Welcome to the third year of Learning through Literature’s Homeschool Co-op Curriculum. If this is your first time here, this book: Cowboy Charlie, is the fifth of 13 books that will be covered as part of our homeschool co-op year, Learning through Literature: Exploring the United States. The class has been created for 1st – 4th graders, and is the culmination of three years of Learning through Literature together. If this is your first time looking around, please check out our first year, Learning the ABC’s through Literature. Or the second year, Learning through Literature for Homeschool Co-op.
Each year was inspired by Jane Lambert’s Five in a Row Curriculum, and uses many of the same books, but with lessons, discussion questions, and printables reworked to be more useful for a homeschool co-op.
For this third year, Learning through Literature: Explording the United States, we will take TWO classes to cover each book. If you are using this for a co-op, you will find “Class One” and further down the page, “Class Two”.
Thanks for stopping by!
Cowboy Charlie
by Jeanette Winter
If you’d like to preview the story, a read-aloud version can be found here:
Class 1
Things I Need:
- The Cowboy Charlie Book
- Map of the United States, especially showing the Western States*
- Learning the USA through Lit Journal – Cowboy Charlie Add In Pages 1st Class
- Laptop – if you want to show artwork from the real Charles Marion Russell
- Scissors, Gluesticks, Pencils
Before the class: set out the new journal pages and the Cowboy Charlie copywork page on their desk as you are setting up the class. Have your class helper(s) help the kids get their new journal pages added in to the binder.
Homework:
- Begin to Memorize the Western States
- See if you can come up with a mnemonic device to help – don’t forget Alaska and Hawaii are part of this region, too.
- Find and print out one of Charles Marion Jones art pieces. What can this picture/sculpture tell us about this time period or place in history
- Story Telling Exercise (see Journal Pages): You are a storyteller. Choose one event from your own childhood and create a story to tell us about it. Were you scared, hurt, excited, sad? What happened? Make sure your story has a good beginning, middle, and end. Then, write out notecards with a few pictures or words to help you remember the story as you tell it. Be expressive. Use descriptive words and sounds. Practice on your family, and have fun. Be ready to share your story with the class next week.
As the class is arriving:
Encourage the students to complete the copywork on their desk. Set up maps if you haven’t already.
Review:
Take a moment to remind the class so far, we have studied the MIDWEST states and the SOUTHWEST states. Take a moment to go through the each of these states, saying the names of the states as a class together. This will be important to continue to reinforce throughout the year, as we want to have all 50 states mastered by the end of the year. As we add the new states in, we want to continue to drill the other states.
If your class is starting to learn the capitals, go through the states you have learned so far, this time saying the Capital, then the State as you point to each state.
- Quickly recall the four books done so far? (The Raft, Wagon Wheels, The Gullywasher, Roxaboxen)
- Who remembers which state(s) each book took place in? (Wisconsin, Kansas, not given, Arizona)
Introduce the New Book / New Region
Our story for today is called: Cowboy Charlie and it takes place in another region of our country called the West. Some also call this area the Northwest. But according to the National Geographic Atlas that we are using, this area is specified as the West
Most of our story takes place in Montana, right in the Northwest part of our country. But the story begins in Missouri. (Midwest)
In Missouri, there is a famous Landmark (the Arch)
- Does anyone know what this is? (Arch, symbolizes gateway to the West, Westward expansion)
- Doesn’t anyone know why this is important? (you may want to go through a brief timeline of country to show how the country was expanding westward)
- Jamestown, Plymouth
- Exploration by Spain, England, France
- 13 Colonies
- Revolutionary War
- Louisiana Purchase
- The Alamo (Texas added)
- Gold Rush
- Civil War
- Missouri became a state in 1821, Montana 1889
- what was happening during those 68 years? (Westward expansion, lots of states being added)
Have the class draw an Arch or Charlie’s house on Missouri, and cut out the book “Cowboy Charlie” from the back pages, and glue it onto Montana.
Explain that this story is a Biography. Ask if anyone knows what a Biography is?
Read the Book / Questions for Discussion:
As you read, be sure to point out the Charlie is always listening, observing, appreciating what is going on around him. It was likely this attention to the stories told to him that gave him a deep appreciation for the West and the land. It is also what likely helped him develop his detail as an artist.
- How does Charlie feel at the end of the book? (sad)
- Why? (country, everything he has known is changing)
- What does he decide to do (he paints and preserves through pictures to tell the story)
- Main Characters (charlie, others)
- Setting (montana / missouri)
- Type of story (bio)
- Sitting around the campfire telling stories – remind you of another book?
If you have extra time, do an image search for “Charles Marion Russell art” and you will be amazed at the WONDERFUL artwork. Wikipedia has quote a few pieces that you can quickly scroll through. Take a few minutes to look at the way he captures this region and time period in our country. First of all, it made our whole class (myself included) want to travel to Montana, but secondly his artwork preserves the beauty of the landscape and the emotion of the time with many wonderfully done paintings and sculptures.
Homework: Storytelling
Tell your story.
What do you tell? Something memorable or significant. You probably will not tell about brushing your teeth each night – unless it was a night you were brushing your teeth and your tooth fell out while you were brushing, that would be exciting.
Make sure your story has a Beginning Middle and End. Review concepts of the “climax” of the story. And the stories “resolution”. Tell a short sample story as an example.
We discussed that their stories should include these elements:
- Real. Something they have seen or experienced.
- Include a beginning, middle, and end.
- Have Notes (either pictures on notecards, or a bulleted list, or something to help you remember.) Do NOT write the story out
- We discussed the benefit of notes. How we are often prone to forget once we stand up in front of a group. How we don’t want to write everything out.
- Use Adjectives (descriptive words)
- Draw us into your story
- Use Onomatopoeia (sound effects or words that are also sounds)
- Boom, Bang, Crash, Screeeeeech – make your story more fun. For a great list, or to take this concept further, see our lesson and Onomatopoeia worksheet from Storm in the Night.
- Be prepared to share in class
Class 2
Things I Need:
- The Cowboy Charlie Book
- Map of the United States, especially showing the Western States*
- Learning the USA through Lit Journal –Cowboy Charlie Add in pages 2nd Class
Before the class: set out the new journal pages and the Cowboy Charlie copywork page on their desk as you are setting up the class. Have your class helper(s) help the kids get their new journal pages added in to the binder. Make sure you have a map hanging up on the wall. I personally, like to put a few notes in the corner of the blackboard to have me remember what’s next. (It made a good illustration when I asked the kids to use notecards to share – because you may forget what you’re going to say when you get in front of everyone)
Homework:
- Complete Handout (with a picture of Montana at the top) There is a list of 5 slightly obscure places that were more lightly trafficked in the days of the Cattle Drives. Choose one of those places, look it up online, and answer the questions on the sheet. They should write a small paragraph answering what the place is like today, what it used to be like, and why this spot may have been a good stopping point on a Cattle Drive. Bonus if they can figure out why it is named as it is.
- Memorize Deuteronomy 32:7
- Continue to memorize the West (and polish up on the Southwest and Midwest if you’re getting rusty.
Review:
So far we have covered the Midwest States (Recite the Midwest states together as a class), the Southwest (recite states together), and Cowboy Charlie takes place in the _____________. (West)
This is a great time to quickly review the Oceans as well, since some people also call this area the Pacific Northwest, because it touches the Pacific Ocean. Others simply call in the Northwest. But The National Geographic Atlas calls this entire region (including Hawaii and Alaska) the West, so we will stick with that.
- What state does Cowboy Charlie take place in? (Montana)
- Which state did Cowboy Charlie begin in (Missouri)
- And why was Missouri important to the Western region? (Gateway to the West, most everyone heading West by land had to start there.)
- What special landmark is there? (Arch)
- Why may this city have been such a thriving city? (on the Mississippi River, very Central, fastest travel by boat)
Take a moment to have the class cut out the book Cowboy Charlie from the paper filled with books at the back of their journal. Glue Cowboy Charlie onto Montana. Have then find St. Louis Missouri and draw an arch.
Story Sharing / Oral Practice / Homework:
Now its time to take out their note cards or notes and share their stories (our class was BEGGING to do this. Seriously. They were so excited.
If you have your own personal story to share, and time, it may be helpful to share your own “story” to help emphasize the importance of tone, expression, adjectives, onomatopoeia, etc.
Before the class begin telling their stories, you may want to review the importance of:
- The Beginning the Story – Introduce the Setting, Characters
- Problem- something happens. (uh-oh? what’s going to happen?)
- Problem solved (ahhh)
See if the class can identify these different parts of the story as their classmates share.
Let the class share, encouraging clear voices, speaking out, etc.
We also went around the room and those who had brought in a picture of Charles Marion Russell’s art work shared it.
Bible Verse Class Discussion:
Have the students pull out the copy work Bible verse that they copied at the beginning of class. Have one of the students read the Bible verse out loud. After the verse is read (usually I go ahead and reread it for emphasis), ask the students:
- Why would this verse have been chosen to go along with Cowboy Charlie? (Charlie received from an older generation, passed down to an older generation. There was an appreciation for receiving from those who were older.
- What could you learn from watching someone older than you?
- What did Charlie learn?
- What did his paintings preserve?
If you have time, and want to dive into this concept further, the Proverbs have lots to say about rejecting the wisdom of someone older. The Bible also gives the example of Solomon and Reheboam, who rejected the advice of his elders and lost the kingdom because of it. (Whereas Solomon received much from David. True, he had great failures, but if you read the later accounts of his life in 1 Chronicles, you see David is sharing much and Solomon, though young and inexperienced, is listening.)
Homework:
There are 6 places listed in Cowboy Charlie that were part of a cattle drive. In my book, the pages are not numbered, but these places (and the images of the cattle drive) are listed on the inside of the page that opens up. Discuss what a cattle drive is and then read this page again and emphasize the places listed:
- Judith Gap
- Swimming Woman Creek
- Yellowstone River
- Pompey’s Pillar
- Froze to Death Creek
- Sunday Creek
- Miles City
All of these places are real places, and you can located all of them using Google Maps. Most are desolate today. Most are near water, and in a valley between two mountains – which would have made a good stopping place. There is not a lot of information on these places online, but there is some. And there are pictures, where they can view the beautiful landscape. Encourage your students to choose 1 of the places above, and write a small paragraph about why this spot may have been significant in a cattle drive. If they can locate information about the town 150 years ago and today, wonderful (there are some articles, you just have to look)
*Some places are not very obvious but almost all of the places have WATER. Very useful for their cattle. Many places are FLAT. Helpful to keep the whole heard together after passing through mountains. You can refer back to earlier discussions about the role that WATER had in early settlements.
This link will lead you to a map with the seven places listed:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.9791444,-107.4149036,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m3!11m2!2s8cHv6HvYW-Hx-MwgofzWiDyOts0_Cw!3e3
A google search of the places will bring up some BEAUTIFUL pictures. Our entire class decided they wanted to take a field trip to Montana after this project.
You also could mention that President Teddy Roosevent was taken on a tour of these places. After he went through Yellowstone, and some of these beautiful lands out in Montana, he introduced the concept of “National Parks” and protected lands in our country to ensure that these places always stayed this beautiful.
If you have time, cut out the block of states that makes up the West, and place it on the map below. Have them answer the question about the Arch below. (or save for next time, there is still one more book on the West)
Extra Time? Do a States Quiz:
If you have extra time, take out the buzzers and laser pointers and start clicking on states. You can throw in a few extra questions like, “which state did this book take place in”? to jazz it up a little.
