California History

Doing Without

Students will gain a perceptive of how different California was during the Gold Rush and how the residents of San Francisco coped with the growing population and changing economy.

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Going to California: Crossing the Isthmus

Through careful looking and reading a painting for information, students will better understand the journey out to California via the Isthmus of Panama during the California Gold Rush.

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Learning Landscapes: Great Canyon of the Sierra

Students will connect 19th century perceptions of the “Wild West” with Hill's representation of Yosemite. Students will learn the basic components of a landscape and will create a landscape using atmospheric perspective.

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Rough and Rugged Mining Camps: The California Gold Rush

Gain an understanding of the realities of daily life in the gold mining camps. Through careful looking and reading a painting for information, students will describe daily life in the California Gold Rush and draw conclusions about the nature of communities, economies and life during this time period.

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The Rancho

Students will gain an outsider’s perspective of California before it became a part of the Union.

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Which Way to California?; The Manifest Destiny and Art

Students will gain a broad understanding of the experiences people had as they traveled to California and draw conclusions of what lengths prospect miners were willing to go to reach the gold fields.

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