Boss of the Plains Author: Laurie Carlson Illustrator: Holly Meade

Original Flyers for Free Land Opportunities

John B. Stetson The Famous Stetson Hat

One of the show places of industrial Philadelphia, the Stetson Factory was the world's largest hat manufacturer. Sitting on five acres at the corner of 3rd and Montgomery Streets, it employed more than 5,400 men and women in the early 1900s.

Stetson Company Today

sticking to a purpose determined Determined to start a new life in St. Joe, John looked around for some way to make his mark. Synonyms: strong-minded unwavering

unexplored land frontier Frontier life was challenging for settlers.

a good chance opportunity It was only when he met up with a group of travelers heading to Colorado Territory that opportunity presented itself. Synonyms: prospect break

pioneers These pioneers were all traveling to lands very different from the ones they had known back east. people who are the first to settle in a region

wranglers cowboys “ He’d make a hat for the wranglers and cowboys of the West.

tanned changed animal hide to leather by soaking it in chemicals “Won’t work,” someone else replied. “The skins will shrink up and get hard unless they’re properly tanned.”

frontier opportunity tanned determined pioneers A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words! wranglers Draw! Draw! Draw! Attachment D

Free Association When I say a word, you write down any words you can think of that remind you of that word. For example: The word is school: 1.learning 2.Science 3.pencils 4.Reading 5.Math 6.teachers 7.P.E. 8.education And on and on and on 1. wranglers 2. opportunity 3. determined 4. frontier 5. pioneers 6. tanned Attachment E1

Vocabulary Classifying Place the following words in categories: wranglers pioneers tannedfrontier determined opportunity Decide the names of the categories. Determine how many categories. Determine which words go in which categories. After classifying the words, write a paragraph explaining each of the categories and why certain words go in a particular category. Attachment F

Synonym Search Match the vocabulary words on the left to the correct synonyms on the right. Some vocabulary words have more than one synonym. Ready, set, go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! determined adventurers frontier gear opportunity pioneers settlers tanned wranglers a. colonistsf. kitk. prospect b. explorersg. unwaveringl. strong- minded c. breakh. voyagersm. d. newi. uninhabitedn. e. cowboysj. stuffo. Attachment G

1.Alaska, often called "the last __________," has vast areas of wilderness. 2.We need to pack our _________ so we can go camping. 3.The soccer player seized the ___________ to aim for the goal post. 4.The _____________ traveled in wagons to the unknown wilds of the west. 5.Who were the first permanent ____________ in North America? 6.The _________________ rode behind the chuck wagon. 7.Willie was __________________ to solve the answer to the math problem. 8.The traders were hoping to acquire more beaver ______________. 9.The _________________ gave vivid descriptions of their travels across the tundra. Can you Find the Context Clues? settlers; gear; tanned; adventurers; frontier; wranglers; determined; opportunity; pioneers Attachment H

Tell Me What You Know 1. What kind of gear would be needed to go camping in the wilderness? 2. Describe people who are determined to succeed. 3. Why is “outer space” called the new frontier? 4. Explain a typical day in the life of a wrangler. 5. Settlers and pioneers are closely connected because_______________________________________. 6. Explain why going to school each day is an opportunity. Attachment J