Turn the chaos of the California Gold Rush into a creative Theme Park Design Challenge your students won’t forget. In this two-day activity, students explore the real story of the California Gold Rush before designing their own historically accurate theme park set in 1849.

Students begin by reading about the migration to California, the dangers of the journey west, life in rough mining towns, and how opportunity and discrimination shaped the experiences of miners, women, immigrants, and Native Californians.

After completing reading questions, students apply what they learned by creating “Gold Rush World,” a theme park where every ride, restaurant, shop, and show must connect to real events from the Gold Rush. Their park might include a hydraulic mining roller coaster, a Vigilante Justice live show, or a price-gouging restaurant that reflects life in boomtowns.  This lesson is where history and creativity come alive!

What's Included 
California Gold Rush Reading (5 pages)
Activity 1: Reading Questions — 12 short answer questions to build foundational knowledge.  
Activity 2: Gold Rush World Design Challenge — Step  by step instructions and examples. 
Teacher Guide & answer keys
Grading rubric

What Students Will Learn
Why and how people migrated to California in the late 1840s
How placer mining and hydraulic mining worked — and why most miners failed to get rich quick.
What daily life looked like in Gold Rush towns, including lawlessness, price gouging, and vice
How race and gender shaped access to opportunity during the Gold Rush
The impact of the Gold Rush on Native Californians
How California's statehood triggered the political crisis that led to the Civil War 

Grade Level: 7–10
Duration: 2 class periods
DOK Levels: 1–3 
Format: Word