Life on the Trail: Cattle Drives

Students brainstorm ways to bring beef to buyers in the nineteenth century. Then they learn about cattle drives, focusing on the Chisholm Trail and the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Next they learn about life on the trails, and they explain the causes that led to the end of the cattle drives. Finally they examine a timeline of the development of the King Ranch.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

Overview

In this experience, students brainstorm ways to bring beef to buyers in the nineteenth century. Then they learn about cattle drives, focusing on the Chisholm Trail and the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Next they learn about life on the trails, and they explain the causes that led to the end of the cattle drives. Finally they examine a timeline of the development of the King Ranch.

If you have access to leveled readers about cattle drives, assign them to the students in parallel to this experience.

Estimated duration: 35-45 minutes

Experience Article

A summary article is included in the student pack to support students with the core content from the experience. This article can be used as a reference for students who need additional support reviewing key ideas about the experience.

Vocabulary Words:

These vocabulary words are used in the experience or connect closely to the standards and content students examine. Students should understand these terms as they work through the experience.

cattle drive: moving a large herd of cattle over land to a railroad town or market.
cattle trail: a route used by cowboys to drive cattle across long distances to railheads.
railhead: the place where a railroad line ends or where cattle are loaded onto trains.
chuckwagon: a wagon that carried food, tools, water, and other supplies for cowboys on a cattle drive.
stampede: a sudden rush of frightened animals running together, which could be dangerous on a cattle drive.
refrigerated cars: train cars that kept meat cold so beef could be shipped without moving live cattle.
open range: unfenced land where cattle could roam and graze before fences blocked many trails.

Objectives

Explain the purpose of cattle drives.
Describe events of a cattle drive.

Engage

In the last lesson you learned about the development of ranching in Texas. In this lesson, you will learn how the cattle were sent to market and the impact of the cattle industry on Texas.

Objectives

Explain the purpose of cattle drives.
Describe events of a cattle drive.

Herding cattle

The year is 1870. You are a rancher in Texas. You have a contract to supply beef to a buyer in Chicago. The closest train station is hundreds of miles away in Kansas. Refrigeration has not yet been invented.

Brainstorm ways that you might deliver the beef to the buyer.

Encourage students to use their imaginations. Based on the title of the lesson, some students may be able to use prior knowledge to suggest cattle drives to the train station.

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.