Lesson Steps-
1.  What is advertising?   Advertising is a way to spread the word about a person, place, thing, event, etc.  How is it done today? (television, Internet, newspaper, magazine, etc)   How do you think the Gold Rush spread so fast?  Do you think people in California wanted to advertise?  What methods of advertising could have been used?  (word of mouth, stagecoaches, snail mail, etc.  Did not have our forms of media.) A listing for methods used both today and yesterday can be listed on the board by students.  As they volunteer a method, they can list it on the board.  Is advertising good?  Earlier we talked about the sin that occurred in the Gold Rush times.  What is wrong with advertising today?  Can it be good?

2.  The project will be introduced at this point.  Each student will be responsible for creating an advertising poster or brochure or their own.  If students have other ideas that might work for this project, we can include them also in the project. At this point, students will break off into small groups.  The idea of this advertisement is to revise the way it was done previously (to promote getting rich quick, leaving family behind, etc). Instead, students will design advertising projects that promote moving to California for bringing the whole family.  Students can do this in ways they think would lure them to relocating.  

3.  Student will brainstorm together in groups of four (split up by pods they are sitting in) to come up with broad ideas for what needs to be included in the poster.  Slogans and creative wording is encouraged.  They will answer the who, what where, when, and why questions about the Gold Rush as well.  NOTE:  For someone to relocate themselves or their entire families, the advertisement must be pretty convincing. A rubric will be handed out to state expectations for the project during this group time. 

4.  Reconvene as a large group to chart our ideas on the board or overhead. Create a web with categories branching off such as who, what, where, when, and why concerning details of coming to the Gold Rush. Use the graphic organizer provided.

5.  Remaining in groups, students will discuss examples of advertising slogans and techniques used in the media today that might spark an idea useful in their project. Ask students what a slogan or motto is.  Second, give them an example and have them come up with examples of their own.  Examples:  Milk—Does a Body Good.  Or Got Milk? Reconvene as a large group to share ideas and chart them on the board or overhead.

6.  After brainstorming as a group, students will design details for their project.  Brainstorming ideas will be left on board or overhead until the end of the period.  Encourage students to write down any ideas they might use in their poster or brochure. 

Closure-
The rubric previously handed out will be reviewed before beginning.  Students will have time at the end of the period to get started.  Projects will be due during lesson 5 and will be presented to each other during that period. Poster board and colored paper will be available in the back of the room .