B.C. Gold Rushes

This children's novel, by Barbara Haworth-Attard (2004), is the story of the Cariboo Gold Rush from the point of view of a young girl. Because of unfortunate circumstances that have just happened, the protagonist travels to the Cariboo gold fields in search of her father in disguise as a boy because of the gender roles in the 1800's. She details her fictional first-hand experience in a diary format for readers. I think this resource has the potential to engage the females in the class because they can relate to young Harriet. This novel won the CLA Book of the Year For Children Award in 2005. 

 

This children's novel, by Ann Walsh (1988), is commonly used in Grade 5 classrooms when teaching about the Cariboo Gold Rush. The story is about a young man who went to mine in the Cariboo Rush but was murdered. His body gets discovered, and an oddly shaped gold nugget is one clue to the murderer's identity. This novel could capture the attention of young readers who thrive off suspenseful stories filled with mystery. With the exception of Ted, all the characters and their role are historically accurate. In the novel are historical footnotes about the setting and characters involved in the Cariboo Gold Rush, too. 

This book, by Boissery Beverley & Bronwyn Short (2003), provides a pictorial history of the Fraser River and Cariboo Gold Rushes. This book would be beneficial for those students who need visual cues to help guide their reading so they can better comprehend. This book contains 125 photographs and drawings and recalls most of the major entrepreneurs and politicians during the Gold Rushes. Additionally, it covers relations between the whites and Natives, the influx of world-wide gold seekers, the hardships of the gold rushes, and the techniques used. 

This educational children's picture book is from the Planet Collection (2012). It's filled with descriptions, photographs of gold mining, facts, and thought-provoking questions to increase engagement. I believe that most kids are interested in gold and want to know how people find it, and this book answers students' wonders about gold mining. It's important to first engage students in the modern-day, highly-relatable aspect of the curriculum topic so that they will feel more knowledgeable when learning about the historical events of those topics, such as with the gold rushes.

B.C. Gold Rushes: Print Materials

These print resources are intended to engage different types of learners with different reading interests. Two are novels about the Cariboo Gold Rush written with very different story lines, which will attract different students' attention. The third is an informational book about gold mining, and the fourth is a pictorial history book about the B.C. Gold Rushes. Providing these 4 book choices during a unit study on B.C. Gold Rushes will promote student autonomy, which will increase their motivation.