Dirt to Dust! And beyond… bESTology Week 3

Published by rrfenton on February 8, 2015February 8, 2015

Dirt to Dust! And beyond..

Image: friendsofbest.org

As James Marshall was designing and building a sawmill for John Sutter, a discovery was made, a discovery that would change America. GOLD!

While the sawmill was the primary focus for James and John, they decided to keep the discovery of the gold a secret. But word got out and an entrepreneur named Sam Brannan embraced the concept of supply and demand. As Sam began spreading the word, he also purchased all of the shovels, pick axes and pans in town. A pan that once cost .20 cents would now cost $15.00. Needless to say, Sam became the first California millionaire during the 1800’s. Sam is credited for starting the California Gold Rush!

People began migrating to California from not only North America but from Asia and around the world. This immense movement of people with diverse ideas and cultures would help create the fabric of America’s landscape.

Resources:

Data Mining: Now that gold was discovered, infrastructure had to be created to support the influx of miners and their families. Debate whether searching for gold would be more profitable versus building roads, generating clean water, manufacturing tools, sewing cloths, constructing houses, growing food, establishing a bank, being a doctor, providing transportation, repairing tools, or educating the miner’s children. Research the increase of population and apply the concept of supply and demand to aid in your discussion.

Fun Fact: After 165 years, we still see companies in existence that were established during the Gold Rush; Levi Strauss clothing, Wells Fargo Bank and Armour Meats.

Writing: The number “49” is often associated with the Gold Rush. Sam Brannan began spreading the word about the gold in 1849 and the land for the Panama Railway was leased for 49 years. Research the Panama Railway for it’s impact on the population migration to California and choose 49 words to describe the engineering involved and it’s importance. Next, incorporate the list of 49 words into a word cloud. Post the final Panama Railway word cloud on the BEST Facebook page.

Challenge: What is the name of the NFL football team located in San Francisco, CA? Are other professional sport team names based on the mining industry?

BEST Connection: Interested in becoming a game designer? Design a BEST game where the robot must pan for gold. Include how an obstacle such as water would be overcome in the design and implementation. The game proposal should not exceed one page. Share your ideas by emailing them to info@friendsofbest.org. Acknowledgement will be made to the top three (3) game ideas!

Community Connection: Migration is often based on the availability of jobs in a region. The greater the employment opportunities correlates to an increase in population. Click HERE to use the Forbes interactive population map to determine if the population is increasing or decreasing in your county/region. Continue using the map to explore the population movement in other areas of the nation. Invite a representative from your local Workforce Development Office, Chamber of Commerce or Economic Development Office to visit your class. Ask them to share high demand careers for your region and the education needed for each job.

Bloom’s Taxonomy: apply, ask, choose, debate, design, include, incorporate, invite, name, post, research, share, use, write

Workforce Skills: reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, active learning, writing, business practices

Dirt to Dust! And beyond… bESTology Week 3