This is a unit of work on the goldrush, with links and resources, with ideas on lessons.

1. Australia’s Golden History Michelle Bolstad Sara MacLeod Ayesha Finlay

5. Introducing the Topic Play a game of bingo after a few games ask how winners felt. Discuss why people buy tickets in the lottery. Write a discussion titled “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” and describe why you think people want to be rich. Share.

6. Properties of Gold – Information sheet Gold is a very rare substance making up only five ten-millionths of the Earth's outer layer. (Imagine 10 million Smarties in one place and only 5 of them were made of gold!). Its rarity and its physical properties have made it one of the most prized of Earth's natural resources. Gold , like iron , copper , lead , tin etc. is a metal. Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity and are almost all solid at room temperature (with the exception of mercury ). They are malleable and ductile . Properties of Gold Chemical Symbol: Mineral : Relative Density : Hardness: Malleability : Ductility : Melting point: Boiling point: Atomic Mass : Gold is heavy — it weighs over nineteen times more than water, and is almost twice as heavy as lead. If you had enough Gold to fill a one litre milk carton, it would weigh 19.3 kilograms, the same volume of milk weighs only one kilogram. Gold is quite soft. It is slightly harder than a fingernail but not as hard as a coin or glass. Gold , like most metals, can be hammered into thin sheets ( malleable ) or drawn out into thin wires ( ductile ). This has made gold sought after for a wide range of applications, like jewellery and in electronics. "Gold leaf" for example, is gold that has been beaten into a sheet less than one tenth of a millimetre thick. It is then used for lettering on honour rolls in schools, or for putting gold onto picture frames and ornaments. NEXT: Gold in Australia, or Do the quiz Determine Prior Knowledge

7. Quiz Gold Quiz This quiz is based on gold facts at http://www.ga.gov.au/education/minerals/, the quiz can be completed online by starting at the first gold factsheet (there's a prize at the end!), or you can print out and copy the full list of questions below. 1)What is the chemical symbol for gold? [] Pb ,[] Ag , [] Au 2) All metals are solid at room temperature. [] True [] False 3) According to Moh's scale, gold has a hardness of [] 2-4 [] 2.5-3 [] 3.5 4) Gold is so malleable it can be beaten into a very thin sheet called "gold leaf" which is [] less than one tenth of a millimetre thick. [] one millimetre thick. [] one thousand microns thick. 5) Gold is [] very reactive to most chemicals [] very unstable [] not easily tarnished [] very corrosive 6) Gold melts at a temperature of [] 2660 degrees C [] 1660 degrees C [] 196.97 degrees C [] 1060 degrees C 7) Gold was formed in Western Australia [] thousands of years ago [] thousands of millions of years ago hundreds of years ago 8) 24 carat gold is [] 100% pure gold [] part gold, part silver [] 24% gold [] often called white gold 9) Gold is so heavy that it weighs [] over 19 times more than lead [] the same as 19 milk cartons [] twice as much as water [] over 19 times as much as water 10) Gold is so rare it makes up only [] 5 ten millionths of the Earth's outer layer [] 5 tenths of the Earth's outer layer [] 5 millionths of the Earth's outer layer [] 10 millionths of the Earth's outer layer http:// www.ga.gov.au/education/minerals/goldquiz.html

14. Influences on Australian Identity and Heritage

20. Life on the Goldfields

22. Today we will cover: Food during the gold rush Teaching and Learning Actions: Students will research what food supplies were available during the gold rush, and the cost of food to participate in a group discussion . Activity: Using only the food which was available during the gold rush, students will develop a menu for one day. They will also need to write a shopping list and determine the cost of their groceries. Assessment: Students will demonstrate their knowledge by providing a clearly set out menu with relevant meals of that time. Resources: Books on the gold rush (library resources), Internet for research. Other ideas: Compare the price of food during the gold rush to today’s prices. Life on the Goldfields

23. Today we will cover: Clothing worn by the digger’s Teaching and Learning Actions: Discussion and comparison of clothes worn during the gold rush by the diggers compared to people of today. Activity: Now and Then Students are to write a list of what they would pack if they were travelling to the goldfields and write a list of what they would pack if they were going away on a holiday. In small groups the students will discuss the difference, and write a report on it. Assessment Students to identify the difference between clothing needs and the difference between then to now in a written report. Resources : Books and websites to demonstrate clothing worn. Life on the Goldfields

24. Today we will cover: Women on the Goldfield and explore family life Teaching and Learning Actions: Reading, discussions and written response. Activity: Students to read the article on ‘Women and Family life’ on the Goldfields and participate in a group discussion about how the roles of women and family life have changed. Students to draw a timetable of what they do with their family on a typical weekend and create a timetable of what a family on the goldfields might do on their weekend. In small groups students can compare the two. Assessment: Students will demonstrate their understanding and be assessed on the timetables they produce Resources: Reading taken from RIC Publications (2000). Society and Environment. Workbook F. pp77-78. Other ideas: Students to write about what comforts they would miss if you they were to go back in time to the gold fields. Life on the Goldfields

28. References Newell, S. and Stubbs, B. (1999). Targeting Society and Environment: Upper Primary. Blake Education. Glebe, NSW. Nicholson, J.(1994). Gold, Allen and Unwin Pty Ltd, St Leonards, NSW. Price, B.J. (1972). The Australian Gold Rushes: New Days in History, Reed Education, Terry Hills, Sydney. Victoria Cultural Collaboration (2007). Gold. Retrieved 10th Oct 07, http:// www.sbs.com.au /gold/# RIC Group (2000). Society and Environment: Workbook F. R.I.C Publications. Greenwood, WA Shaw, M. (2004). Teacher’s Pet: The Goldrush. Retrieved 17 th October 2007. http://www.teacherspet.net.au