MysteryQuest 23 Teachers' Notes
Should I Join the Rush?
This MysteryQuest examines the conditions and opportunities presented by the Klondike Gold Rush. Students learn about the hardships faced by adventurers who went to the Klondike. Students also learn that many factors determine the success of individuals during historical events.
A critical thinking challenge to accompany
Who Discovered Klondike Gold?
https://www.mysteryquests.ca/quests/23/indexen.html
Author: Warren Woytuck
Series Editor: Roland Case
based on an approach developed by The Critical Thinking Consortium (TC2)
Ages
11–14
Courses
Canadian history, social studies
Key Topics
working and living conditions in the Klondike
Canadian history during the late 19th century
Critical Challenges
- Identify working and living conditions during the Klondike Gold Rush.
- Provide a recommendation as to whether or not a family member should travel to the Klondike to find work.
Broad Understanding
- Students will learn to find evidence in textual sources.
- Students learn about the hardships faced by adventurers who travelled to the Klondike.
Requisite Tools
Background knowledge
- knowledge of the conditions in the Yukon during the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Criteria for judgment
- criteria for determining suitability (e.g., likely financial success, personal well-being, positive experience)
- criteria for a sound recommendation (e.g., plausible, supported with accurate evidence)
Critical thinking vocabulary
- inference
- contradictory evidence
- pro and con evidence
Thinking strategies
- data charts
- rating scale
Habits of mind
- attention to detail
Independent Study
This lesson can be used as a self-directed activity by having students individually or in pairs work their way through the guided instructions and support material found at
https://www.mysteryquests.ca/quests/23/indexen.html.
Whole Class Activities
On the following pages are suggested modifications of the self-guided procedures found on the MysteryQuest website for use with a class of students. For convenience, each item of support material and set of procedures is linked to the relevant suggestions for whole class instruction.
Suggested Activities
Set the context
Invite students to imagine that, as adults, they must move to a new country to find work. Brainstorm factors that students might consider in choosing their destination (e.g., likelihood of making money, certainty of getting a job, climate, recreation opportunities). Ask students whether they would consider moving to a location that could put their personal safety and well-being at risk.
Using Introduction as a guide, explain to students the context for their investigation.
Introduce the task
Using The Task as a guide, explain that students are to work in small groups to provide advice to Alan, a fictional cousin who is thinking about travelling to the Klondike to find work.
Learn about the event
Use the overview, timeline, and map described in Step 1: Learn about the Gold Rush to describe to the class the events and conditions of the Klondike Gold Rush.
Look for evidence
Using Step 2: Look for evidence about living and working conditions as a guide, instruct students to work in pairs to examine one or two documents and two or three photographs listed in the Primary Sources section of Evidence in the Case to learn about the conditions in the Klondike.
Distribute copies of Investigating the Conditions (html) to each pair of students. Select one of the photographs to illustrate how students might identify and record information about various conditions existing in the Klondike.
Arrange for students to share their findings with others in the class. Assemble a master list of the evidence and collectively discuss the most appropriate ratings for each condition.
Identify the cousin's characteristics
Using Step 3: Establish your cousin's characteristics as a guide, inform students that their next task is to determine the cousin's work skills and personality traits.
Distribute to each student a copy of Personality Profile (html) .
Justify a recommendation
Using Step 4: Prepare your recommendation as a guide, explain to students the three options they have to recommend to their cousin about travelling to the Klondike.
Distribute copies of Making a Recommendation (html) for students to record the reasons for and against coming to the Klondike and to justify their recommendation.
You may choose to hold a class debate or ask students to write a 250-word letter defending their conclusions in light of evidence from the documents examined.
Evaluation
Use the rubric Assessing the Evidence and Ratings (html) to evaluate student identification of the living and working conditions.
Use the rubric Assessing the Recommendation (html) to evaluate student justification of their advice to their cousin.
Extension
Invite students to work individually or as a class to pursue the suggested activities listed in Extension.