Unit 5: Bigger, Better, Faster: The Changing Nation Fifth Grade Social Studies merit

Students will research the Great Western Cattle Trail and the Chisholm Trail using a Social Studies textbook, reference materials, trade books, or online resources. A short note-taking guide is attached below. After reading about and discussing the role of cattle trails, students should work alone to create a “saddlebag” of items that would be important to a cowhand on the trail or represent important aspects of cattle drives. Students should draw illustrations of these items and write an explanation of why the item was important on the inside of the saddlebag (attached below). Samples might include maps of the trails, cattle, barbed wire, ropes, etc. After filling the inside of the saddlebag, students should color the saddlebag cover and use tape at the top to attach the two pieces while allowing the cover to flip open.