WD Hall 4th Grade Team Celebrates Gold Rush Days in Style

On Friday, May 27, our fourth grade team celebrated Gold Rush Day at W.D. Hall. Parent volunteers and teachers coordinated a special day for the kiddos to help them relive a day in the life of a forty-niner. The students rotated between five stations where they were able to participate in different California Gold Rush themed activities. At one station, the students were given an opportunity to pan for gold out of kiddy pools that were filled with sand, water, and “gold” rocks. They then rotated on to the general store where they were able to purchase goodies with the gold they had just panned. The students also participated in Reader’s Theater and acted out the discovery of gold. They were each assigned parts to play of major people during the Gold Rush, and given a script. It was really cute and some of them turned out to be great actors! For a more creative twist on the day, students participated in a Gold Rush directed draw. They were not told beforehand what the picture would be, it was a surprise! They had a blast seeing their drawings come together and were excited when they realized that what they were actually drawing was a gold mine. Students were then able to add more creativity to their drawings by adding color, more detail, and a catchy Gold Rush themed title! The last of the rotations was the photo booth followed by potato sack races. Each student sat on a saddle that was hoisted on top of bails of hay. After their picture was taken, the students had a chance to compete against their classmates in potato sack races. Sack races were a fun way to play outdoor activities and didn’t require any technology. The day concluded with a flapjack and bacon breakfast that was provided and prepared by parent volunteers. Students sat at the lunch tables and enjoyed a hearty breakfast after a long day of mining. The students loved the hats and bandanas that they were provided and some even took their costumes a little further. It turned out to be a great day that commemorated an important time period in our state’s history. Please view the shared video that recaps the event below. Thank you.

http://safeYouTube.net/w/RQ2

W.D. Hall, 4th Grade Team