Introduction
Howdy Partners!
Did you ever wonder what a cowboy does out on the range? Does he ride a horse and lasso cattle?  Does he eat at a campfire in the middle of the wide open fields?  What does he wear? Does he sing any songs?

Cowboys take care of their cattle.  They work on ranches and ride horses.   They camp out and eat beans and cornbread. Cowboys wear chaps to protect their legs and wear spurs on their boots.  They sing cowboy songs as they ride along.

The Task

1.  We will be listening to stories, watching video's, dancing, and   singing songs.
2.  We will be looking at resources on the internet.
3.  We will be observing tumble weeds at the science/discovery table.
4.  We will be going to a ranch to look at horses, cattle and talk to a real cowboy.
5.  We will be learning to square dance.
6.  We will be making cowboy snacks.
7.  We will be learning about cowboys who made horseshoes.
8.  We will be coloring horses.

Resources
You will do a jig saw puzzle.
You will pick a boot, print it out and color the boot.
You will click on some Texas links .
 

Texas Unit Books:
Bluebonnet at Johnson Space Center                               Mary B. Casad
Bluebonnet at the Marshall Train Depot                           Mary B. Casad
Bluebonnet at the Texas State Capital                              Mary B. Casad
Armadillo from Amarillo                                                Lynne Cherry
The Legend of the Bluebonnet                                       Tomie DePaola
Little Red Riding Hood (use w/Little Red Cowboy Hat)     Jacob W. Grimm
Tumbleweed Tom on the Texas Trail                             Jackie Hopkins
Pecos Bill:  A Tall Tale                                                  Steven Kellogg
Cowboy Dreams                                                          Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Why Cowboys Sleep with their Boots on                        Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton
Cowboy Bunnies                                                          Christine Loomis
Bootmaker and the Elves                                               Susan Lowell
Farm Alphabet Book                                                     Jane Miller
The Cow that went OINK                                             Bernard Most
The Elves and the Shoemaker(w/Bookmaker & Elves)      Brothers Grimm
Cowboy Alphabet                                                         James Rice
Gaston Goes to Texas                                                   James Rice
Texas Alphabet                                                             James Rice
Texas Jack at the Alamo                                                James Rice
How the Rattlesnake got its Rattle                                   Jeffrey Stoodt
Bubba the Cowboy Prince                                             Helen  Ketteman
The Cowboy and the Black-eyed Pea                              Tony Johnston
T is for Texas                                                              Anne Bustard
Cowboy Rodeo                                                            James Rice
Texas:  A Picture Book to Remember Her By

The Process
1.  First you will listen to a story about cowboys.
2.  A special visitor will come in and talk to you about how cowboys made their own shoes for their horses.
3.  You will go to the different centers and learn more about cowboy life.
4.  You will print out a copy of a horse and color it.
5.  You will go on a field trip to a local ranch and talk to a real cowboy about his cattle, horse and life.
6.  You will watch a video on cowboys.
7.  You will learn to square dance.
8.  You will make a cowboy snack.
9.  You will do a jig saw puzzle.

Evaluation
Did you enjoy all the centers?             yes            no
Did you learn something new about
cowboys?                                             yes            no
Did you enjoy the field trip?                yes            no
Did you enjoy dancing with your
partner?                                                yes            no

Conclusion
After completing this lesson you will have learned about the life of a cowboy.  How he shoed his horse, where he sleeps on the ranch,  what his clothes look like, and how to dance.