This lesson is a 7^th grade social studies lesson about the California Gold Rush.  It is part of a larger unit on Westward Expansion and utilizes primary sources to evaluate the level of opportunity that existed in the West.  Students will use interactive activities to examine the life of miners and practice source analysis to evaluate the opportunities that arose for various groups of people.  Students will assume various roles, including women, white miners, Native Americans, African Americans, and Chinese immigrants moving to California in 1849.  A performance assessment based on Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is also provided for use with this topic study.