• The students will read for comprehension.
• The students will use context clues, synonyms, and a dictionary to determine the meaning of unknown words.
• The students will use the writing process to compose a friendly letter that includes similes.
• The students will measure the weight of objects.
• The students will use a calculator to find the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of data.

Duration of Lesson: 1-2 days
Materials:

• The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman
• Students' Gold Rush Dictionaries and Writing Journals
• Dictionaries
• 1 0r 2 index cards
• Shelf or space for Treasure Book Library
• Plastic wading pool
• Sand
• Beans and grains of rice (spray painted gold)
• Balance scale
• Customary weights
• Per student:
• Aluminum pie tins with stickpin size holes
• Calculators or students may use the calculator on the computer
• Canvas, muslin or plastic snack size ziplock bags

• Multimedia Computer
• Printer
• Microsoft Word
• Spreadsheet program such as Excel

•  Spray paint the beans and grains of rice gold before it's needed for the activity.
•  Mix some painted beans and grains of rice in the sand in the wading pool (include enough in the pool so that each student will be able to find some 'gold' when panning).
• Teacher needs to be aware of language on page 77 in The Ballad of Lucy Whipple.

• Teacher will begin the lesson by reading several students' ballads written in lesson four.
• Vocabulary from The Ballad of Lucy Whipple  will be introduced by the teacher.  Words will copied in their Gold Rush Dictionaries, defined, a synonym written and an illustration if applicable.
• Chapters nine and ten of The Ballad of Lucy Whipple  will be read in pairs, silently or read by the teacher.
• Comprehension questions will be answered on paper or used as a class discussion by putting the questions on a transparency.  After discussion, as a whole group, students will summarize Lucy's character using a word processor program and post the summary on the bulletin board next to the summary from lesson four.
• The class will add to the timeline by adding one or two events from chapters nine and ten.
• Students will reply to any of Lucy's letters including all the parts of a friendly letter using a word processor program.  The letter will also include two examples of a simile taught in lesson three.  This will be kept in their Writing Journal and evaluated by the teacher using the rubric (from lesson one).
• Teacher begins a class discussion with, "What kind of book would you send Lucy if you were her teacher?"
• Students will create a classroom library by donating a book from their personal books from home.  The  library will be named Treasure Book Library.
• Students will establish rules for loaning books and for check-out times with teacher guidance.  These records could be kept on a computer created spreadsheet.
• This library will be maintained throughout the rest of this unit.

• Teacher will review the following:  use of the balance scale, mean, median, mode, and range.
• Divide students into groups.  Each student will be given the opportunity to pan for 'gold'.
• Teacher will determine the time frame for the 'panning' exercise.
• Students will 'pan for gold' using the pie tins and place the 'gold' they find in their canvas bag for weighing.
• The gold's weight will be listed on the chalkboard or on a transparency.
• Students will use calculators to determine the mean, median, mode, and range of the listed weights.
• Students will use the calculators to convert the weight of their 'gold' to its monetary value at a rate of  $ 16.00 per ounce.

• Have students bring in a shoebox with something they consider a treasure.
• Students could use a graphing calculator to graph the data collected during the math activity.

• Comprehension will be assessed through class discussion or completing questions by writing the answers.
• Vocabulary will be assessed at the end of the unit.
• Mathematics rubric.
• Writing rubric (from lesson one).
• Friendly letter will also contain 2 examples of a simile.

Language Arts

• Reading Comprehension - 5.15, 5.16, 5.21, 5.22, 5.30
• Vocabulary - 5.36, 5.37
• Writing - 5.52, 5.53, 5.56, 5.57, 5.62, 5.64
• Spelling - 5.82, 5.94
• Language - 5.108, 5.155, 5.156
• Technology - 5.179, 5.180, 5.183, 5.187

• Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of literary texts
• Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process
• Demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning
• Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process

• Understands and applies basic and advanced properties of the concepts of numbers
• Understands the general nature and uses of mathematics

References:

• The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman
• Writer's Express, Write Source, 1995

Author (s):

• Barbara Null
• Karen Richmond
• Judith Watson