Introductory Activity : Duration: 1 hour
Description: The purpose of this lesson is to make students more aware of the cowboy way of life. Students learn about Cowboy Art and how brands are designed.
Start the lesson by asking, "How many people benefit from cows? How do you benefit?" Explain how everyone benefits from cows. [Below are some examples that teachers can discuss with students.]
1. As a Meal - (collagen based) sausage casings; (gelatin) ice cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, candies, marshmallows, flavorings; (blood) blood sausage, protein extracts; (fatty acid based) oleo margarine, oleo shortening, chewing gum.
2. Helping Us Get There - hydraulic brake fluid, airplane lubricants and runway foam, various machinery oils and viscous fluids, steel ball bearings that contain bone charcoal, car polishes and waxes, textiles for car upholstery.
3. Household Items - (from fats/fatty acids) candles, perfumes, cellophane, paints, ceramics, plastics, cosmetics, shoe cream, crayons, shaving cream, deodorants, soaps, detergent, textiles, insecticides, pet foods, insulation, floor wax, linoleum, freon/refrigerant; (from hooves and horns) piano keys, tortoise shell, combs, imitation ivory; (from hide) leather sporting goods, luggage, boots and shoes, upholstery; (from collagen-based adhesives) bandages, wallpaper, sheet rock, emery boards, glues; (from hair) artist's paint brushes; (from gelatin) photographic film, phonographic records.
4. As a Pharmacy - (from the pancreas) insulin for diabetes, glucagon treats hypoglycemia, trypsin and chymotrypsin for burns and wounds and promotes healing, pancreatin aids digestion; (from the blood) blood plasma helps hemophilia, kills viruses, anemia, RH factor types, blood coagulant; (from the bone) bone marrow for blood disorders, soft cartilage for plastic surgery, bone meal as a calcium and phosphorous source; (from the spinal cord and nervous system) cholesterol for hormone products; (from the intestines) medical sutures; (from the pituitary gland) prolactin promotes lactation, pressor hormone regulates blood pressure, vasopressin controls intestinal and renal functions, ACTH for arthritis and allergies; (from the liver) heparin as a anti-coagulant, liver extract for the treatment of anemia, vitamin B12 for the prevention of B-complex deficiencies.
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Body : Continue the lesson by stating, "It seems that in today's technological society, ranchers, cowboys, and farmers are a thing of the past. And in part that is true; large corporations are taking over the production of crops, meat, and dairy products. Cowboy artists try to keep alive the memory and culture of the American West. They attempt to insure authentic representation of life in the west as it was and still is today." Display pictures of Cowboy Art. Ask students to discuss what they see and to share what they like. Inform students that, "Everything a cowboy uses has evolved over time: saddles, spurs, hats, barbed wire, boots, bandanas, brands, and so on. Each design has changed for the specific use of the tool." Ask students if they know what a brand is. Explain why and how brands are used. "Branding is done on the left hip or under the mane. It is small, so it will not mess up the hide." Continue by discussing running irons, rustlers, brand inspectors, registering brands, mavericks, and other ways of identification of animals (ear tags, tattoo, electric brands, nose ring, ear notches).
Discuss famous brands, and teach students how to read the brands. Inform students that they will be designing their own brands, writing a few sentences about them, and then sharing their descriptions with the class.
[ Author's Note: I had students write two or three sentences about the design of their brand. One girl said she had a "B" for her name, an "A" for her grandfather, and a "C" for her grandmother. Then she explained why she used each of their initials. One boy explained his brand (circle J B) by saying he wanted to use his initials but wanted something else besides just letters, so he used a shape. One girl (her brand was a lazy heart) explained that she likes heart shapes, and she thought it was funny to have a lazy heart.]
Below are some "brand rules" that students should keep in mind when designing their brands:
1. Brands are read left to right, top to bottom, and outside to inside.
2. Letters and numbers represent letters and numbers (a brand that looks like this 112 would be read one hundred twelve; a brand that looks like this 81A would be read eighty-one A).
3. Letters are always capital letters.
4. A letter laid on its side is called a lazy letter. For instance, the letter R laying on its side would be read lazy R.
5. An upside down letter is read as crazy (upside down A, crazy A).
6. A backwards letter is read as reverse (reverse C).
7. Some letters can't be crazy or reverse, because then they would look like another letter, such as M W H I X.
8. A cursive letter made without lifting up the pencil is read as running (cursive R read as running R).
9. Pictures can be used such as quarter moon, half moon, sun, diamond, triangle, heart (hearts can also be lazy or crazy), and #.
10. "-" is read as bar; "_____" is read as rail; "/" is read as slash.
11. You could have a box with a letter or number in it (read as box 2).
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Conclusion Activity :
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Lesson Plan #: AELP-USH0207
Cowboy and Brand Lesson
An AskERIC Lesson Plan
Submitted by: Tiffany Herrmann
Email: tiffanyherrmann@hotmail.com
School/University/Affiliation: University of Texas, Austin, Texas
Date: January 17, 2001
Grade Level: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subject(s):
* Social Studies/US History
* Arts
Duration: 1 hour
Description: The purpose of this lesson is to make students more aware of the cowboy way of life. Students learn about Cowboy Art and how brands are designed.
Goals:
1. Students will gain an appreciation of cowboys and why they are still important today.
2. Students will be introduced to Cowboy Art.
3. Students will learn how a cowboy designs and reads a brand.
Objectives:
1. The students will design their own brand(s).
2. Students will write a few sentences about their design and/or a write a story about their ranch.
Materials:
* The Cowboy's Own Brand Book by Duncan Emrich, or other source with pictures of brands
* examples and pictures of Cowboy Art
* branding iron(s) or pictures of branding irons
* paper and pencils
Vocabulary:
1. Brand book - Lists of all registered brands including: picture of the brand, owner's name, year brand was registered, and ranch and city.
2. Brand inspectors - Men who work at auctions to make sure brands are registered.
3. Brand - A mark made by burning with a hot iron to legally determine ownership, to deter thieves, and to identify cattle.
4. Branding iron - Metal with identification figure on its end. It is heated in a fire and then used to burn hair permanently off of cattle.
5. Ear tag - Tag with identification number put on an animal's ear.
6. Electric brand - Brand done with electric branding iron.
7. Mavericks - Unbranded animals.
8. Running iron - Branding iron with point on its end. It is used like a pen to change brands.
9. Rustlers - People who steal cattle.
Procedure:
Start the lesson by asking, "How many people benefit from cows? How do you benefit?" Explain how everyone benefits from cows. [Below are some examples that teachers can discuss with students.]
1. As a Meal - (collagen based) sausage casings; (gelatin) ice cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, candies, marshmallows, flavorings; (blood) blood sausage, protein extracts; (fatty acid based) oleo margarine, oleo shortening, chewing gum.
2. Helping Us Get There - hydraulic brake fluid, airplane lubricants and runway foam, various machinery oils and viscous fluids, steel ball bearings that contain bone charcoal, car polishes and waxes, textiles for car upholstery.
3. Household Items - (from fats/fatty acids) candles, perfumes, cellophane, paints, ceramics, plastics, cosmetics, shoe cream, crayons, shaving cream, deodorants, soaps, detergent, textiles, insecticides, pet foods, insulation, floor wax, linoleum, freon/refrigerant; (from hooves and horns) piano keys, tortoise shell, combs, imitation ivory; (from hide) leather sporting goods, luggage, boots and shoes, upholstery; (from collagen-based adhesives) bandages, wallpaper, sheet rock, emery boards, glues; (from hair) artist's paint brushes; (from gelatin) photographic film, phonographic records.
4. As a Pharmacy - (from the pancreas) insulin for diabetes, glucagon treats hypoglycemia, trypsin and chymotrypsin for burns and wounds and promotes healing, pancreatin aids digestion; (from the blood) blood plasma helps hemophilia, kills viruses, anemia, RH factor types, blood coagulant; (from the bone) bone marrow for blood disorders, soft cartilage for plastic surgery, bone meal as a calcium and phosphorous source; (from the spinal cord and nervous system) cholesterol for hormone products; (from the intestines) medical sutures; (from the pituitary gland) prolactin promotes lactation, pressor hormone regulates blood pressure, vasopressin controls intestinal and renal functions, ACTH for arthritis and allergies; (from the liver) heparin as a anti-coagulant, liver extract for the treatment of anemia, vitamin B12 for the prevention of B-complex deficiencies.
Continue the lesson by stating, "It seems that in today's technological society, ranchers, cowboys, and farmers are a thing of the past. And in part that is true; large corporations are taking over the production of crops, meat, and dairy products. Cowboy artists try to keep alive the memory and culture of the American West. They attempt to insure authentic representation of life in the west as it was and still is today." Display pictures of Cowboy Art. Ask students to discuss what they see and to share what they like. Inform students that, "Everything a cowboy uses has evolved over time: saddles, spurs, hats, barbed wire, boots, bandanas, brands, and so on. Each design has changed for the specific use of the tool." Ask students if they know what a brand is. Explain why and how brands are used. "Branding is done on the left hip or under the mane. It is small, so it will not mess up the hide." Continue by discussing running irons, rustlers, brand inspectors, registering brands, mavericks, and other ways of identification of animals (ear tags, tattoo, electric brands, nose ring, ear notches).
Discuss famous brands, and teach students how to read the brands. Inform students that they will be designing their own brands, writing a few sentences about them, and then sharing their descriptions with the class.
[ Author's Note: I had students write two or three sentences about the design of their brand. One girl said she had a "B" for her name, an "A" for her grandfather, and a "C" for her grandmother. Then she explained why she used each of their initials. One boy explained his brand (circle J B) by saying he wanted to use his initials but wanted something else besides just letters, so he used a shape. One girl (her brand was a lazy heart) explained that she likes heart shapes, and she thought it was funny to have a lazy heart.]
Below are some "brand rules" that students should keep in mind when designing their brands:
1. Brands are read left to right, top to bottom, and outside to inside.
2. Letters and numbers represent letters and numbers (a brand that looks like this 112 would be read one hundred twelve; a brand that looks like this 81A would be read eighty-one A).
3. Letters are always capital letters.
4. A letter laid on its side is called a lazy letter. For instance, the letter R laying on its side would be read lazy R.
5. An upside down letter is read as crazy (upside down A, crazy A).
6. A backwards letter is read as reverse (reverse C).
7. Some letters can't be crazy or reverse, because then they would look like another letter, such as M W H I X.
8. A cursive letter made without lifting up the pencil is read as running (cursive R read as running R).
9. Pictures can be used such as quarter moon, half moon, sun, diamond, triangle, heart (hearts can also be lazy or crazy), and #.
10. "-" is read as bar; "_____" is read as rail; "/" is read as slash.
11. You could have a box with a letter or number in it (read as box 2).
[ Author's Note: As a lesson extension, students can write a make-believe story about a ranch. The children I taught had a lot of fun with this idea. They were making up stories about how rustlers came and tried to steal their cattle. One little boy told how hard it was "to catch all of his cattle to put brands on them." Some students wrote about "a day in their life as a rancher." I did not give them a topic to start with; they were very creative and came up with some wonderful stories.]
Special Comments: If doing this lesson with elementary students, it would be a good idea to do it over a long period of time (a week or even 6 weeks). The instructor could talk more about manufactured items that come from other animals such as pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens. The instructor could talk more about country life and other aspects of cowboy/ranching/farming life. A field trip to a ranch could be taken, if possible. Also, students could compare some of the pictures of Cowboy Art to other things they have seen or done.
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