SOCIAL STUDIES/GOLD MINING/GHOST TOWN LESSON April 2014

TEACHER: Greg Lee

DATE: 3/19/14
UNIT OF STUDY: Gold Rush Days 1862 in Bannack, Montana
SUBJECT AREA/COURSE/GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies/History/Science
Objective: Students will have a clear understanding of the what it was like in Bannack during the gold rush era.
They will understand the hardships faced and the illegal activities that occurred.
Student will understand the devastating efects of the mining and how it is still efecting the town 152
years later.
STANDARDS:
Content Standard 1Students access, synthesize, and evaluate information to communicate and apply social
studies knowledge to real world situations.
Content Standard 2Students analyze how people create and change structures of power, authority, and
governance to understand the operation of government and to demonstrate civic responsibility.
Content Standard 3Students apply geographic knowledge and skills (e.g., location, place, human/environment
interactions, movement, and regions).
Content Standard 4Students demonstrate an understanding of the efects of time, continuity, and change on
historical and future perspectives and relationships.
Content Standard 5Students make informed decisions based on an understanding of the economic principles of
production, distribution, exchange, and consumption.
Content Standard 6Students demonstrate an understanding of the impact of human interaction and cultural
diversity on societies.
Materials: 2-Double-sided 8-1/2 x 11 page about history of gold rush days in Montana and other side a review of
vocabulary from history page.
Items to show students while discussing about history of Bannack. (kerosene lantern, gold pan, cofee
pot, Speckle ware plate, and iron.
Introduction:
Quickly tell students the objectives of the lesson.
Discuss with students what are their favorite inventions they have right now. Write them on the white board.
Then ask students if it were possible to travel back in time would you go back in 1862 in Bannack, Montana
even after realizing all your favorite inventions did not even exist.
Handout 2-double-sided page and have students read about the gold mining days out loud.
Show a quick movie clip about Bannack, Montana.
Discuss more about the history of the town while showing the antiques asking if students know what they are.
Have a discussion of the diferent types of mining that occurred in Bannack (panning, sluice box, Dredging, and
hydraulic mining.)
Have students finish by working on the other pages from handout. It is a refresher of what was spoken about in
class to help cement the information in the students memory.
Extension: Have student finish up by working on the crossword puzzle and word find with the vocabulary words
that were in the story as a refresher of the history of Bannack.