The nineteenth century was a time of huge growth and prosperity for California. Although the gold rush lasted only seven years, California provided other opportunities for those who emigrated there in search of a better life. This primary source reader focuses on the history of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Fresno, and the people and events that influenced their transformations from small towns to booming cities. This informational text builds literacy and social studies content knowledge through the use of intriguing primary source documents like maps, letters, images, articles, and photographs. Essential text features include a glossary, index, captions, sidebars, and table of contents to increase understanding and academic vocabulary. Primary sources allow students to see different points of view, and encourage students to compare and contrast evidence. The Your Turn! activity challenges students to connect to a primary source through a writing activity, and Read and Respond immerses students in the content through diverse, engaging activities related to the content. Aligned to the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) and other national and state standards, the book is leveled to support above-, below-, and on-level learners. Explore California's rich history with this engaging grade 4 book!