Boss of the Plains: The Hat that Won the West, a literature-based unit study for the book by Laurie Carlson
Boss of the Plains: The Hat That Won the West
Author: Laurie Carlson
Illustrator: Holly Meade
Summary: The story of John Stetson and how he came to create the most popular hat west of the Mississippi.
ISBN: 0-7894-2479-7
Unit prepared by Celia and Wende
This unit doesn't have a complete lapbook, but there are Lapbook Helps at the end of the unit. Social Studies
Geography -- New Jersey:
New Jersey was one of the Thirteen Colonies. The
Thirteen Colonies were divided into three geographical designations.
New Jersey was one of the "Middle Colonies," which also
included
Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania. The other two
designations were The New England
Colonies, which consisted of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, and Rhode
Island, and the Southern Colonies, which consisted of Maryland,
Virginia, Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina.)
New Jersey was named for the Isle of Jersey in England. New Jersey's capitol is
Trenton. The Eastern Goldfinch is its state bird and the Purple
Violet is its state flower.
Orange, New Jersey
was an industrial city from the beginning. Early settlers found
an abundance of hemlock trees there, which provided with the tannic
acid necessary to make shoes and boots. Hat-making was an early
industry as well.
Geography -- Missouri:
Missouri was 24th state, being admitted to the union in August of 1821.
Farming and mining are among its leading industries. The
capital of Missouri is Jefferson City. The state bird is the
Eastern Bluebird and the state flower is the White Hawthorn.
Missouri is one of the Mississippi River States.
St. Joseph, Missouri was the last supply point before heading into the "Wild West."
Geography -- Colorado:
In
1876 Colorado was admitted to the Union as the 38th state.
It is one of the Rocky Mountain states, which also
includes Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Denver
is the capital of Colorado. Its state bird is the Lark Bunting,
its state animal is the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, and its state
flower is the Rocky Mountain Columbine.
The name Colorado was taken from the Spanish word
Colorado, meaning red.
Pikes (also seen as Pike's) Peak is a mountain in Colorado's Rocky
Mountains. It is over 14,000 ft. high. It was named for
Zebulon Pike, an explorer who first documented it in 1806. Edwin
James was the first to climb it in 1820. Katherine Lee Bates, a
teacher from Massachusetts, climbed to the
summit in 1893 and it was there that she became inspired to write the
words to the beloved patriotic song, America, the Beautiful.
History -- The Colorado Gold Rush Gold was discovered in the Pikes Peak area in July of 1858, which
lead to the Pikes Peak Gold Rush (later known as the Colorado Gold
Rush). A gold rush is when there is a great migration of gold seekers into an
area where gold has been found. The Colorado Gold Rush was the
last of the great North American gold rushes and lasted about 2.5
years, peaking in 1859, when about 100,000 gold seekers flocked to the
Pikes Peak area and became known as the Fifty-Niners. Most
who came to seek their fortune never found any gold.
History-- Life in a Gold Rush
Town A typical gold rush town sprung up very quickly (seemingly overnight)
once word spread that gold was discovered. A small town of about 500, might grow
to 50,000 in a very short time. As long as the mining business was good, the
town thrived. However, once the gold was gone, the town often died and the
people moved in search of gold elsewhere. Towns that grew up practically
overnight were called "boom towns," and once they were abandoned they became
known as "ghost towns."
During the a boom town's heyday, the town had many businesses. Most of the
town's occupants lived in tents while panning for gold, while those that
provided a service (such as mining supplies, blacksmithing, food, and medical
attention) generally built log buildings. While many of those panning or mining
for gold returned home penniless, most of the merchants became rich. There was
such a need for supplies and things, that miners were willing to pay ridiculous
prices for them. Food sold for astronomical prices. A person might pay $2 for
just one egg or apple! Language Arts
Subtitles:
The title of our book is Boss of the Plains.
The subtitle is "The Hat that Won the West." A
subtitle is often used to give a bit more description of the story.
If you did not know that the first Stetson was called the "Boss
of the Plains," you would have no idea what the story might be
about. Let your child practice making up titles and subtitles this
week to either stories he has written or even to books he has read
where the title doesn't really tell us the story contents.
Vocabulary: Damp- slightly wet
Fortune-
favorable results that come partly by chance
Tanned-
to change an animal hide into leather
Matted-
to become tangled
Gamble- take a chance
Decoy- not the real thing; often intended to trick or trap
Canteen-
a small container for carrying liquids
Sapling- a young tree
Listmaking:
How many different kinds of hats are there? Make a list with your student.
Can you think of at least ten different kinds of hats? Twenty?
Here is a list at Wiki. Kinds of Hats Simple Fold
Listmaking:
How many different ways could the Boss of the Plains be used?
Hat Shape Book Art
Signs: Go through the story
with your student and point out the many signs throughout. Note the different
fonts (styles of print) used on the signs, the decorations (if any) that are
used, the information that is emphasized on the sign. Keys to a successful sign
are: the print size should be large enough to see from a distance, the font
should be easy to read, there should not be a lot to read, and there should be a
good contrast between the background and the wording.
The person creating the sign needs to think about where people are going to see
the sign. Have your student look at the illustrations on the first two pages.
Let's say you just stepped off the stagecoach into this town.....look at the
scene. Notice how your eyes are drawn to the store signs. You are viewing the
signs from quite a distance, from "across the street" per se.
Notice that the signs are large, with large print, and do not have a lot of
words. If these signs had lots of words on them or were smaller, your eye
probably wouldn't be drawn to them as readily. It's best to use only a few
words or phrases to convey the message desired. On the other hand, if all a
sign says is Stan's Store, you really have no idea what Stan sells.
Use of color and contrast are also important in a sign. It's best to choose
colors that go well together, that
complement one
another. At the same time, you don't want a bunch of colors nor do you want
the background color of the sign and the color of the letters to be similar.
The words need to stand out from the background.
As you drive places this week, point out various signs and discuss whether or
not the sign is eye catching. If it's not, ask your student if he can think of
ways the sign could be improved. Homemade garage sale or party signs are often
good examples of ones that could be improved.
Have your student come up with a business name, then give him the supplies to
make his own sign for it. The sign could be made from a large piece of
cardboard, which can be painted, or even just a sheet of paper. How big are
the letters going to be? Can he write them the same size? Can he center them
or arrange them in a way that is attractive? Be sure to think about the colors,
too.
If your student is older, he may wish to try out the different fonts in a word
processor and try his hand at designing the sign on the computer.
Make a Hat:
Give your child access to basic supplies (newspaper, construction
paper, cardboard, felt, glue, sequins, etc.) and let him create a
hat of his own design.
Count/Multiply by 5:
The horseman who bought John's hat paid John with a five-dollar
gold piece. Make up story problems in which your student needs to
count or multiply by 5. Example: If John sold 4 Stetson
hats for $5 each, how much money did he make? Five-dollar
Manipulatives
Count/Multiply by 2:
Back in New Jersey, John
only received $2 for a fine homburg hat. Make up story problems in which your
student needs to count or multiply by 2. Example: If John sold 4 hats
for $2 each, how much money did he make?
Two-dollar Manipulatives
Pockets (to store manipulatives
in ~ if you are making a lapbook)
Subtraction and the key words "How much more?":
Introduce or review with your student that if they see the words
"how much more" in a word problem, that is their clue to subtract.
If John sold his Stetson hats for $5 and his regular hats for
$2, how much more did he receive for the Stetsons than the regular
hats? How much more money would he make if he sold 10 Stetsons
instead of 10 homburgs?
Measuring:
In order to make a hat, a hatmaker needs to measure the
circumference of the buyer's head. Help your child use a cloth
tape measure and show them how the hatmaker would measure a person's
head. Make a chart that shows each family member and their head
measurement. Science
Respiratory System -- Lungs:
The dampness and steam of the hat shop made John's lungs weak....
Your lungs are organs in your chest cavity and part of your respiratory
system. They are each about the size of a football. At the bottom of
your chest cavity is a muscle called your diaphragm. As you inhale, the
diaphragm moves down and your lungs fill with air. As you exhale, the
diaphragm moves up and your lungs release the air. The job of the
lungs is to supply the blood with oxygen and rid the blood of carbon
dioxide. The separation of oxygen from the air by the lungs is delicate
work.
For this reason, the air that comes into the lungs should be as clean
as possible. Our bodies do have some built in filters that clean the
air before it gets to the lungs. Our noses have fine hairs and a thick
layer of fluid to catch dust particles. The epiglottis in your
throat protects you from getting larger objects, such as food, go down
the "wrong pipe" into your lungs, and causes you to cough out the
foreign particles. And then there is yet more fluid in the windpipe to
trap dust and particles before they get to the lungs.
Even with all these natural filters in place, in someplace like a hat
shop with its poor conditions, some of the lint and germs that are
carried in the moist air are bound to get through, causing infection
and the possibility of permanent lung damage. Today, people working in
this kind of environment often wear a facemask to prevent this from
happening. It is good to learn from our past.
Activity: You
may wish to have your older students construct a model of a lung.
You will need a plastic soda bottle with a lid, a plastic straw,
two balloons (one bigger and one smaller), and a bit of clay or wax.
First, punch a hole in the lid and insert a plastic straw in the hole.
The straw is the "windpipe". Cut the bottom off the soda bottle. Take
the larger balloon, cut off the neck, and stretch it over the bottom of
the bottle. Attach it with a rubber band. This is the "diaphragm".
At the top of the lid, make sure that the straw is air tight, sealing
with clay or a bit of wax. At the bottom of the straw, attach the
smaller balloon, securing with string or a rubber band. This smaller
balloon is the "lung".
Screw the lid onto the bottle, with the straw and small balloon inside
the bottle. Now you are ready to see how your lungs work.
Push the diaphragm at the bottom of the bottle. What do you feel
rushing out of the straw? What does the lung do? Watch the lung expand
and contract as the diaphragm is pushed in and out. Your lungs work in
this same way.
Health -- Tuberculosis:
...and he became sick with tuberculosis.
John became sick with tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a deadly and
contagious disease. The disease is most prevalent in areas of
overcrowding and poverty. TB has been around since ancient times,
evidenced by lesions found on Egyptians mummies. In the early 1900's
tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the United States
and was known as the "white plague". Tuberculosis is caused by
bacteria that can destroy the lungs. The bacteria, called tubercle bacillus, are transmitted by sputum, either in air-borne droplets or by dust particles, and are very contagious.
People most susceptible to TB are those that are malnourished, tired or
strained, or exposed to respiratory irritants in their jobs. The
bacteria can stay in the body for a long time before any symptoms of TB
are seen. Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, night sweats, loss of
appetite, coughing, chest pain, and weight loss. We have come a long
way in the diagnosis and treatment of TB since the "white plague," but
tuberculosis is still a dangerous, highly contagious disease that
affects Americans today.
In the past, in addition to being known as the "white plague,"
tuberculosis was called consumption because it seemed to consume people
from within.
Gold:
If your student has rowed The Bee Tree (FIAR Vol.III), you
may wish to review the lesson on gold. Gold is a precious metal,
readily sought after throughout history. Gold is mentioned many times in the Bible.
Moses was instructed to cover the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant
with gold. Gold was one of the gifts brought to Jesus, by
the Three Wise Men. It has been used throughout history as money and to
make jewelry.
Health: Sun Protection In our
story, the scorching sun blistered John's face. When he made his first Boss of
the Plains, he designed with a wide brim to keep the sun out of his eyes and the
rain off of his back. Let's talk about why it's important to protect ourselves
from the sun.
The Sun is Earth's source of light and heat, and without it everything would
die. But sunlight can be harmful to our skin. Sunlight is made up of
different kinds of light, including ultraviolet radiation, or UV Rays. These UV
Rays can burn our skin, make it wrinkly, or even cause skin cancer. UV Rays
occur all year long, but are strongest in the summer time. We cannot see UV
rays, but they can penetrate your skin if you don't protect yourself.
So, how can we protect ourselves?
* We can wear a long-sleeve shirt. This will help for a short time, but UV
Rays can go through that as well unless they are special ones designed just for
sun protection.
* We can also put on sun screen, a special kind of lotion that blocks the UV
Rays from entering and harming our skin. To be of the most help, such lotions
need to be applied a half hour
before going on in the sun and re-applied after
being exposed to the sun for half an hour. After that, it should be reapplied
if you swim or sweat a lot.
* We also limit the length of time we are out in the direct sun. The longer
we are in the sun, the better the chance of sunburn.
* We can also watch when we are outside. Sunlight is strongest between
11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., so our time outside during those hours should be
limited.
* It is important to protect our eyes from the sun as well, so wear
sunglasses while outside (particularly the wrap around kind).
* And, of course, we can wear a hat to help shade our face and neck.
Now, let's talk about what to do if we do get sunburned. Minor sunburns just
cause our skin to be red and generally hurt a little. However, severe
sunburns--like John in our story--causes blisters, is very painful, and causes
the skin to peel as it heals.
Soothing lotions made from the aloe vera plant and Vitamin E can help your skin
heal. A home remedy involves soaking a clean cloth (or gauze) in cool (not
cold!) milk and gently laying it on the burned areas, then lifting it up and
laying on another section of burned area. Repeat until all areas have been
coated with a thin layer of the milk, re-soaking the cloth as needed. Be very
careful not to rub the skin. Continue for 20 minutes, before rinsing it off.
Repeat every 2 or 3 hours. Another home remedy is to mix a cup of white
vinegar with a gallon of cool water, and apply the same as the milk. If the
burn is a small area, you soak a couple of tea bags in cool water and then lay
the wet bags on your skin for half an hour. Repeat two or three times a day.
(You can place about 15 bags into lukewarm bath water and submerge the affected
area.) Resources
Supplemental Books
Bandannas, Chaps, and Ten-gallon Hats by Bobbie Kalman (a look at cowboy attire) World of Wild West
by Peter Harrison (this book has information on the American
West, recipes, and directions for crafts, such as a cowboy hat and
chaps)
Pikes Peak Granite;
Mrs. Julia Archibald Holmes (first woman to climb Pikes Peak)
Zebulon
Pike (explored the southwestern border of the Louisiana Purchase)
Ute
Indians
the flora and fauna of Colorado's montane/subalpine/alpine ecosystems/altitudinal zones (also this website)