- 8.1 -

ACTIVITY 8Cattle Drive:

A Livestock Game

Activity: Through a game (board) situation, students will identify regions ofAlberta, some geographical features of our province and some ofthe beginnings of the livestock industry prior to 1905.

Curriculum Fit: Grade Four - Social Studies• Topic A: Alberta - Its Geography and People• Topic B: Alberta - Its People in History

Agriculture Concepts: Economic importance of agriculture

Cognitive Level: Application, Analysis

Materials Required: - game pieces (e.g. buttons)- die- game board- game cards

Time Required: Two class periods.

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Background — For the Teacher

From 1880 on, pasturing cattle on prairiegrasslands was common in Canada. At times the cattleto be pastured had to be brought great distances so thatthey could graze on Alberta’s natural ranges. Cattlecould be trailed to some areas of Alberta by CattleDrives.

Cattle Drives were often long and special care hadto be taken to maintain the health of all livestock.Water and good grass were of primary concern to thedrivers and cowboys.

This game is a fairly reasonable re-creation of whata Cattle Drive might have entailed. Its intent is toprovide students with some history of the agriculturalindustry in our province. It is best done as a separatelesson(s) as a cumulative activity towards the end ofyour unit.

Procedure

Preparation1. Photocopy game cards (both sets) for setting

up on the game board.2. Set up the game and explain the rules to the

students. Students can play to the “homeplate” or take another trail back to the start.

Introduction3. Introduce game and explain rules.

a) Roll dice onto board.b) Choose a trail to take.c) Progress through the game with a

combination of rolling the die andselection of cards based on the squarelanded on.

d) The game can be extended by taking atrail back to the start.

Activity4. Head’em up, ride ‘em out and start the game!

Conclusion5. Conclude the activity by involving the

students in a discussion on the followingquestions. Ask them what they have learnedabout the importance of livestock especiallycattle.a) Describe what hazards and conditions the

pioneers of the livestock industry inAlberta faced.

b) Compare your trail with a road map. Arethere similar roads or railroads on the road map of Alberta? Why might this be?Why do you think some trails are similarto highway routes?

c) In your opinion, which trail is the best?Why?

Related Activities

1. List the bodies of water in each square of yourtrail. Include rivers in your labelling.

2. List the towns your trail passes by or comes incontact with.

3. Write a short story (fictional) of your cattle drive.4. Students could map out the remainder of present

day Alberta and do comparisons between the pre-1905 map and a present-day map.

5. Students list the rivers they crossed, find theorigins of the rivers and their final destination.

Original lesson idea by John HodgsonModifications by AITC

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Teacher Resource Sheet #1

Game Cards -- Cowboy Game Cards

The bridle breaksas you are crossing

a river.

Move back onespace.

The distancebetween watering

places isunderestimated.

Move back twospaces.

You draw forriding lead, awayfrom the dust of

the herd.

Move ahead twospaces.

Some cattle havepinkeye. You haveto doctor the sick

cattle.

Move back twospaces.

Your horsefounders from too

much feed.

Move back 2spaces.

You draw the bestcow horse for the

day’s ride.

Move ahead threespaces.

Your crew has thebest chuckwagon

cook in the region.

Move ahead twospaces.

Taking up the rearof the herd is your

position for theday - where the

dust is.

Move back twospaces.

Your horse buckswhen saddled in

the morning.

Move back twospaces.

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Teacher Resource Sheet #2

Game Cards -- Cowboy Game Cards

A clean swimminghole is discoveredon a hot day. Youget a chance for a

swim.

Move ahead 1space.

You look aftersome rank (wild)

cattle.

Move back onespace.

You discover anancient Indian

campsite.

Move forward 2spaces.

You gather a wildsteer no-one else

could collect.

Move ahead twospaces.

The cattle arespooked by

coyotes.

Move back threespaces.

The saddle makerrepairs your saddletack to better than

before.

Move ahead twospaces.

Horses havewandered during

the night. Youhave to gatherthem together.

Move back twospaces.

Your horse is lame.

Move back onespace.

You draw thesmoothest-riding

horse for the day.

Move ahead threespaces.

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Teacher Resource Sheet #3

Game Cards -- Rancher Game Cards

A thunderstormspooks and scatters

the herd.

Move back twospaces.

A rookie cowboyputs his saddle onbackwards and isthrown from the

horse. This meansa trip to the doctor.

Move back onespace.

You stay in towna little longer

than youanticipated.

Move back onespace.

A slight gain inweight on cattlebecause of good

grass.

Move ahead onespace.

All cattle arrive atyour destination.

Move ahead threespaces.

Your crew worksand performs like

a real team.

Move ahead twospaces.

You observe a herdof buffalo grazing

peacefully.

Move ahead twospaces.

Town stores haveall the supplies you

need and someextra hands to helpyou on the Drive.

Move forward onespace.

All of your crewarrives at your

destination.

Move forwardthree spaces.

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Teacher Resource Sheet #4

Game Cards -- Rancher Game Cards

Your cook needs astampede to get up

in the morning.

Move back threespaces.

Chuckwagon runsout of grub.

Move back threespaces.

A wheel breaks on the chuckwagon.

Move back onespace.

Cattle spookduring the night.

Move back twospaces.

Two bulls fighteach other. One ishurt and has to be

treated.

Move back twospaces.

The cook turns outto be a graduate

of Cordon’sCooking Schoolfor Cowboys in

France.

Move ahead threespaces.

Some cattle arelost.

Move back onespace.

The cowboysare fighting.

Move back onespace.

Your wranglerruns off.

Move back onespace.

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Teacher Resource Sheet #5

Game Cards -- Rancher Game Cards

Horse thieves stealyour best horse.

Move back twospaces.

The wrangler picksup some stray

horses.

Move ahead onespace.

Fresh meat forsupper.

Move forward onespace.

Cattle rustlersstrike.

Move back threespaces.

A free load offirewood.

Move forward onespace.

A better rivercrossing isdiscovered.

Move ahead twospaces.

An unexpectedsource of cool,

clear wateris discovered.

Move ahead threespaces.