LESSON FOUR: Cattle Drive Research

 

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Students research and write a report on cowboys and cattle drives in 18th Century American history.  This lesson prepares students for a hands-on activity in Lesson Five. 

 

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS ADDRESSED

IL1A    develop research questions in order to establish a focus and purpose for a project

IL1B    locate and use various resources to acquire information to answer questions

IL1C    use a specified note taking format to record relevant information

IL1D   give credit to other's ideas, images, and information by listing sources used in research

 

LESSON MATERIALS

 

§         Sources of Literature

o        None

 

§         Supplies

o        Computers for internet research access

o        Any other nonfiction materials for research

 

§         Handouts provided

 

§         Words to know

o        nonfiction

 

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

 

Each student presents a brief report on their assigned part of a cattle drive or cowboy.   Scoring guide provided.

 

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

 

1.        Discuss the need to feed people populating the young nation and the importance of the cowboy and cattle drive.

 

Questions

for

Students

 

What was the job of a cowboy in the 1870's?  Why?

What were the characteristics of the American cowboy?

What would have happened if there had been no cowboys?

What choices would you have made if you had lived in the mid 1800's?  Would you have been a cowboy or cowgirl like Calamity Jane?

 

2.        Instruct students to research the American cowboy and the cattle drive.  Student groups research and write a brief report.  Students then report to the class as a cooperative group.

 

Ideas

 

Research topics include cattle drives, cowboy clothing, cattle brands and branding, chuck wagons, cattle rustlers, and lawmen. Topics should be drawn randomly by groups, with each group responsible for some segment of a cattle drive. Resources for this lesson are Cowboys by Teacher Created Materials, Inc., and Cowboys: An Activity Book by Good Apple.

 

3.        After researching and writing for two to four days, students present their findings to the class orally on the final day.

 

Ideas

The Cornell Note Taking System Handout from Lesson Three should be available for student use.

 

Suggestion

 

Research can be done either on the internet or in reference books depending on available resources.