British Ranchers: Journaling
Objective: TLW identify big ranches in the West and explain the importance of British investors
in ranching.
Subject: Social Studies/Texas History
Grade Level: Fourth
Time: Four 20-30 min sessions
TEKS:
History 4.4 (B), Social Studies 4.23
Materials:
Pencil
Notebook paper or other paper for Journal
Building Background
• Ask the students if they keep journals. Then ask for examples of what they write in
them.
• Discuss how the travelers kept journals of their journeys and wrote about the people
they saw and the things they did.
Journal Activity
1. TLW design their own journal using construction paper, notebook paper, or anything else
they choose. Each journal should include enough paper for three to four journal entries of about
a half page.
2. Begin by talking about how the British kept journals of their travels in order to show family
members and others about what they saw and did while in America.
3. First TLW describe whom they are (investor, manager, owner, or cowboy/girl), which ranch
they are going to visit and why.
4. TLW imagine they just arrived in New York and are traveling west to Texas, and then instruct
the learner to write one journal entry on the type of travel they will take West (train, wagon, etc)
and why they choose that one.
5. For the second journal entry, TLW write about what they observed on the way-the land, the
people, and other things they may have seen during their many days of travel. Have the learner
calculate the amount of time they traveled based on the method they took. Ask them to break it
down from how long it takes to get from New York to St. Louis and then from St. Louis to their
destination.
6. For their last entry, TLW write about their first impressions of the ranch.
Assessment:
1. Their journal entries should be well-written, using complete sentences.
2. Make sure they know to include detail and to use their descriptive words.
4B-1
Extension:
Important People and their Ranches
Discuss Richard King, Charles Goodnight, John Adair, Thomas Bugbee, Matador Land and
Cattle Company. Could also consider: Dave McCormick
John George Adair
4B-2
My Adventures West
By:
4B-3
Date:
4B-4