Simple Writing Prompt On California Gold Rush

As regular readers know, I continually add new writing prompts I use in my classes to The Best Posts On Writing Instruction. I think it’s quite a good collection.

The one I’m using tomorrow in my U.S. History class of English Language Learners is not one of the top-notch ones I’ve shared, but it’s decent and usable (and I’m always open to ideas on how to the prompts better).

Here it is (and here it is as a student handout):

What was the California Gold Rush and what impact did it have on California? Why do you think so many people came to look for gold? If you were alive then, do you think you would have come? Why or why not? Please use examples from the books, from other sources we’ve used in our study of the time, and from your own observations and experiences as a risk-taker.

You also might, or might not, be interested in our class blog post with additional resources on The Gold Rush.