SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

THEME: Culture, Dignity, and Identity

CONCEPT: African Americans in early America; contributions and challenges in the development of the Atlantic world.CONTENT TOPIC: Investigating and researching the contributions and challenges faced by Africans and African-Americans in the development of the Atlantic world through fiction and nonfiction texts.UNIT TITLE: Challenges of Expansion

Sample Student Outcome Statements*

Students will be able to --- with African and African American Studies

Connections

Students will be able to --- from Social Science Planning Guides

Make connections between black and white Americans in the Westward movement

And the role of African Americans in the settling of the west

Understand that African Americans moved West for the same reasons as their White counterparts, for better opportunities

Compare and contrast the role of Africans in the West and of those who stayed in the South

Social Studies Literacy Reading Skills through…

Folktales and Legends, Biographies, Maps

Document Based Analysis

CCSS Literacy Writing Skills … Explanatory essay, focusing on

Argument CCSS Speaking and Listening Skills …

Focusing on presentation and/or debates utilizing speaking skills and technology to support an argument or explanation based on information gathered through inquiry

Unit Description: Learners will investigate and analyze the impact of African Americans in the westward expansion of the United States during the latter years of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century. The end of slavery ushered in an era in which African Americans had to adjust to the challenges of demanding full citizenship without equal access to education and employment. Many African Americans did not have marketable skills that would allow them full independence and often became sharecroppers on former slave plantations. However there were many other African Americans eager to face the challenges of a new way of life and joined the westward movement with hopes of a better quality of life for themselves and future generations.

Enduring Understandings

1. Economics: Economic systems differ with respect to level of stability, efficiency, freedom, security, and equality. (FL)2. Geography: Geopolitical boundaries are created through conflict and compromise and have implications for political, economic, and social interactions.3. Politics: Involves competing ideas about the common good and the role of the

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

individual. (C)4. History: Knowing context deepens our understanding of historical events.

Essential Questions

Guiding Essential Questions:I) How do culture and identity influence who we are?II) How do time, culture and history influence works of art and/or the

advancement of science and technology?III) What can I do to positively impact my community?

Common Core StandardsPrimary Reading

RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

RH.6-8.3 Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Writing

WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

WHST.6-8.2b Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

WHST.6-8.2d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

WHST.6-8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently

Speaking and Listening

SL.7.1b Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

SL.7.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Content Building Knowledge Through Texts (This is an Example and as you can )

AssessmentsFormative (Insert the type of formative assessments and/or an example(s))

Pre- reading video observation notes and critical thinking questions (handout 2)Pre-reading brainstorm on cowboy characteristics and duties (handout 2)

Summative Cowboy data chart – handout 1Text/Resources

Extended Reading

Clinton Cox : The Forgotten Heroes Buffalo Soldiers – Scholastics: 1996, 176 pages.

Black Cowboys

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

What is a Cowboy?http://www.encarta.in/people/cowboys.htmlhttp://www.history.com/topics/cowboys

African American Cowboyshttp://www.africanaonline.com/2010/08/black-cowboys/http://www.stanford.edu/group/west/cgi-bin/pager.php?id=17

“African American Cowboys: The Forgotten Man of the West” You Tube: Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAr2UzErToA

Lesson plans for black cowboys

A project of the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University http://www.stanford.edu/group/west/exploringthewest/units/cowboys.html

Historical Myth Definition Resource:http://www.concordma.com/magazine/mayjun00/mythhistory.html

Potential Guest Speakers:

Illinois Black Rodeo Production Company –Latting Rodeohttp://www.lattingrodeoproductions.com/page2.html

Chicago -Broken Arrow Horseback Riding Clubhttp://www.brokenarrowridingclub.org/index.html

School Field Trip

The Silver Stallion Ranchhttp://www.thesilverstallionranch.com/

Learning Activities

Learning activity 1:

Describe, in depth, the specific learning activities for each class period attaching any short texts, pictures, etc. as resources.

Learners will research three groups of African American western pioneers to determine the factors that lead African Americans to seek a new life away from the American South for improved economic and social freedoms. Learners will be given a data recording chart on the first day of the five week unit to record facts for use in the writing of soliloquies and found poems for the pageants.

Differentiated Strategies for Varied Learning Profiles

(Examples)

Informational texts will be available in a variety of formats including audio, visual

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

The chart should include the following: demographic data; population data; accomplishment; surprising detail; biographical facts. Charts must include a space for listing the source for the facts.

and tactilely. Tasks will

have components that allow for students to use visual, oral and tactile as well as kinesthetic skills to express knowledge gained.

Students will be able to take ownership of tasks through the use of “Choice Boards” and “Learning Centers”.

Day 1-3 Describe, in depth, the specific learning activities for each class period attaching any short texts, pictures, etc. as resources.

Day 1 – Unit Introduction

Teacher will provide each student with a chart (handout 1) for data collection throughout the five-week unit.

Lesson Motivation Activity - Black Cowboys: Show learners a clip of one of the 2013 Black Rodeos in the West and South.

Teacher will direct learners to write down their observations about the video clips on the cowboy brainstorming handout (handout 2) what their first thoughts about the video clips. Direct learners to record questions they have about African Americans as cowboys.

Learner Pre-reading Activity: Teacher will allow learners ten minutes to discuss their observations and questions with peers in their seating pods. Teacher should walk around to the various pods and take notes on what s/he hears in their discussions. When time

Supply the material with the varied amount of print, varied text structures and extensive graphic support based on students’ instructional levels.

Use videos

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

is up teacher will facilitate a whole group discussion by asking one learner from each pod to share key points from the small group discussion. Teacher should ask each group a specific question based on his/her notes from the walk around. During the whole group discussion allow learners from other pods to ask follow up questions and discuss. Give learners two minutes to review their questions based on the whole group discussion and add answers or new questions.

Learner Pre-reading Activity: Teacher will direct learners to a specific brainstorming activity. Learners will list characteristics associated with being a cowboy or cowgirl. Have learners write the intrapersonal skills of person selecting this occupation. Learners should also list duties that cowboys perform on the brainstorming handout.Teacher should collect the handouts and take note of specific areas that need clarification and direct teaching in the remaining days of this lesson.

Teacher: Ask students - Where did you learn that this was how cowboys acted? Do you think these are accurate characterizations?Record answers for use in Day 2 reading assignment.

Learner Pre-reading Activity: Learners will complete the reading anticipation guide (handout 3) to define the role and objectives of cowboys in the early west.

Learner Independent Reading: Upon completion of the reading anticipation guide, learners will independently read one or both of the cowboy articles. Teacher will explain that the reading will provide general information on cowboys that will assist learners in completing a large portion of the data collection chart. Learners will be permitted to highlight key ideas as they read.

What is a cowboy? (handouts 4 and 5)http://www.encarta.in/people/cowboys.htmlhttp://www.history.com/topics/cowboys

Reading Assessment: Using the text, learners will complete the data chart (handout 1) independently. Learners are allowed return to the text as much as needed.

Teacher will collect the data chart and use the information from both the brainstorming list and the data collection chart to determine the key points for review on Day 2.

to enhance comprehension through auditory and visual models

Allow brief, cooperative brainstorming to activate prior knowledge and make predictions

Adjust the complexity, abstractness, type of response necessary, and connections required between topics based on readiness and learning profile.

Establish clear criteria for success.

Use wait time before taking student answers.

If appropriate

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

DAY 2Lesson opening: Teacher will pass back the brainstorming handout and the data collection form. Direct students to review what they recorded and discuss their questions, comments, and concerns. Teacher should also discuss key aspects that are necessary for completing the data collection chart correctly. Make sure that each learner has a sufficient amount of data to move forward.

Learner Activity: Using an overhead projector or computer with LCD projection. Teacher will ask learners to volunteer to fill one data entry in the chart for the benefit of the class. Allow learners to provide concise wording and key details. Complete this process until the chart is sufficiently done. Teacher should circulate to ensure that all learners are engaged. Teacher will save the chart for future reference. It is appropriate for the teacher to post the chart on the bulletin board through the remainder of the unit.

Pre-Reading Activity: Teacher will remind students of answers given on day to the questions – "Where did you learn that this was how cowboys acted? Do you think these are accurate characterizations?

Using these answers as a guide teacher will explain historical myth v. reality to the whole group. A historical myth is best explained as retelling of events in a different geographical location or time era for a specific purpose. “Many historical events, has been expanded, twisted, dissected and revised, incorporating fact with fiction in telling the truth of it. The noble purpose of such storytelling has often been to meet the needs of a people and nation in defining themselves and all too often to support glory, worth and importance of self being for towns, citizens and places.” (http://www.concordma.com/magazine/mayjun00/mythhistory.html)

Reading Activity: Learners will read Historical Myth v. Reality (handout 6). Teacher will guide the learners to obtain information from the reading to further learners understanding of the reality of cowboy life. Learners will use the information and identify historical myth versus the reality of cowboy life. Learners may revise data chart to include information from the reading.

Reading Analysis: Historical Myth v. Reality questions.Homework: Reading Assignment – Presidents and Cowboys read and answer questions.

Day 3

, give students a chance to talk to partners or write down their answers before responding

Provide clear guidelines for group functioning that are taught in advance of group work and consistently reinforced.

Examples of possible pacing/mini-lesson topics for cooperative learning

Students will reflect and create a list of what creates a good discussion.

Students will develop and practice skills of listening

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

Lesson Opener: Teacher direct learners to share with pod members their answers to the questions that accompanied both readings. Teacher should take notes of discussion points as learners share. At the end of the discussion teacher will report the key points s/he gleaned from the discussion and allow learners to revise their data collection chart as needed.

Pre-reading: Teacher will explain that the westward expansion also involved African American cowboys and cowgirls. Guiding Question: Why do you think that cowboys have historically been portrayed as white?Allow students to respond to the question in their notebooks before reading.

Reading Activity: Learners will read the African Online , “Black Cowboys” and the Stanford University passage , “African American Cowboys” . As they read, learners may highlight key points. Learners will complete the graphic organizer accompanying the handout.

Homework: Video – Teacher will provide learners with a handout 9 for viewing “African American Cowboys: The Forgotten Man of the West” Part 1 on You Tube: Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAr2UzErToALearners will watch the video with parents and other family members at home. Learners will ask a minimum of two people not in the class (family or friends their age or older) to provide a statement regarding the video clip. Responders can list

What surprised them most? What new information did they find out? Did they like the video? Are they interested in learning more?

Writing Activity: Learners will write a paragraph explaining family member’s reaction to the information on African American cowboys.

well (active listening).

Students will increase participation through discussions.

Day 4-5 REAL WORLD CONNECTION

Teacher choice: Guest speaker or class field trip.

OPTION 1 Guest Speaker: Two weeks before the unit contact a potential guest speaker to make a real work connection to African American cowboys with your students. There are many African American cowboys in Illinois who share their culture and identity

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

with school children regularly. Here are two suggested groups.

Illinois Black Rodeo Production Company –Latting Rodeohttp://www.lattingrodeoproductions.com/page2.html

Chicago -Broken Arrow Horseback Riding Clubhttp://www.brokenarrowridingclub.org/index.html

Provide the guest speaker with information on the learning objectives and goals of your unit on Black Cowboys. Share with the guest speaker the reading materials and video clips you have used with the learners. Also request specific information that the learners should have prior to the arrival of the guest speaker.

Have learners preview the website of the guest speaker and prepare questions to ask at the appropriate time. Allow learners to share questions in small groups and revise the questions prior to the visit.

OPTION 2 – Class Field Trip

Contact the Silver Stallion Ranch. Use the “School Groups” Link to plan your trip.

http://www.thesilverstallionranch.com/schoolgroups.html

Provide the ranch personnel with information on the learning objectives and goals of your unit on Black Cowboys. Share with the ranch personnel the reading materials and video clips you have used with the learners. Also request specific information that the learners should have prior to the arrival on the ranch.

Have learners preview the website of the Silver Stallion Ranch and prepare questions to ask at the appropriate time. Allow learners to share questions in small groups and revise the questions prior to the visit.

Either option – take plenty of pictures to share.

Writing - Homework: Learners will write formal thank- you letter to the guest speaker or the ranch personnel who assisted them. The Letter should include three paragraphs of content learned. One paragraph will be the introduction of learner. The second paragraph will explain the role of African American cowboys in modern society. The third paragraph will explain a key aspect of new information

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

learned by the real world connection. Learners may use the template handout 10.

Day 6-7 Teacher will review information on African American Cowboys from the readings and the video clip via whole group discussion. Learners will be allowed to review their data collection charts to include new data. The data revisions will also be based on the field trip or guest speaker.

Assessment - Collaborative Activity:Time travel: Go back in history and explore the role of African Americans in the expansion of the Western portion of the United States. Create a group time line using the data from their charts.Teacher will provide groups with timeline rubric (handout 11).

Teacher: Teacher will assess detail of timelines as a group grade. Teacher will assess data chart as an individual grade.

Examples of ResourcesAttach all resources that will be used

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

Data Collection Chart for Westward Expansion UnitFact, Question, Quote Source Reason for Selection Data Type –

Demographic/Population/ Biographical/Historical Accomplishment

Surprising Detail

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Pre-Reading Activity

Directions: Write down everything that you observed as you watched the Black Rodeo video clip. Describe your thoughts and record any questions you may have.

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

Brainstorming Activity – Intrapersonal Skills & Duties of a cowboy/cowgirl in the American West.

Directions: List characteristics associated with being a cowboy or cowgirl. Write the intrapersonal skills of person selecting this occupation. Also list duties that cowboys perform.

Remaining Questions for Research:

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Cowboys/Cowgirls

Intrapersonal Skills Duties

SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

Historical Myth v. RealityHistorians try to find out what ''really'' happened in the past. But in the case of the history of cowboys and the West, it's often hard to separate myth from reality. Read what two historians have to say about the difference between myth and reality.

Passage One If we differentiate history from myth solely on the basis of facts, we will, however, run into conceptual difficulties over what a fact is and, more significantly, miss a larger difference. For a good historian, the past is, as the cliché goes, another country. People in the past operate in a different context than do we in the present; they often live by other logics. Any lessons the past teaches are those about processes and change; we cannot derive uniformly valid rules about our present situation from the past. Myth, for all its attention to the past, denies this and thus denies 'history' itself. Myth refuses to see the past as fundamentally different from the present. . . . Myth rips events out of context and drains them of their historicity. How a cowboy acts in myth is how an American male should act regardless of time or place. A man has to do what a man has to do. Myths thus are antihistory, for history above all depends on context. . . .[However] as people accept and assimilate myths, they act on the myths, and the myths become the basis for actions that shape history. Historians find they cannot understand people's actions without understanding their intentions, and those intentions are often shaped by cultural myths. The mythic West imagined by Americans has shaped the West of history just as the West of history has helped create the West Americans have imagined. The two cannot be neatly severed.Source: White, Richard. ''It's Your Misfortune and None of My Own.'' University of Oklahoma Press, 1991. 616. Passage Two [Historians have believed that] what we know about the cowboy and the cattleman can be stored in two bins: one marked reality, the other labeled myth. The historians have sought to add to the good stuff of the first bin; the fictionists, movie makers, and television producers have filled the second to overflowing. . . . Such a view, however, is not only simple, it is also simplistic. . . .The historical cowboy, in the view of western historians, is his own man out of the past, not an image set in the past after being definitely shaped by present conceptions of what a cowman ought to be. . . .But how does the historian find that figure in the past? Consider his sources. A man writes an account of himself in his journal or his autobiography; his friend writes further accounts as biography, reminiscence, or tribute. But if there are facts here, there is also a molding to ideal and mythic images. Can we suppose that Roosevelt saw himself as historical object? . . .Reality does not come, like gold nuggets or topaz crystals, already made. . . . It does not lie exposed in the clutter of history once some of the dust of time has been removed. . . . It is a truism that the historian seeks to know the way things were. But it is also a truism that a pile of apparent facts is no more the historical reality of the range than a pile of logs is a livable house. Obviously the historian builds history too, using the assumptions, the values by which the pieces are selected and fitted most rightly together. The result, he trusts, is a representation of reality.Source: Walker, Don. “Riders and Reality: A Philosophical Problem in the Historiography of the Cattle Trade.” The Western Historical Quarterly, Vol. 9, NO. 2. (April, 1978). 163-179.

----Questions:1. According to the first passage, why does the historian have to pay close attention to popular myths? Why can’t myth and reality be easily separated?2. According to the second passage, why is it impossible for the historian to simply tell a true story about “reality”?

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

3. Think about a historical movie that you’ve seen recently (e.g., Forrest Gump, Titanic, Pearl Harbor, etc.). How do you think those movies have shaped your understanding of American history?

Presidents and Cowboys

Politicians have long tried to evoke and embody the image of the cowboy. Below are excerpts from speeches written by two presidents, thirty years apart. One speech was delivered by President Eisenhower in1953 at a dinner for a Jewish organization, and the other was delivered by President Reagan in 1983 at the opening of an exhibit at the Library of Congress. Pay attention to what the speeches have in common. President Eisenhower Remarks Upon Receiving the America's Democratic Legacy Award at a B'nai B'rith Dinner in Honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Anti-Defamation LeagueNovember 23rd, 1953I was raised in a little town of which most of you have never heard. But in the West it is a famous place. It is called Abilene, Kansas. We had as our marshal for a long time a man named Wild Bill Hickok. If you don't know anything about him, read your Westerns more. Now that town had a code, and I was raised as a boy to prize that code.It was: meet anyone face to face with whom you disagree. You could not sneak up on him from behind, or do any damage to him, without suffering the penalty of an outraged citizenry. If you met him face to face and took the same risks he did, you could get away with almost anything, as long as the bullet was in the front.And today, although none of you has the great fortune, I think, of being from Abilene,Kansas, you live after all by that same code in your ideals and in the respect you give to certain qualities. In this country, if someone dislikes you, or accuses you, he must come up in front. He cannot hide behind the shadow. He cannot assassinate you or your character from behind, without suffering the penalties an outraged citizenry will impose.President Reagan Remarks at the Opening of "The American Cowboy" Exhibit at the Library of CongressMarch 24th, 1983. . . Among the horsehair lassoes and Remington sculptures and Gene Autry songs is a part of our national identity. Tales of Wild West men and women from Kit Carson to Wild Bill Hickok to Calamity Jane to Annie Oakley are woven into the dreams of our youths and the standards we aim to live by in our adult lives. Ideals of courageous and self-reliant heroes, both men and women, are the stuff of Western lore.It all comes back as you browse through this exhibit. The difference between right and wrong seems as clear as the white hats that the cowboys in Hollywood pictures always wore so you'd know right from the beginning who was the good guy. Integrity, morality, and democratic values are the resounding themes.Life wasn't that simple then, and it certainly isn't today. But in the words of a noted historian, "Americans, in making their Western myths, were not put off by discrepancies with reality. Americans believed about the West not so much what was true, but what they thought ought to be true." He went on, "Lacking the common heritage that bound other nations together, they were forced to look elsewhere for the basis of their national existence. And they found it in the West."While this exhibit is here, I hope all of Washington takes time to get to know the American cowboy again. And as the exhibit travels from city to modern city, I hope it reinforces the glue of a very good society, born and bred in the wide open spaces.

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SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

Source: John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, The American Presidency Project [online]. Santa Barbara, CA: University of California (hosted), Gerhard Peters (database).

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=41095. --------------------

Questions:

1. In what ways are Eisenhower and Reagan’s speeches similar? In what ways do the speeches differ? How does each President imagine the West?

2. Why do you think Presidents are so eager to evoke images of cowboys and the West?

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Passage 1 – Africana Online -Black Cowboys

Published by Sherol on August 14, 2010 | 4 Comments

Black Cowboys, legendary African American figures who drove great cattle herds across the early West. Idealized in motion pictures, television, and books, the cowboy serves as the great American icon, representing courage, hardiness, and independence.

Yet images of black cowboys have been scarce in popular culture, giving the false impression that African Americans were not among the men and women who settled the West. In fact, by the time the huge cattle drives of cowboy legend ended, at least 5,000 black men had worked as cowboys. The word cowboy refers to the men who drove herds of cattle from ranchland in Texas over hundreds of miles of rough and dangerous terrain to the stockyards in the North, a trip taking two to three months. A typical crew consisted of one trail chief, eight cowboys, a wrangler to take care of the horses, and a cook. One historian estimates that an average crew would have included two or three black cowboys.

African Americans came to cattle country most often as slaves, brought by white landowners who hoped to take advantage of the fertile Texas soil to grow cotton (see Slavery in the United States). Once there, many whites began ranching, often selling or trading their slaves for livestock. By the start of the American Civil War in 1861, Texas had over 180,000 black inhabitants and close to four million head of cattle. When the war ended four years later, ranching, with its dependence on cowboys, became the dominant industry.

Although black cowboys seldom became trail chiefs or owned their own stock—although some did, usually those who had been free men before the war—they encountered less discrimination along the cattle trail than in most other occupations at the time. While riding herd, black and white cowboys depended upon each other. They lived, ate, and slept together.

The demands of the trail, which included dangerous snakes and wolves, treacherous rivers and mountains, and the threat of attack from Native Americans, made most cowboys transcend their prejudices. One black cowboy, Nat Love (also known as Deadwood Dick), summed up the cowboy code, "There a man’s work was to be done, and a man’s life to be lived, and when death was to be met, he met it like a man."

If life on the trail was arduous, life in the cattle market towns, like Dodge City, Kansas, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, was wide open and lawless. Despite the efforts of marshals such as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, thieves, rustlers, and gunslingers were abundant. Although the majority of black cowboys, like the majority of whites, were tough but law-abiding, there were a few famous black outlaws. One, known as Cherokee Bill, was as bloodthirsty as Billy the Kid and was hanged before his 20th birthday.

By around 1890 the cowboy’s world had changed. Railroad lines had rendered long drives unnecessary, and barbed-wire fences now blocked the legendary Chisholm and Western trails. Some old cowboys, like Love, found work as Pullman porters. Others continued to work on ranches as broncobusters who tamed wild mustangs. Still others, like Bill Pickett, put their riding, roping, or shooting skills to use on the rodeo and vaudeville circuits.

Source: http://www.africanaonline.com/2010/08/black-cowboys/

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Passage 2 - African American CowboysIn classic Westerns, cowboys have almost exclusively been portrayed as White. However, in reality, there were African-American, Mexican, and Native American cowboys. The passage below traces how African Americans became cowboys in the late 19th century.

The Civil War in Texas had the unexpected effect of creating the African American cowboy. Within sixteen years of annexation to the United States, Texas joined the Confederacy. Successful ranchers formed regiments and went off to war, leaving behind their wives, children, and African American slaves to maintain and preserve the welfare of the ranches. Most of the ‘outdoor’ work became the responsibility of the African Americans. Some African Americans took this opportunity to escape to the western frontier of Texas. Others used the opportunity to acquire the skills of cowhands. But maintaining the cattle herds and claiming ownership of the cattle on the open range was difficult at best, and during the war it was impossible. There were just too few ‘hands’ to do the work. Barbed wire had yet to be invented, so the cattle continued to roam the grasslands and returned to the wild. Fear of the Indians was still a major concern, but giving firearms to African Americans was unthinkable. . . .

Finding their herds decimated, the primary concern of the owners was once again acquiring horses, rounding up the wild cattle, and putting on their marks to build herds. . . . But with the 1865 emancipation proclamation in Texas, the ranchers lost a primary source of labor. . . .

Free African Americans who had held together the ranches of their owners during the war had learned the skills it took to work with cattle and horses. They could top off a horse, throw a cow, pull calves from mud bogs, and pop those ’horns out of the brush. Their skills were now in demand as ranchers worked to build their herds. The ranchers needed help, lots of it, to reclaim the cattle from the wilds. So these cowboys went to work, and the law required a wage be paid.

Source: Massey, Sara R. Ed. Black Cowboys of Texas. Texas A&M University Press, 2000. 95.

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Directions: Using the information from both reading passages complete the graphic organizer.

--------------------

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Black Cowboys

How did Blacks become cowboys?

What problems did they address?

What type of work did they perform?

What dangers did they face?

What changes did they bring to this

country?

SOCIAL SCIENCE7th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 3 Launch Lesson

YOU THINK: Why do you think cowboys have historically been portrayed as white? Answer in 5 sentences using facts from the reading.

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Homework:

African American Cowboys: Forgotten Man of the WestDirections:

Step 1 - Watch the following video clip on YouTube. “African American Cowboys: The Forgotten Man of the West” You Tube: Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAr2UzErToA Jot down key points.

Step 2 - Please gather at least two older family members or friends your age who are not in this class around the screen to watch a nine minute video clip on African American cowboys. Do not give your family and friends any factual information you have learned in class about cowboys in general or African American cowboys specifically. Tell them that you want their reaction to the video clip for your homework assignment.

Ask the following questions

Questions Viewer #1 Viewer #2

What surprised them most?

What new information did they find out?

Did they like the video?

Are they interested in learning more?

Any other comments

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