RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic/Task)

The California Gold rush

"When California discovered gold, the world discovered California.
-Malcolm J. Rohrbough

Background and Directions

Californias Gold Rush was a critical event. The effects of the Gold Rush can be
seen today. The people involved in the Gold Rush came from all over the country
and all over the world to strike it rich. This forever changed California. You are
going on a journey of discovery. It is your job to research who the people
involved in the gold rush was, and how it affected them.
As the person or people, you have been assigned to you will write an opinion
piece in the form of a letter or newspaper article about how the Gold Rush has
affected your life and whether or not it was a positive or negative event.
You will be assigned a role, audience, and formats from this chart. The topic will
be the same; you will all be writing an opinion piece on whether or not the Gold
Rush was a negative or positive event in the eyes of your role.
Role
John Sutter

Audience
His Family

Format
A letter

Louise Clapp

San Francisco/Her A Newspaper

readers
Article

Mariano
Guadalupe
Vallejo

His Family

A letter

Topic
How the Gold
Rush has affected
him and whether
or not it was a
positive or
negative event.
How the Gold
Rush has affected
her and whether
or not it was a
positive or
negative event.
How the Gold
Rush has affected
him and whether
or not it was a

Native Americans
of California

California

Newspaper Article

Chinese
Immigrants

Their Families

A letter

Charles Crocker

His family

A letter

positive or
negative event.
How the Gold
Rush has affected
the California
Native Americans
and whether or not
it was a positive or
negative event.
How the Gold
Rush has affected
the Chinese
Immigrants and
whether or not it
was a positive or
negative event
How the Gold
Rush has affected
him and whether
or not it was a
positive or
negative event

Step 1:
Complete Web Hunt and gain knowledge about The California Gold Rush.
Step 2:
You will research information about your person or group of people in regards to
the California Gold rush.
Read, highlight, and take notes from your sources
Identify key points and main details from your sources
Complete Information Log
Step 3:
Write Opinion piece for your person or people.
Clearly state opinions
Reasons for holding that opinion
Examples to support the reasons
Conclusions that are restated
Use transitional phrases to make your opinion clear
Edit and revise drafts before writing your final draft
Through this project you will address the following standards:

Writing and Content Area Standers

SS4.3.3 Analyze the effects of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life,
politics, and the physical environment (e.g., using biographies of John
Sutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Louise Clapp).
SS4.4.2 Explain how the Gold Rush transformed the economy of
California, including the types of products produced and consumed,
changes in towns (e.g., Sacramento, San Francisco), and economic
conflicts between diverse groups of people
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons
and information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.a
Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational
structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.b
Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.c
Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to,
in addition).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.d
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

Information Log:
The Gold Rush
Person or People:
_______________________________________________
Where does your person or people come from originally?

Why are they participating in the Gold Rush?

How are they participating in the Gold Rush?

How did they travel to get there or did they travel?

Where in California did they go?

What challenges did this person or people face during the Gold Rush?

How did others treat this person or people during the Gold Rush?

What were two major outcomes the Gold Rush had on this person or
people?

How did the Gold Rush overall effect this person or people?

Opinion Writing in the form of a Letter or Newspaper Article

Make it clear who you are in the beginning of your opinion letter or article.

You want your reader to have a clear understanding of your opinion of the
Gold Rush based upon reasons and examples.

Pick three important reasons on why you believe the Gold Rush was
negative or positive.

Include examples of those reasons.

First Paragraph: Introduce yourself and your role and provide some
background of who you are and why you are a part of the Gold Rush.

Second Paragraph: Describe one of the reasons and provide examples

of why you think the Gold Rush is a positive or negative event.

Third Paragraph: Describe another reason and provide examples of why

you think the Gold Rush is a positive or negative event.

Fourth Paragraph: Describe your final reason and provide examples of

why you thing the Gold Rush is a positive or negative event.

Fifth Paragraph Conclusion: How was your person or people overall

affected by the Gold Rush?

Guideline on Opinion Writing

Convince your reader; provide reasons and examples to make your opinion clear.
Sentence starters for
Stating your opinion:
In my opinion
I think
I strongly believe
I feel
My favorite

Transitions to use in the body of your

writing:
For example/instance
Another reason
In addition/Additionally
First, second, next, finally
Most importantly
Transitions to use in your conclusion:
In conclusion
For all the reasons Ive given
To sum it up
To summarize
As you can see

Rubric
Score
Purpose and
Organization

The response
has a clear and
effective
organizational
structure,
creating a sense
of unity and
completeness.

The response
has an evident
organizational
structure and
a sense of
completeness,
though there
may be minor
flaws.

The response
has an
inconsistent
organizational
structure, and
flaws are
evident.

The response
has little or
no
organizational
structure.

Introduction is
clearly stated
There are three
reasons and
examples to
support opinion
Effective
conclusion
Logical
progression of
ideas from
beginning to end.
Consistent use of
a variety of
transitional
strategies.

Adequate
introduction
and conclusion
Two reasons
and examples
to support
opinion
Adequate
progression of
ideas.
Adequate use
of transitional
language.

Introduction
and conclusion
weak.
One reason
and example
to support
opinion.
Inconsistent
progression of
ideas.
Inconsistent
transitional
language
used.

Opinion may
be confusing
or ambiguous.
Introduction or
conclusion
may be
missing.
Few or no
transitional
language
used.
Unclear or
random
progression.

Reference:
Conell, Gina, (2015, March 4th). Graphic Organizers for Opinion Writing.
Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/topteaching/2015/03/graphic-organizers-opinion-writing