Saddlebag: Students should research the Great Western Cattle Trail and the Chisholm Trail using a Social Studies textbook, reference materials, trade books, or online resources. A short note-taking guide is attached below. After reading about and discussing the role of cattle trails, students should work alone or with partners to create a “saddlebag” of items that would be important to a cowhand on the trail or represent important aspects of cattle drives. Students should draw illustrations of these items and write an explanation of why the item was important on the inside of the saddlebag (attached below). Samples might include maps of the trails, cattle, barbed wire, ropes, etc. After filling the inside of the saddlebag, students should color the saddlebag cover and use tape at the top to attach the two pieces while allowing the cover to flip open. The teacher will display the completed saddlebags on a bulletin board. Allow students to visit and examine the bulletin board to make a list of items representing life on the trail. After all students have visited the display, discuss as a class what it was like to be a cowhand. Students should include both the pros and cons of being a cowhand.