Last updated: February 22, 2022
Lesson Plan
Seattle Streets
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- State Standards:
- WA State Standards
E2.4.5, SSS3.4.1, SSS3.5.1, SSS2.6-8.2
Essential Question
How did people take advantage of bustling Seattle during the Klondike Gold Rush?
Objective
Students will:
• Research newspapers and other archives from Seattle in 1897-1899
• Identify one opportunity or one problem in Seattle during that time and create a solution
• Compare and contrast their solutions with other students’ work
Preparation
Materials Needed
- Internet or library access for research
- Paper
- Pencils and markers or crayons
Lesson Hook/Preview
What kinds of opportunities and problems arise during large events like the gold rush? What role did Seattle play for many hoping to strike it rich in the Yukon? How did decisions people made in Seattle affect their time in the Klondike?
Procedure
Engage
In your mind, go through everything you use in a day. What you wear, what you eat, what you do, how you move around. Where do these things come from? Why were they invented? What would you do if you didn’t have them? Is there anything you don’t have that would make your life easier?
Explore
Before prospectors headed north, they needed to quickly gather supplies. What kinds of things did they need? Have students look at Seattle archives and stories of Klondikers to make a list of what prospectors might have needed. Then, divide students into five groups and assign them one of the following items to “invent”, design, and advertise to the other groups: waterproof boots, dehydrated bread (just add water!), gold-sniffing dogs, snow bikes, and a 2-in-1 toothbrush comb. While students are working together, have each group decide if they will invent real or fake items to sell. After all the groups present their ideas, give the class one minute to decide the three items they would take with them to the Klondike. After they decide, have groups reveal which items were fake. How would this have impacted the trip? Would they have picked different items to bring if they had more time to decide? For items that were legitimate, what advantage do they provide? How will they make prospecting easier?
Explain
Humans have been inventing new things for thousands and thousands of years for the purpose of making our lives longer and easier. However, with money often comes trickery, and con artists can instead make people’s lives harder by lying about their products and stealing money. In times of turmoil or great opportunity, such as Seattle’s sudden population boom during the Klondike Gold Rush, con artists and thieves had an easier time fooling people. Taking advantage of the chaos, business-minded people in Seattle took to selling real and fake goods in the streets. Because this was before cars had arrived to the west coast, prospectors heading to the Klondike had to be able to carry all of their belongings via horseback or cart, which made powdered foods particularly helpful as they didn’t weigh too much. One such powdered food advertised by a street seller was powdered eggs, and the prospectors were amazed when the salesman cooked them up in front of their eyes and it tasted just like real eggs. Those prospectors ordered 100 pounds of powdered eggs to take with them up to Alaska, only to realize that the salesman had tricked them and sent 100 pounds of cornmeal instead. Similarly, people advertising boats to transport people and gear up North sometimes lied about the quality of their boats, and many sank. These are just two examples of the way that people took advantage of the gold rush and of each other.
The park website is a helpful resource: https://www.nps.gov/klse/learn/historyculture/people-of-the-gold-rush.htm
Elaborate
Have students research famous people from the Klondike Gold Rush such as Klondike Kate, Soapy Smith, Erasmus Brainard, and more. What actions did each of them take during this time period? How did each of them influence the course of the gold rush? Are there any people that are alive today that are doing similar work? Who are influential people today?
Evaluate
Some of the stores/companies that were born out of the Klondike gold rush in Seattle still exist today. Ask students to research how these companies have changed over time – what items did they sell then, and what do they sell now? How did they respond to demand during events such as wars or natural disasters? What role have they played in shaping Seattle? How do they impact our lives?