Klondike Gold Rush

Linda Mazzetti
Illinois Geographic Alliance Summer Geography Alaskan Cruise, 2001

Preview of Main Ideas

In the summer of 1897, a ship arrived in Seattle, Washington carrying over two tons of gold from the Klondike River in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Within the next two years 100,000 people would seek their fortune in the Klondike Gold Rush. There were three routes the prospectors would take to get to the Yukon Territory. Skagway and Dyea,situated on the land/sea route, would grow quickly in population as people stampeded to get a share of gold.

Connecting with the Curriculum

This lesson may be used in Social Studies and Geography.

Teaching Level: Fourth Grader Students aspiring to Geography Standards

Objectives Classification Outline

Objective #1: Students will describe the relationship among location of the natural resource, gold, in the Klondike River and population distributions and economic activities (e.g. transportation, trade) in Skagway and Dyea.

Essential Element: Human Systems

Standard #9: The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on the Earth’s surface.

Knowledge Statement #3: The causes and effects of human migration.

Skill Set #2: Acquiring geographic information.

Skill #2: Make and record observations about the physical and human characteristics of places as exemplified by being able to use relief maps to identify elements of the physical and human environments.

Theme: Place

Materials

  1. Resource Books
  2. Travel books
  3. Maps
  4. Relief Maps
  5. Clay
  6. Colored markers
  7. Paper
  8. Video on Klondike Gold Rush
  9. Pie Plates
  10. Sacks of erasers
  11. Colored yarn

Suggestions for Teaching the Lesson

Opening the Lesson

  1. Distribute relief maps to each student. Discuss the landforms of the United States.
  2. Discuss mountain ranges extending from Alaska through Canada and into the United States.
  3. Pour water on relief maps covering only the oceans. Students should then orally state one observation about mountain ranges.

Developing the Lesson

Day 1.

    1. Chose three boys to pretend they are panning for gold in the Klondike River. They yell and wave erasers as if the erasers are gold.
    2. Explain the gold is sent to Seattle by boat. When it arrives the word spreads quickly. Have other students play the telephone game passing the word about gold. Then ask students who would be willing to prospect for gold go to the Klondike Rive to walk to the front of the class. A large map of North America would be displayed. Seattle and the Klondike River would be marked by a star on the map.
    3. Students would be asked to figure out how to get from Seattle to the Klondike River. They could trace their finger on the different paths. The class would listen to the various responses. The teacher would record routes with colored yarn on the large display map.

Students would discuss that there are different ways to reach the Klondike River from Seattle.

Students would be given a North America Map on which they would record one or two possible routes.

Day 2.

    1. Students would be given an elevation map of the White Pass Route and the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad.
    2. Students would be shown the video, North to the Yukon.
    3. Students would be given an opportunity to look at and read books on the Klondike Gold Rush.
    4. The Canadian "One Ton Law of 1898" would be explained to students.
    5. The teacher would then review the routes to the Klondike River. There are actually three choices; the land route which was dangerous, the water route which was expensive, and the land/sea route which was preferred. This last route started either at Skagway or Dyea.

Concluding the Lesson

    1. Students are grouped.
    2. Students are given heavy paper with a map of North America on it.
    3. Students are then given clay to make mountains and markers to draw in lakes and rivers. They are to reconstruct the White Pass Trail and the Chilkoot Trail. They should continue the trails through the lake system that extends into the Yukon River and then into the Klondike River System.

Extending the Lesson

    1. There is a CD Rom Educational Game: The Yukon Rail. In this game students retrace the route stampeders followed from Seattle to Dawson City.
    2. A Stampeder Kit is available for a three week period for $10.00 and the cost of shipping.

Assessing Student Learning

    1. Have students divide into pairs.
    2. Pass out the skill sheet, Routes to the Gold Field Map Project.
    3. Discuss the correct answers with the class.

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