptic, bandages and bee/wasp sting relief (for walk)
Please limit chaperones to carpool drivers or one adult per ten children. We have limited space
in the museum and can accommodate no more than 2 classes at one time. No extra parents,
students or siblings, please.
Directions to the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum. The museum is located
in the community of New Almaden, southwest of San Jose, inside the Casa Grande building.
 21350 Almaden Road, San Jose, CA 95120 (408) 918-7770
 Drive south on Almaden Expressway, about 6.5 miles beyond (south) of Hwy. 85.
 Turn right onto Almaden Road (stoplight) and go 2.5 miles.
 You will see a Redwood tree and white picket fence on the left. Turn in the
driveway before the tree and drive into the parking lot of Casa Grande (large white
three-story house.)
viii
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Brief History of the New Almaden Mines
Purpose
This reading was designed to familiarize students with people and historic events related to the
New Almaden Mines.
Applicable Content Standards
History-Social Science – Grade 3
3.1.2 Trace the ways in which people have used the resources of the local region and modified
the physical environment (e.g., a dam constructed upstream changed a river or coastline).
3.2.2 Discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the local
Indian nations adapted to their natural environment (e.g., how they obtained food, clothing,
tools).
3.3.2 Describe the economies established by settlers and their influence on the present-day
economy, with emphasis on the importance of private property and entrepreneurship.
3.3.3 Trace why their community was established, how individuals and families contributed to
its founding and development, and how the community has changed over time, drawing on maps,
photographs, oral histories, letters, newspapers, and other primary sources.
3.5.1 Describe the ways in which local producers have used and are using natural resources,
human resources, and capital resources to produce goods and services in the past and the present.
History-Social Science – Grade 4
4.2.1 Discuss the major nations of California Indians, including their geographic distribution,
economic activities, legends, and religious beliefs; and describe how they depended on, adapted
to, and modified the physical environment by cultivation of land and use of sea resources.
4.2.5 Describe the daily lives of the people, native and nonnative, who occupied the presidios,
missions, ranchos, and pueblos.
4.2.7 Describe the effects of the Mexican War for Independence on Alta California, including its
effects on the territorial boundaries of North America.
Materials

Photocopies of Brief History of the New Almaden Mines
Directions
1. Make photocopies as desired and distribute to students.
2. May be used to discuss the long history of the New Almaden Mines.
1
Reading
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Brief History of the New Almaden Mines
The first people known to have lived in the Almaden Valley
were the Ohlone Native People. The Ohlone way of life
consisted of a close community where tribal members
worked together to provide for their families.
California was still governed by Mexico in 1845. However,
John Sutter, who later found gold in California, was
threatening Mexico’s hold on California by encouraging
Americans to move west and near his fort in the Sacramento
Valley. In 1845, a man named Andres Castillero was sent
by the Mexican government to try to convince Sutter to
leave California. On the way, Castillero stopped at Mission Santa Clara.
During his stay, he saw the Ohlone painting the church walls with a red
paint they created by smashing red rocks in the courtyard. Castillero went
on to Sutter’s Fort, asked Sutter to leave, and returned to Mission Santa
Clara when he and Sutter couldn’t come to an agreement.
Mexico had recently separated from Spain and, therefore, their normal
supply of mercury was cut off. This impacted Mexico’s ability to process
gold and silver. The Mexican government stated that anyone who could
find a source of mercury in its California territory would earn a very large
John Sutter
reward. When Castillero realized what he had found, he knew he would be rich. He knew that
the Ohlone’s red rocks were cinnabar, an ore containing mercury, and that mercury was used to
separate gold from the rocks in which it is found. That made mercury very important and very
valuable. The Ohlone took Castillero to their “red cave” and he filed a claim and started the
Santa Clara Mine on the property that is now Almaden Quicksilver County Park.
New Almaden, CA
Almaden, Spain
2
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Almaden Mine in Spain. Photograph © 2001 Tom Schweich. Used by permission <http://www.schweich.com>.
1848 was an exciting year in the history of California. The Mexican-American War came to an
end and gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill. As a part of the peace treaty ending the war,
Mexico sold California to the United States for $18 million.
The mine eventually became the New
Almaden Quicksilver Mine owned by
Barron, Forbes Company who named
it after the largest mercury mine in
the world in Almaden, Spain. During
its years of operation, New Almaden
provided mercury for the California
Gold Rush, the Comstock silver lode
in Nevada, all the western mining
states as well as exported to China
and other countries.
Large mining operations ceased in
New Almaden around 1927 though a
few small individual operators
continued until 1976. During World
War II, large-scale mining operations were resumed to provide mercury needed for the war
effort. Modern rotary furnaces were used during this time to process large amounts of low-grade
ore. (Remnants of a rotary furnace may still be seen on “the hill.”) By 1970, the price of
mercury had declined. It cost more to mine and process cinnabar than the resulting mercury
could be sold for. In 1973, the County of Santa Clara began purchasing the old mining
properties with the goal of creating a county park. In 1975, a good portion of Almaden
Quicksilver County Park was opened to the public.
3
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Brief Geologic History
Purpose
Reading is intended to introduce students to words and phrases concerning geology, rocks,
minerals, etc., that relate to the New Almaden Mines.
Applicable Content Standards
Science – Grade 3
Physical Sciences 3.1.g Students know that when two or more substances are combined, a new
substance may be formed with properties that are different from those of the original materials.
Science – Grade 4
Earth Sciences 4.4.a Students know how to differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic rocks by referring to their properties and methods of formation (the rock cycle).
Materials

Photocopies of Brief Geologic History
Directions
1. Make photocopies as desired and distribute to students.
2. May be used to briefly introduce the geology of the New Almaden area.
 Online Link: See California Has Its Faults.
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/teacher_features/Pages/faul
ts.aspx This is a free fact sheet that can be downloaded and used in the classroom.
 Online Link: See also
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/cgs_notes/Pages/index.aspx
for links to fact sheets titled Benitoite: California State Gem, Gold: California State
Mineral, and Serpentine: California State Rock.
 Online Link: See
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/teacher_features/pdfs/Docu
ments/tf_1112_99.pdf for free “Teacher Feature” titled Fabulous Facts about Mineral
Resources which includes fun facts about minerals, rocks and elements used in making a
bike.
4
Reading
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Brief Geologic History
Q.
A.
Q.
A.
Where do our mountains come from?
In the Jurassic Era, New Almaden was under water. The sandstone rocks were sand, and
the greenstone rocks were volcanic ash and lava. Chert rocks formed from sediment on the
sea floor. The Pacific Plate was crashing into the North
American Plate. It was a messy crash and some of the
heavy Pacific Plate came up on top of North America,
dragging with it the underlying mantle rock. Some mantle
rock turned into serpentine – our state rock! Twelve
million years ago, the Pacific Plate started moving
northeast and New Almaden’s Capitancillos Range started
wrenching up out of the ocean along the San Andreas
Serpentine
Fault.
What is a fault?
“A fault is a fracture in the earth along which there is movement.
Much of California's diverse landscape and complex geology can be attributed to faulting.
Faults create spaces below the earth’s surface where miner’s look for valuable metals (such
as the mercury at New Almaden) in the form of veins and masses of ore.” 1
Q.
A.
Where does cinnabar come from?
The deep fractures of the San Andreas Fault system let molten rock come up near the
surface. The hot rock heated water and made a hot springs. Hot water was forced through
the rock and carried atoms of mercury to New Almaden. The mercury (chemical symbol
Hg) combined with sulfur (chemical symbol S) from the hot springs to make cinnabar
(chemical symbol HgS for mercuric sulfide). Cinnabar is the ore containing mercury.
Q.
A.
Cinnabar
1
How do we find cinnabar?
As the mountains grew, rainstorms washed
rocks off the mountaintops creating openings in the
hills. The Ohlone found the beautiful cinnabar rocks in
one of these openings or caves. (They called the
cinnabar mohetka.) When miners came, they enlarged
the Ohlone’s “red cave” and dug several tunnels, adits
and shafts, following the veins of cinnabar.
California Has Its Faults. http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/teacher_features/Pages/faults.aspx
5
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
Q.
A.
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
What are the common rocks and minerals of New Almaden?
Rocks: (Rocks are composed of various
minerals.)
 Sandstone, greywacke: gray
 Greenstone: greenish, red-brown
 Chert: red, brown, black, orange
 Serpentine: blue-green
Minerals: (A mineral is an element or
distinctive compound that occurs naturally.)
 Cinnabar: red, vermilion
 Quartz: white, clear
 Dolomite: white, cream
Quartz
Why Do We Mine Today? 1
Although mining ended at New Almaden in 1976, mining continues for various materials
throughout many other parts of the United States and Canada.

“The mining industry in the U.S. directly employs over 140,000 people, with annual
salaries ranging from about $30,000 to over $100,000 per year.

Another 160,000 people are employed in the U.S. in industries supporting the mining
industry.

Every American uses over 47,000 pounds of
mined products each year.

Mined minerals and materials made from those
minerals account for over $33,000,000,000 in
revenue each year.

Mining lets us surf the Internet since over 40
different minerals are required in the manufacture
of computers. (Check out the Internet site given
below to find out which specific minerals are used
in computers.)

In Canada (our northern neighbor), in the western
province of British Columbia alone, mining
accounts for over $3,000,000,000/year in revenue
and over $89,000,000/year paid in taxes.”
1
Why Do We Mine? http://www.mine-engineer.com/mining/mine2.htm. Interesting website that includes a chart listing
common metals and minerals as well as their uses in modern society.
6
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Vocabulary and Facts for the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining
Museum
Purpose
The reading and word search puzzle allow students to learn and practice words and phrases
relating to the New Almaden Mines.
Applicable Content Standards
English-Language Arts – Grade 3
Reading – Vocabulary and Concept Development 3.1.4 Use knowledge of antonyms, synonyms,
homophones, and homographs to determine the meanings of words.
English-Language Arts – Grade 4
Reading – Vocabulary and Concept Development 4.1.2 Apply knowledge of word origins,
derivations, synonyms, antonyms, and idioms to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
Science – Grade 3
Physical Sciences 3.1.g Students know that when two or more substances are combined, a new
substance may be formed with properties that are different from those of the original materials.
Science – Grade 4
Earth Sciences 4.4.a Students know how to differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic rocks by referring to their properties and methods of formation (the rock cycle).
Materials

Photocopies of Vocabulary and Facts for the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum and
New Almaden Word Search Puzzle
Directions
1. Make photocopies and distribute to students.
2. May be used to introduce some of the more technical terms related to the New Almaden area.
3. Instruct students to complete the New Almaden Word Search worksheet.
7
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Answer Key
A
C
E
D
W
S
X
P
W
X
S
S
K
G
G
R
B
I
A
B
B
R
N
J
E
Q
T
B
U
N
O
A
T
N
E
B
E
G
R
N
M
R
F
N
I
U
E
C
W
N
D
G
P
S
O
A
J
Y
B
K
R
Z
L
E
A
A
E
O
Y
L
B
S
G
A
C
R
S
J
M
R
N
B
O
Q
H
B
S
F
R
A
S
Z
L
Z
T
O
I
A
X
O
C
G
D
R
J
D
A
D
I
X
C
M
Q
R
C
S
S
R
E
E
C
T
N
G
A
J
P
G
T
J
M
C
D
L
L
R
E
D
U
C
T
I
O
N
W
O
R
K
S
G
X
B
J
S
I
Z
F
U
R
N
A
C
E
S
N
W
R
E
V
L
I
S
K
C
I
U
Q
M
G
I
K
S
A
L
F
Y
Q
H
E
P
P
P
L
E
S
N
C
S
Q
E
U
Z
J
B
L
L
M
I
S
B
R
B
J
K
P
O
G
J
G
H
G
M
K
C
D
8
Reading
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Vocabulary and Facts for the
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Al Maden means “the mine” in Arabic. The original Almaden Mine is in Spain and began
mining activities before 500 BC.
Fact: Andres Castillero claimed the first quicksilver mine at New Almaden in 1845, before gold
was discovered in California. (This made it the first official mine known by European
immigrants in California.) At that time, California was governed by Mexico.
Quicksilver means, “living silver.” It is a nickname or descriptive name for liquid mercury.
Fact: The mines produced 75 million dollars worth of quicksilver before 1945.
Mercury is a very heavy metal and the only metal that is liquid at room temperatures. Its
chemical symbol is Hg, for hydrargyrum, so you can see why they shortened the name.
Fact: Mercury unites (amalgamates) with gold and silver allowing these precious metals to be
separated from crushed rocks.
Cinnabar, mercury’s ore, contains 75% mercury and 25% sulphur
and is bright red-orange or vermilion. When it is heated at high
temperatures, the ore releases mercury and sulfur gases. (The word
cinnabar comes from Arabic and means dragon’s blood.)
Fact: Here at New Almaden, cinnabar was first used by the Ohlone
who crushed it to a powder to make a beautiful red-orange paint.
They used the cinnabar they dug from the “red cave” in New
Almaden to make a paint to decorate their bodies and to trade with other tribes. When the
Spanish missionaries came, it was used to paint and decorate the walls of Mission Santa Clara.
Serpentine is a slippery rock, usually blue-green in color. Cinnabar ore is found where hot
water changes the blue-green serpentine to white, yellow and red rock.
Fact: Serpentine is California’s state rock. One of the minerals in serpentine is lizardite.
An ore car was a large, wheeled cart used to haul ore on rails. Ore is the name given to rocks
that contain valuable minerals, such as cinnabar.
Fact: Ore cars were used to transport ore from the tunnels to the
Hacienda’s Reduction Works where the ore was processed. To bring the
ore down the steep hills, an incline railroad was installed. This consisted
of two rail lines: one for ore cars coming down and the other to return the
empty cars to the top. The two were interconnected so that, using gravity,
the weight of the full car pulled the empty car back to the top.
9
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
A retort is a closed oven used to heat cinnabar ore. In a retort, the heat is applied to a container
that holds the ore and there is a pipe or tube at the top that allows the gases to escape. The
mercury and sulfur gases, released by the heat, go into pipes where the mercury gas cools to a
liquid and flows back down the pipes and out.
Fact: Gun barrels from cannons and whale pots were used for the first retorts at New Almaden.
Just the barrel was used, not the whole cannon.
Furnaces are very large burners used to heat cinnabar into mercury and sulfur gases or vapors.
In a furnace, the heat exhaust flows through the material to be heated. This is a direct application
of heat. It is efficient but often adds impurities from the heat source to the vapors that are
formed. Mercury gas was cooled by water and flowed back down to be collected. The sulfur gas
rose up into smokestacks to be exhausted (emptied into the air).
Fact: The early furnaces burnt wood
and used up most of the trees in the
mountains from New Almaden to Santa
Cruz. Because of this, most of the trees
you see today are less than 100 years
old.
The Reduction Works showing furnaces in the background and the
Hacienda Mine Office in the foreground
The Reduction Works was where the
cinnabar ore was taken in ore cars and
wagons to be heated in furnaces. The
liquid mercury was collected, cleaned,
and put into flasks.
Fact: The reduction works was at the
Hacienda entrance to Almaden
Quicksilver County Park.
Single jacking and double jacking were two methods used to drill holes in rock. In single
jacking, one man would work both the drill and hammer. In double jacking, one man held the
drill and a second man hammered it in.
Fact: The words “jacking” and “jackhammer” come from the Cornish miners who were often
called “Jack” as in “Hey, do you have a job for my Cousin Jack?”
A flask is an iron bottle that holds seventy-six pounds of mercury. 1
Fact: Iron was used since it does not combine or amalgamate with
mercury. The flasks of mercury from the mine were taken to Alviso
by donkey cars and later by railroad and then loaded on boats that
sailed or steamed to San Francisco.
1 USGS. Changing Patterns in the Use, Recycling, and Material Substitution of Mercury in the United States.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2013/5137/
10
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
New Almaden Word Search
Directions: First, use the Word Bank to fill in the blanks below. Next, find your answers in
the word search puzzle.
Word Bank
ALMADEN
CINNABAR
FLASK
FURNACES
GUN BARRELS
OHLONE
ORE CAR
QUICKSILVER
REDUCTION WORKS
SERPENTINE
SINGLE JACKING
WATER
1. means “living silver”
2. mercury’s ore
3. hauled ore from place to place
4. means “the mine” in Arabic
5. cooled mercury gases into a liquid
6. heated cinnabar into mercury and sulfur gases
7. held 76 pounds of mercury
8. one man drilling holes into the rock
9. used as first retorts in New Almaden
10. Native People who used cinnabar to make paint
11. place where large furnaces were located
12. California’s state rock
A
C
E
D
W
S
X
P
W
X
S
S
K
G
G
R
B
I
A
B
B
R
N
J
E
Q
T
B
U
N
O
A
T
N
E
B
E
G
R
N
M
R
F
N
I
U
E
C
W
N
D
G
P
S
O
A
J
Y
B
K
R
Z
L
E
A
A
E
O
Y
L
B
S
G
A
C
R
S
J
M
R
N
B
O
Q
H
B
S
F
R
A
S
Z
L
Z
T
O
I
A
X
O
C
G
D
R
J
D
A
D
I
X
C
M
Q
R
C
S
S
R
E
E
C
T
N
G
A
J
P
G
T
J
M
C
D
L
L
R
E
D
U
C
T
I
O
N
W
O
R
K
S
G
11
X
B
J
S
I
Z
F
U
R
N
A
C
E
S
N
W
R
E
V
L
I
S
K
C
I
U
Q
M
G
I
K
S
A
L
F
Y
Q
H
E
P
P
P
L
E
S
N
C
S
Q
E
U
Z
J
B
L
L
M
I
S
B
R
B
J
K
P
O
G
J
G
H
G
M
K
C
D
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
The Pagoda
Purpose
The Pagoda exercise is designed to allow students to view a photograph and sketch of an historic
architectural structure. The exercise may be used to introduce and discuss principles related to
the color wheel.
Applicable Content Standards
Visual Arts – Grade 3
Historical and Cultural Context 3.3.4 – Identify and describe objects of art from different parts of
the world observed in visits to a museum or gallery (e.g., puppets, masks, containers). Note to
Teachers: If you are bringing your class to tour the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining
Museum, remind the Interpreter or Docent to point out the surviving piece of the pagoda as
well as the carved cinnabar artifacts.
Visual Arts – Grade 4
Artistic Perception 4.1.3 – Identify pairs of complementary colors (yellow/violet; red/green;
orange/blue) and discuss how artists use them to communicate an idea or mood.
Materials

Back-to-back photocopies of The Pagoda (reading) and The Pagoda (sketch)
Directions
1. Make photocopies and distribute to students.
2. You may wish to discuss a basic color wheel and general principles for combining colors.
 Possible information re: “What colors would go well with vermilion?”
 Analogous (colors that are side-by-side on the color wheel)
orange + RED + yellow
 Complimentary (colors opposite each other on the color wheel)
RED + green
 Triadic (three colors equidistant from each other on the color wheel)
RED + blue + yellow
12
Reading
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
The Pagoda
The Emperor of China gave this authentic Chinese Pagoda to New Almaden. It was given as a
token of his appreciation for an elaborate reception honoring the Chinese emissary during a visit
to the mines in 1850.
The pagoda was swept away when Los Alamitos Creek flooded. After the flood, neighbors in
New Almaden went searching for it downstream. They found some of the pieces and brought
them to the old museum. Today, the new museum has a large photo and one small piece of the
pagoda on exhibit.
One of the colors in the original pagoda was the beautiful vermilion (red-orange) color of
crushed cinnabar. In China, the color red symbolized joy, luck, happiness, vitality and energy.
“Chinese brides wear red wedding gowns and are carried to the ceremony in a red litter. The
bride walks on a red carpet and is greeted by the groom who lifts her red veil. Neighbors bring
red eggs to the couple after a child is born.” 1
The pagoda drawing on the following page was done by museum volunteer Mary Moran. Use
red-orange as one of the colors for this pagoda. What other colors would go well with
vermilion?
1
Pigments through the Ages: Intro to the Reds. http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/reds.html
13
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
The Pagoda
14
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
School Days
Purpose
School Days was developed to stimulate discussion/comparison of past and current schools as
well as practice with photograph analysis.
Applicable Content Standards
History-Social Science – Grade 3
3.3.3 Trace why their community was established, how individuals and families contributed to its
founding and development, and how the community has changed over time, drawing on maps,
photographs, oral histories, letters, newspapers, and other primary sources.
3.4.2 Discuss the importance of public virtue and the role of citizens, including how to
participate in a classroom, in the community, and in civic life.
History-Social Science – Grade 4
4.2.5 Describe the daily lives of the people, native and nonnative, who occupied the presidios,
missions, ranchos, and pueblos.
4.4.8 Describe the history and development of California’s public education system, including
universities and community colleges.
Materials

Photocopies of School Days and School in English Camp

Photocopies of Photograph Analysis Worksheet
Directions
1. Make photocopies.
2. Online Link: EDSITEment. Reading, Writing and ‘Rithmetic in the One-Room
Schoolhouse. http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/reading-writing-and-rithmetic-one-roomschoolhouse. This site contains a lesson plan that explores similarities and differences
between schools of the past and today.
15
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
3. Possible discussion areas and questions for School in English Camp:
 Describe the details of the photo. (People, animals, objects, buildings, plants,
background, season of the year, etc.)
 donkey brought to school for picture, buildings behind the school, trees and
shrubbery planted to enhance look of the school building, substantial building for a
mining town
 What is interesting or surprising about this photo?
 boy sitting in a tree, donkey brought to school for picture
 Why do you think the photographer took this picture?
 annual school picture?
 What are two things the photo tells you about life in the United States at the time it was
taken?
 cultural dress code (girls in skirts and some with hats, most of the boys had hats),
boys and girls attended the same school
 Why do you think this particular photo survived?
 students saved their school photos to show to their own children? sent to out-of-town
relatives who saved photo?
 Would you consider this photo a legitimate historical document? Why or why not?
 Complete this sentence about the photograph: I see ____________ and it makes me think
of ____________.
3. The Photograph Analysis Worksheet may be used with these “school pictures” or any other
photographs in this guide.
16
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Photograph Analysis Worksheet1
Step 1 Observation
What I See…
Step 2 Interpretation
What I Infer…
 How would you describe the
person or people in this
photo? – age, clothing, facial
expressions, economic or
social status, relationships to
each other?
 How would you describe any
objects in the photo?
 Can you tell the time of day
and season of the year?
 What is the setting? What is
in the background of the
photo?
 Do you think this photo is
posed or candid?
 Why do you think this photo
was taken?
 Why do you think this
particular photo survived over
the years?
 How do you think the
photograph was used in the
first year after it was taken?
 Do you think this photo could
be considered a legitimate
historic document? Why or
why not?
Step 3 Investigation
What I Want to Research…
 What questions do you have
about the photograph?
 Where could you go to find
answers?
Why do you think this photograph was taken?
List something the photograph tells you about life in California when it was taken.
Describe how the photograph makes you feel.
1
Questions compiled from worksheets given in Using Primary Sources, The Library of Congress.
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/
17
Reading
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
School Days
School days were
very different in the
1800s than what they
are today. For
example, teachers
couldn’t be seen
dating and were not
allowed to marry. As
part of their “duties,”
they also had to wash
their classroom
windows, blackboards
and floors themselves.
The school in English
Camp went to the 8th
grade. It was the
School in Hacienda
largest of the three
New Almaden
schools and had 4 teachers and about 253 students in 1886. The school in the Hacienda went to
the 8th grade and had 2 teachers, one of whom served as the Principal. It had about 253 students
in 1886. The school in Spanish Camp had 1 teacher, went to the 6th grade and had about 35
students in 1886. After that, children in Spanish Camp had to go to the school in English Camp
to continue on to grade 8.
Notice that all of the
girls are wearing dresses
and all of the boys are
wearing pants. It was
polite at the time for
men (and boys!) to
remove their hats in
front of ladies. Can you
tell whether or not they
had covered this rule in
school yet? In what
other ways do you think
that things at school may
have been very different
in 1890 than they are
today?
School in Spanish Camp
18
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
School in English Camp
This photo was taken around 1890 at the Mine Hill School in English Camp.
19
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Double Jacking/Wheelbarrows
Purpose
Students will learn derivations of the word “Jack.” Students may also practice how a
wheelbarrow (machine) works to transfer work effort.
Applicable Content Standards
Science – Grade 3
Physical Sciences 3.1.c Students know machines and living things convert stored energy to
motion and heat.
Materials

Photocopies of Double Jacking/Wheelbarrows
Directions
1. Make photocopies of Double Jacking/Wheelbarrows.
2. Online Link: NASA Keeping It Simple-Six Simple Machines.
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/heo-powerful_pulleyskeeping_it_simple_six_simple_machines_seg2.pdf. This lesson plan contains problems to
explore and six kinds of simple machines to solve them.
3. Online Link: Naccarato, Callie. Machine Walk.
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/monsonunits/CalNac/callien.htm. Naccarato’s
Machine Walk may be used to identify the simple machines defined by NASA in the link just
above.
20
Reading
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Double Jacking
“Cousin Jack” is a term often heard around mines. Miners
from Cornwall, England became known by this nickname
because they were always asking for a job for their “Cousin
Jack” back home. (Jack was a frequent, well-liked name in
Cornwall and often used like guy or dude.) Cousin Jacks
were experienced hard rock miners and were famous around
the world for their innovative equipment and mining
techniques – the mining “high tech” of its day.
Single jacking was a drilling process where one man worked
both the drill and the hammer. Double jacking 1 was when
two Cousin Jacks worked together to drill holes for
explosives. One held the drill bit and turned it as his partner
hit it with a sledgehammer. Have you ever held a nail as
someone else hit it with a hammer? How do you suppose you’d feel about the person with the
hammer? You’d have to trust that person not to miss and smash your fingers. The hands of a
single person working with a drill bit and a short hammer would soon become tired. The
cooperation of two people made the work easier, less painful, and faster.
The Cornish miners in New Almaden, as well as around the world, took great pride in their
drilling skills. They imported huge blocks of the hardest granite, often from Colorado, to use in
drilling contests and even traveled to take part in contests given at other mines.
In later years, when the pneumatic drill (a power drill driven by compressed air) was invented, it
was called a jackhammer after Cornwall’s Cousin Jacks.
Wheelbarrows
The wheelbarrow is one of a group of devices that is used to
make the effort involved in work easier. It is a machine.
Cinnabar is a very heavy rock. A rock of the richest, high-grade
cinnabar ore weighs about three times as much as an ordinary rock of the same size. A
wheelbarrow transfers most of the weight of the ore to the wheel. Imagine lifting (just imagine –
don’t lift) one of your classmates and carrying them across the room. Then, have a classmate lie
on the floor. Pick up their legs and ask them to walk across the floor on their hands. You will
find it much easier than carrying them, but they will find it much harder than being carried! This
shows how much of the effort in moving rock is transferred to the wheelbarrow.
1
Double jacking graphic by Dennis and Mary Moran.
21
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
A Miner’s Wheelbarrow
Purpose
This exercise provides students the opportunity to produce a writing sample from the viewpoint
of a child at New Almaden in the mid to late 1800s.
Applicable Content Standards
English-Language Arts – Grade 3
Writing Applications 3.2.3 Write personal and formal letters, thank-you notes, and invitations…
English-Language Arts – Grade 4
Writing Strategies 4.1.2 Create multiple-paragraph compositions…
Materials

Photocopies of A Miner’s Wheelbarrow
Directions
1. Make photocopies of A Miner’s Wheelbarrow. Students may color these to accompany the
writing assignment.
2. Writing Assignment:
3.

Grade 3 – Tell students to imagine themselves as a child of the New Almaden miner
shown in A Miner’s Wheelbarrow. Students may choose if they live in the Hacienda,
Spanish Camp or English Camp. They will be writing a personal letter to a cousin whose
father is a miner working at the Big Bonanza Mine in Sonora, CA. (The cousin lives on
Church St.) The letter can explain work the father does at the mine and any tools he uses,
tell about a party for a brother or sister who just graduated from the local school, describe
what the town looks like, etc.

Grade 4 – Tell students to imagine themselves as a child of the New Almaden miner
shown in A Miner’s Wheelbarrow. Assign a multiple-paragraph composition that
describes the town/camp where he/she lives, tells about an event he/she attended (e.g.,
Fourth of July picnic), etc.
Online Link: Gold Rush Days in Wickenburg, Arizona: A Local Legacy.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/es/az/es_az_goldrush_1.html. This site defines hand mucker
and shows a modern-day picture of a mucking contest.
22
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Miner’s Wheelbarrow 1
1
Graphic by Dennis and Mary Moran
23
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Quicksilver Crossword Puzzle
Purpose
This crossword puzzle practices an understanding of words and phrases related to the New
Almaden Mines.
Applicable Content Standards
English-Language Arts – Grade 3
Reading – Vocabulary and Concept Development 3.1.4 Use knowledge of antonyms, synonyms,
homophones, and homographs to determine the meanings of words.
English-Language Arts – Grade 4
Reading – Vocabulary and Concept Development 4.1.2. Apply knowledge of word origins,
derivations, synonyms, antonyms, and idioms to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
Materials

Photocopies of Quicksilver Crossword Puzzle
Directions
1. Make photocopies of Quicksilver Crossword Puzzle and distribute.
2. You may wish to create a word bank on the whiteboard if you feel it would be appropriate for
your class.
24
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Answer Key
1
S
2
C
I
N
N
A
B
A
R
N
5
F
G
L
6
R
E
J
9
A
3
D
4
O
O
R
U
R
N
A
C
B
T
O
R
7
F
T
8
M
L
10
M
C
I
K
N
A
D
12
Q
E
L
C
A
S
K
R
J
R
A
11
O
C
C
H
U
A
E
N
I
E
I
I
C
K
S
I
N
N
R
I
O
G
G
Y
N
N
G
E
25
L
V
E
R
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Quicksilver Crossword Puzzle
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
ACROSS
DOWN
2. red mineral made of mercury and sulfur
1. drilling process where one man worked
the drill and hammer
5. very large container used to heat
cinnabar ore into mercury gas
6. small closed container used to heat
cinnabar ore
7. iron bottle that holds seventy-six
pounds of mercury
9. means “the mine” in Arabic
12. another name for mercury, meaning
“living silver”
3. drilling process where one man held the
drill and another man held the hammer
4. these were used to haul cinnabar out of
the mines on rails
8. very heavy metal that is liquid at room
temperature
10. process of removing ore from a mine
11. name of the first people to use cinnabar
in New Almaden
26
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Ore Car Cutout 1
Ore cars carried red cinnabar ore on
narrow rails through mine tunnels to
the Reduction Works in the
Hacienda.
Materials: tag board, scissors, glue
1. Copy or glue onto card stock.
2. Cut out the ends and bottom along the solid cutting
lines.
3. Fold along dashed lines.
4. Glue, staple or tape the tabs of the ends to tabs of
the bottom.
5. Glue the sides onto the end and bottom sections.
1
Project created by volunteers at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum. Thanks to Don Weeden, Suzanne, Kelly,
Laurel and Briana.
27
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Vichy Springs
Purpose
Vichy Springs shows students that a bottled-water business once flourished in New Almaden.
Since this bottled water was naturally carbonated, the exercise may be used to introduce the
principle of carbonation.
Applicable Content Standards
History-Social Science – Grade 3
3.5.1 Describe the ways in which local producers have used and are using natural resources,
human resources, and capital resources to produce goods and services in the past and the present.
Materials

Photocopies of Vichy Springs
Directions
1. Make photocopies of Vichy Springs as desired.
2. Online Link: Education.com. http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/gas-sniffers/
This website offers an activity that tests for the presence of CO2 and identifies sources of the
gas.
3. Possible discussion areas and questions for Vichy Springs:
 While living in the Casa Grande, F. A. L. Pioche discovered the bubbling action in Los
Alamitos Creek. In 1867 he started the Vichy Water Company, bottled the water from
Los Alamitos Creek, called it the NEW ALMADEN MIN’L WATER, and claimed it
would cure all sickness. Do we sell mineral water today? Do we claim that it will cure
disease?
 When mining at the Buena Vista Shaft was discontinued, it filled with water and resealed
the vent. Today, there is a place in Los Alamitos Creek where you can see the
carbonation bubble to the surface. What happens to soda pop when you leave the lid off?
 Which gas do we inhale in order to live? What is the main gas we exhale? Why would
miners need to run for their lives from carbon dioxide gas?
28
Reading
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Vichy Springs
Coca Cola and 7-Up are man-made carbonated soft drinks. Perrier, Evian, Calistoga,
and at one time, New Almaden’s local Vichy water, are carbonated drinks made by
nature. The natural carbonated waters come from springs where carbon dioxide is
held under high pressure on the surface of a pool of water buried deep within a
mountain. The weight of the mountain provides the high pressure required to force
bubbles of gas into the water. A spring is a place where the buried water leaks out of
the mountain.
Buried deep within the Capitancillos Range of New Almaden was a pool of water
with the mountains providing the high pressure. The limestone (calcium carbonate),
of which the mountain is made, provided the carbon dioxide gas. At New Almaden,
the water that left the mountain at a place called Vichy Springs was carbonated soda
water like Perrier. People put it in bottles to sell as mineral water.
The springs existed until the Buena Vista mineshaft drilled a hole in the rock and released the
pressure and carbon dioxide. It was like leaving the cap off of a bottle of soda. The carbonation
left the water forever, leaving behind plain old drinking water. One day in 1891, the spring
water wasn’t carbonated anymore. This was the same day that miners drilled the Buena
Vista shaft deeper than 2,300 feet below the surface and released a really big bubble of
carbon dioxide gas, CO2. The miners had to run for their lives because
there was not enough oxygen in the mine to breathe. When mining at
the Buena Vista Shaft was discontinued, it filled with water and
resealed the vent. Today, there is a place in Los Alamitos Creek
Buena Vista Shaft House
where you can see the carbonation bubble to the surface
Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is made of one atom of carbon and
two atoms of oxygen. It is not a poisonous gas. We breathe it
all the time but we can’t use its oxygen atoms because they
are too tightly bound to the carbon atom. Carbon dioxide can
be found in mines and may build up to dangerous levels. If
the air has too much CO2 gas and not enough breathable
oxygen, people get sleepy and can get very ill or even die.
Vichy Springs' soda
water sold here.
Drill
Vichy Springs
CO2 Gas
Carbonated Water
29
Los Alamitos Creek
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Quicksilver Stock Certificates, Old Time Penmanship
Purpose
Students practice penmanship and discover how it may have been taught at the New Almaden
schools.
English-Language Arts – Grade 3
Writing Strategies 3.1.2 Write legibly in cursive or joined italic, allowing margins and correct
spacing between letters in a word and words in a sentence.
English-Language Arts – Grade 4
Writing Strategies –4.1.4 Write fluidly and legibly in cursive or joined italic.
Materials

Stock certificate facsimiles, 1 per student,
received during the visit to the museum. (Before
the end of the tour, park staff will check with the
visiting teacher(s) to ensure that sufficient copies
are available for students in the class.)

If you are not visiting the museum, a larger stock
certificate that you can photocopy follows on the
next page.
Directions
1. You may have students do the penmanship activity for lettering practice, then fill in their
names on their stock certificates.
2. Online Link: One Room School Lesson – Lesson Plans.
http://michigan.gov/documents/hal_mhc_mhm_lessons_1884-85_95556_7.pdf
See “Penmanship: How It Can Be Taught Successfully.”
3. Online Link: Nieviadomy, Jinny. Graffiti Art Lesson Plan I.
http://www.graffiti.org/faq/lessonplan_1.html Site contains suggested exercises that may, if
you use them, fulfill some Content Standards for Visual Arts.
30
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
31
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Old-Time Penmanship
Jemima May Climo, a New Almaden resident during the mining times, collected her friends’
signatures in a red velvet book. Every one of her friends seemed to have designed their own
capital letters. When you sign your stock certificate, try out these letters…or design your own.
There is room to practice on this paper.
Practice Space
32
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Mineshaft Safety, Double Man Cage,
Planilla Safety, The Planilla
Purpose
Students analyze past safety practices and compare them to those currently in use.
Materials

Photocopies of Mineshaft Safety Activity, Double Man Cage, Planilla Safety and The
Planilla.
Directions
1. Make photocopies as desired.
Answer Keys
Mineshaft Safety
Q.
A.
Why do you think miners were not allowed to ride on man cages loaded with tools, timber,
or black powder?
If the man cage slipped or had a hard landing, the heavy tools could injure the miner. The
black powder might even explode.
Q.
A.
Why shouldn’t a person ride with a load of ore?
Cinnabar ore is very heavy. If a cable or other part were weak, it would be more likely to
break when loaded with ore.
Q.
A.
Can you think of any other rules that might make the ride safer?
These are other rules they did have:
1. Keep your hands and elbows in.
2. No pushing or crowding.
3. No more that six people in a small man cage. No more than 10 in the larger man cage.
4. There must be an escape landing every 30 feet.
Joke:
What musical note would you hit if you dropped a piano down a mineshaft?
“A-flat” minor.
33
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Double Man Cage
Sample answers may include:

double decked

no walls

no “floor buttons”

no emergency telephone

no lights

no music!
Planilla Safety
Sample answers may include:

Install railings.

Improve beam construction. Is this really earthquake safe?

A miner shouldn’t be standing on the sloping grizzly, especially not under an ore car full
of rocks.

Wheelbarrow drivers should be wearing gloves and work belts. They should be trained
to bend correctly.

All the workers should be wearing hard hats.
34
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Mineshaft Safety
A mineshaft is a vertical hole in the ground. A man cage is a very simple, basic
elevator. Mineshafts could be as deep as 2,300 feet and most of the man cages in these shafts did
not have railings around them. Miners knew that the main rule was “Be Careful,” but they were
mostly young men and constantly needed reminding. This notice was posted at New Almaden’s
mineshafts.
Shafts and Cages
The cage-man and top-man shall keep a careful watch over the cages
during their shift’s work and immediately report all defects and have them
repaired before continuing their work.
No person shall ride upon a cage loaded with tools, timber, powder or
other material, except for the purpose of assisting in distributing these to
the different levels.
NO PERSON SHALL RIDE ON A CAGE
LOADED WITH ROCK OR ORE.
Q.
Why do you think miners were not allowed to ride on cages loaded with tools, timber, or
black rifle powder?
A.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Q.
Why shouldn’t a person ride with a load of ore?
A.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Q.
Can you think of any other rules that might make the ride safer?
A.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Joke: What musical note would you hit if you dropped a piano down a mineshaft?
_______________________________________________________________________
35
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Double Man Cage
This was the man cage or miner’s elevator.
How is it different from a modern
elevator?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
36
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Planilla Safety
The Planilla (plah-KNEE-ah) was a shed where miners sorted rocks.
Planilla at the Randol
The picture above and sketch on the next page show miners in a planilla deciding which rocks to
carry to the grinder (those containing valuable ore) and which rocks to throw over the edge of the
hill (those not containing enough valuable ore). The ore cars dump rocks onto the slanted
“grizzly” or grate. The small ones fall through and the big ones have to be sorted by hand.
Pretend you are a modern safety inspector. What hazards can you find? What changes would
you make?
37
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
The Planilla 1
1
Volunteer Gina Farnquist did this drawing of the planilla at the Randol shaft from a photo in the museum.
38
Teacher Guide
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Mercury Mining Scramble
Purpose
This word scramble may be used to review the study unit.
Applicable Content Standards
English-Language Arts – Grade 3
Word Analysis… 3.1.4 Use knowledge of antonyms, synonyms, homophones, and homographs
to determine the meanings of words.
English-Language Arts – Grade 4
Word Analysis… 4.1.2 Apply knowledge of word origins, derivations, synonyms, antonyms, and
idioms to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
Materials

Photocopies of Mercury Mining Scramble
Directions
1. Make photocopies as desired.
2. Answers may be found in preceding student worksheets and readings or you can add a word
bank to the whiteboard.
Answer Key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
shaft
tunnel
retort
ore
cinnabar
6. mineral
7. flask
8. double jacking
9. planilla
10. pump
39
Name _______________________________
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Mercury Mining Scramble
Test your knowledge of mercury mining – unscramble the following words.
1. sfhta
______________________ a vertical passage used to enter a
mine
2. ntnule
______________________ a horizontal corridor or working area
in a mine
3. rttero
______________________ a closed container where ore is heated
to extract a metal
4. ero
______________________ a naturally occurring mineral in rock
from which a metal, such as mercury,
can be extracted
5. raicnnba
______________________ a reddish brown mineral that is the
main source of mercury
6. lerimna
______________________ an inorganic solid substance that
occurs naturally in the ground and has
its own characteristic appearance and
chemical composition
7. alksf
______________________ a small iron container with a narrow
neck; used to hold 76 lbs. mercury 1
8. igjnbokeudlac
______________________ two men working together to drill
holes in rock; one man held and
turned the drill bit while a second
“Cousin Jack” hammered it in
9. lllapani
______________________ a shed where miners graded and
sorted rocks containing cinnabar
10. pmup
______________________ a piece of equipment used to raise and
remove water from the lower tunnels
and workings of the mine
40
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Photo Credits
Photographs and graphics courtesy of Almaden Quicksilver County Park; New Almaden
Quicksilver County Park Association; Tom Schweich; John Slenter; <www.clipart.com, 2004>.
Bibliography and Resources
Arbuckle, Clyde. History of San Jose. San Jose: Smith McKay Printing, 1986.
Barlowe, Sy. Learning about Minerals. Mineola: Dover Publications, Inc., 1998.
California Geologic Survey – Teacher Features; a regular feature of California Geology
magazine – intended for use by educators in the classroom
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/teacher_features/Pages/Index.aspx
(Free educational materials on geology and earth science)
California Has Its Faults – Teacher Feature; the basics of California’s fault types
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/teacher_features/Pages/faults.aspx
CET (Center for Ecological Technology) Mercury in our Environment
http://www.cetonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mercury-flyer-2012-CET.pdf
Fabulous Facts about Mineral Resources.
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/teacher_features/pdfs/Documents/t
f_1112_99.pdf (Free, printable 3-page brochure from California Geologic Survey)
Flashcard Exchange. http://www.cram.com/search?query=minerals+and+rocks&submit=Search
(Free online flashcards on Minerals and Rocks as well as other topics)
Hart, Eugene R. A Guide to the California Gold Rush. Merced: FreeWheel Publications, 2002.
(Available for purchase at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum.)
Lanyon, Milton and Laurence Bulmore. Cinnabar Hills: The Quicksilver Days of New Almaden.
Los Gatos: Village Printers, 1967. (Available for purchase at the New Almaden Quicksilver
Mining Museum.)
NASA. Six Simple Machines. http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/heo-powerful_pulleyskeeping_it_simple_six_simple_machines_seg2.pdf
41
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Pope, Norman. Crisis at Quicksilver Hill. 1975. (Available for purchase at the New Almaden
Quicksilver Mining Museum.)
“Quicksilver.” Episode 801 of California’s Gold. Host Huell Howser. Wells Fargo. (Twentyeight minute video available for purchase at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum.)
Schneider, Jimmie. Quicksilver: The Complete History of Santa Clara County’s New Almaden
Mine. San Jose: Zella Schneider, 1992. (Available for purchase at the New Almaden
Quicksilver Mining Museum.)
Thompson & West. Historical Atlas of Santa Clara County. 1876. San Jose: Smith & McKay
Printing Company, 1973.
Todd, Arthur Cecil. The Cornish Miner in America. Spokane: The Arthur H. Clark Co., 1995.
42
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
Teacher Evaluation
The Staff at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum would appreciate your feedback on this teaching and
activity guide. Please fill out and return this evaluation form to let us know if there is anything we can do to better
meet your needs. Thank you for your time and effort
Check the materials you used to teach your class about New Almaden:
_____ Brief New Almaden History
Pre-Visit Activities
_____ The Pagoda
_____ Mining Terms Word Search
_____ School Days
_____ Double Jacking/Wheelbarrows
_____ Crossword Puzzle
_____ Ore Car
_____ Geologic History
_____ Vocabulary and Facts
Post-visit Activities
_____ Vichy Springs
_____ Old-Time Penmanship
_____ Stock Certificates
_____ Mineshaft Safety
_____ Planilla Safety
_____ Mercury Mining Scramble
For which grade level(s) did you use the materials? __________
What did you find most useful about the teaching and activity guide?
What needs to be changed or improved?
Are there any subjects or activities you would like to see added?
Additional comments:
Please fold in thirds, stamp and mail to the address printed on the back.
Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
21350 Almaden Road
San Jose, CA 95120