In August 1896, Skookum Jim Mason, Dawson Charlie and George Washington Carmack found gold in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada's Yukon Territory. Their discovery set off one of the greatest gold rushes in history.
All kinds of men (and women too), sold or gave up everything they had, and tried to strike it rich. A few actually did (mostly the early arrivals), some decided to profit from the gold fever of others. Some had to move back to wherever they came from, broke and broken, and many didn't make it at all. The Canadian Mounties (their organization began during this tumultuous time) tried to keep order, but there were scams and hoodlums and all kinds of unsavory characters. You had to watch your back, as well as the weather.
Jack London wrote vividly about life during that time, and the effects the harsh environment and circumstances had on the men and animals who lived through it. Now it's your turn.
(Pic from: University of Washington Libraries)
TaskBefore reading the novel Call of the Wild, by Jack London, you will create a character from the Yukon gold rush, and research what his/her experience might have been like. You will create a diary with images of your experience (this can take many forms including a scrapbook, a Power Point presentation, or a web page), and predict where your character might be in three years.
By the end, you should have a good understanding and knowledge of the historical/cultural context of the Yukon gold rush. You should be able to use information you find on the 'net to formulate knowledgeable, supportable opinions of what your character's chances would have been, what hardships he/she might have faced, and what their reasons for being there were. You will work together with the members of your team to decide what information to use and how to present it.
(Pic from: Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park)
Process
The class will be divided into groups of four. Each group will be nominally based in Dyea, Skagway, or Dawson. Before you decide who's who, do some group research about the time (1898) and place.
Then decide which role each person will research and create a journal for:
| Dawson Group: Canadian Mountie Dawson Merchant Scam Artist in Dawson Dogsled Mail Carrier | Skagway Group: Male stampeder Female Stampeder Skagway Merchant Sled Dog | Dyea Group: Male Stampeder Female Stampeder Dyea Merchant Sled Dog |
Use the links in the Resources section to research and create a character.
You should also use the suggested keywords to search for more links.
To begin with, create a "sketch" of your character:
- A name and a Klondike nickname.
- A physical description. (150+ words)
- A hometown and brief biography up to the decision to leave for the Yukon. (150+ words)
- An explanation of why he/she is here.
As you research, take notes about the experiences you would have had, and the hardships you would have faced. Were you prepared? What was the day-to-day experience like? What kinds of people did you deal with? What equipment did you need? Were you able to get it? What problems did you have? Was it what you expected? Did you succeed? Did you survive?
Your job will be to create a journal of your character's experience. It should include:
- At least 5 150+ word entries, covering a representative period of time during the rush. (Remember, it was over quickly, and even more quickly for most, so don't space your entries too far.)
- At least two appropriate graphics or maps, appropriately cited per entry. You can get your graphics from the sites you visit, or use image search engines to find what you need. Be sure they match the content of the journal, and are integral to it. Clip art, and images that do not add meaning will not be counted.
- At least three actual (appropriate) quotes from your research sources.
- An Epilogue that explains where your character is in 1900, and what he/she is doing.
- A list of which sites you used for your information and your images.
Your journals may take almost any form, including a scrapbook, Power Point, or web page. Presentation and mechanics both count, as well as content. Extra credit for especially authentic presentations. Your group will present your journals together.
(Pic from: University of Washington Libraries)
Resources
Remember; it will be up to you and your group to keep track of the titles and URLs of the sites you use for your information and images.
General Resources for all Characters and Background.
- Brief Overview from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. Also be sure to follow the link for a year's worth of gear.
- A wealth of background info from the same place.
- Stories from the Gold Rush from the Smithsonian Postal Museum. A good place to help you decide on a (human) character. Make sure you follow all the links appropriate to your character.
- The Perilous Journey North from University of Washington Special Collections. A great source for pics and background info on the experiences your character would face.
- Gold Rush Stories from the Alaskan State Library. Short "stories" that are good for making your character come to life. Be sure to check out all the links.
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Origins of the RCMP - Klondike Gold Rush"
- Women of the Yukon
- Dogsled Mail Delivery
- The Growth of Skagway Business
- Dogs: Hard Drive to the Klondike (Scroll down to "Animals for the Yukon." You can use the same site for info about the transportation of all the goods necessary.)
- The Klondike Fever: The Life and Death of the Last Great Gold Rush This one's a book, but it's easy to search for the sections you need for your character. (Control F - Find)
- Gold Fever from PBS. This is the companion site to the TV program. It's a great place to find some quotes for your journal and other information.
- The University of Washington Digital Collections. Do a keyword search for Yukon, or Dawson, or something else related to your character. This is a great place to get graphics for your journal.
Of course, as you research, you'll come up with more.
- yukon gold rush prospector survival
- dogsled mail
- yukon gold rush economy
- yukon gold rush settler
- yukon gold rush women
- yukon gold rush dogs
- yukon gold rush children
- dawson history gold rush
- dyea history
- skagway history
- rcmp yukon gold rush
Evaluation (200 points)
Scoring for Character Sketch (50)
- Completeness
- name and nickname (2)
- 150 word physical description (10)
- 150 bio/background (10)
- reason for being here (3)
- Mechanics (10)
- Authenticity (5)
- Style (5)
- Documentation (5)
- Bonus of up to 10% for above and beyond.
- Completeness
- 5 entries @ 150 words each (50)
- 2 graphics per entry (20)
- 3 quotes from research (10)
- epilogue (5)
- Mechanics (20)
- Authenticity/Evidence of Research (25)
- Style/Presentation (15)
- Documentation (5)
- Bonus of up to 10% for above and beyond.
(Pic from: Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park.)
ConclusionNow you and your group will present your journals to the class.
Please be prepared to take questions about your character and your research.
Bonus credit for appearing in costume or answering questions in character.
Now that you are fairly knowledgeable about the life and times of people during the Yukon gold rush, we can compare our perceptions with Jack London's descriptions. Is he realistic? Is he over-sensationalising? Is The Call of the Wild true to the time?
Let's find out.
(Pic of street in Dyea from: The Smithsonian Postal Museum.)
Credits:
All images taken from the site listed in the Resources section, and credited where they are used.
Credit goes to Bernie Dodge for creating the first webquest, and defining the main ideas and rubrics.
Thanks to George Smith for the WebQuest class which this quest is a result of.
