LESSON 23 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Blazing a Cattle Trail
by Russell Watson
Fountas-Pinnell Level T
Informational Text
Selection Summary
In 1866, the demand for beef fostered the Long Drives from Texas
to market. Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight blazed a new cattle
trail through difficult terrain and across the treacherous Pecos River.
In 1867, Loving was killed by Comanches, but the Goodnight-Loving
Trail lived on. Later, Goodnight extended their trail to Wyoming.
Number of Words: 2,747
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Informational text
• Third-person narration
• Events presented in chronological order
• Long cattle drives following the Civil War
• Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight form a partnership
• The Goodnight-Loving Trail is established
• One’s achievements can live on for a long time.
• Persistence in facing hazards and overcoming obstacles can lead to success.
• The market is a powerful motivator, but market conditions can change.
• Exposition; informal language
• Descriptive details
• Many short sentences, rather than compound sentences; few complex sentences
• Introductory words and phrases
• Italics for Spanish words
• Terms and names associated with cattle drives, some of which might not be familiar to
English language learners, such as longhorn, vaqueros, Chisholm Trail, Goodnight-Loving
Trail, chuckwagon, sourdough. Cultural references such as rustlers (page 13).
• Most words one or two syllables: cowboy, round, southwest
• Context provided for unfamiliar terms
• Photos, historic illustrations, and map with captions
• Sixteen pages of text, nine with illustrations; sidebars
• Table of contents; nine main headings, five sub-headings; introduction, conclusion
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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Blazing a Cattle Trail
by Russell Watson
Build Background
Build on students’ prior knowledge by asking questions such as the following Have you
ever seen a Western movie that showed cowboys driving cattle? Long cattle drives were
common after the Civil War. Do you know why? Read the title and author and talk about
the cover illustration. Tell students that “blazing a trail” means “marking a trail.” Explain
that this book is informational text, so they may expect to read facts and information about
blazing a cattle trail.
Frontload Vocabulary
Some everyday words may be unfamiliar to English learners. Before reading, check
understanding of the following words: mission, longhorn, market, graze
Introduce the Text
Guide students through the text, reading the captions, noting important ideas, and helping
with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are
some suggestions:
Pages 2–3: Ask students to look at the contents. Point out that the book has an
introduction, seven chapters, and a conclusion. Three chapters have subheadings.
Have students find the word sprawling on page 3. Ask: Why would sprawling
grasslands be a perfect place for cattle to flourish?
Pages 4–5: Have students look at the photograph and read the caption. Ask: Why
might this breed of cattle’s long horns make it difficult for ranchers to control?
Pages 6–7: Have students look at the illustration and read the caption. Ask: What
is the form that snakes back to the horizon? Cultural Support: The text on page
7 says Oliver Loving is known as the “Dean of Texas Trail Drivers.” Explain that a
dean is an important person at a school, like a principal. The writer uses the term
as a figure of speech to indicate how important Oliver Loving was to the Texas
trail drives.
Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to find out how the
Goodnight Loving Trail was blazed.
Target Vocabulary
acknowledged – recognized or
accepted, p. 7
extending – stretching from one
point to another, p. 3
prospered – to have been
successful, p. 18
acquainted – to know, p. 7
decline – a weakening, p. 17
flourished – thrived or prospered,
p. 3
residents – people who live in a
place, p. 5
dominated – controlled, p.18
hostile – not friendly, p. 17
sprawling – spread out, p. 3
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Read
Have students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their
understanding of the text as needed.
Remind students to use the Summarize Strategy
chapter to themselves after they have read it.
by summarizing each
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the selection.
Suggested language: What do you think would have been the most difficult thing about
being on a Long Drive?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• Long Drives started because of
the scarcity of beef in parts of
the U.S. after the Civil War.
• Trail blazers may have to
overcome dangerous obstacles
and even face death.
• Loving and Goodnight blazed
a new western trail to avoid
dangerous areas and drive cattle
to Denver and beyond.
• The demand for products and
the prospect of getting rich can
motivate people to explore new
areas.
• The introduction gives
background for the historical
narrative, and the conclusion
ends the narrative and acts as an
epilogue.
• The Goodnight-Loving Trail went
through 80 miles of desert and
crossed the Pecos River.
• Historic photographs and
illustrations support the text
and display many details about
the Old West and the life of a
cowboy.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite students to create a script for a readers’ theater. Have them use the
last two paragraphs on page 10 as a starting point from which to create a dialogue in
which Goodnight and Loving discuss setting up their partnership.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using
examples from the text. Call attention to decline on page 17. Tell students it is formed
from the prefix de- , meaning “down” and the root cline, meaning “slope.” Ask how
“down a slope” suggests the meaning of decline.
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Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 23.10.
Responding
Have students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s
Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the
comprehension skill.
Target Comprehension Skill
Main Idea and Details
Remind students that when they read nonfiction,
they should look for the main idea and the details that support it. Model how to add details
to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:
Think Aloud
The main idea on page 4 is that the Texas Longhorn was a good, popular
animal. They were big, with lots of meat on them. There were lots of
them on the plains in the West. Add these details to the chart.
Practice the Skill
Have students share an example of another selection that gives information by using both
text and graphic features.
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text
Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they
think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
Assessment Prompts
• What is the meaning of acquainted on page 7?
• How does the author organize the information in the chapter on page 11?
• What can the reader conclude about the Goodnight-Loving Trail as described in this
book?
Grade 5
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English Language Development
Reading Support Pair English-speaking and English language learners so that they
can check their understanding with each other.
Vocabulary Tell students that some words have more than one meaning. Nearby words
will help them tell which meaning is meant. Multiple-meaning words from the text include
charge (page 4), trail (page 5), beat, rose (page 13), post, reservation (page 15).
Oral Language Development
Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: Where did the Long Drives
begin?
Speaker 1: Why did Loving and
Goodnight become partners?
Speaker 1: What factors brought
an end to the long cattle drives?
Speaker 2: Texas
Speaker 2: Loving had cattle and
cowboys, and Goodnight had
experience.
Speaker 2: Beef became less
scarce, so prices fell, and
farmers moved back to Texas
and put up barbed wire fences.
Speaker 1: What did Goodnight invent?
Speaker 2: the chuckwagon
Speaker 1: At the end of the trail, what
took the cattle further?
Speaker 2: trains
Speaker 1: What two natural obstacles
did cattle have to cross on the
Goodnight-Loving Trail?
Speaker 2: They had to cross the desert
and the Pecos River.
Lesson 23
BLACKLINE MASTER 23.10
Name
Date
Critical Thinking
Blazing a Cattle Trail
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown.
1. Think within the text What are the “roaming cattle”?
Roaming cattle are wild cattle in Texas.
2. Think within the text How far did the cowboys travel on a typical
day?
They traveled 12–15 miles.
3. Think beyond the text What kind of person do you think would
have made a good cattle driver?
someone who didn’t mind hard work, who was brave, who wasn’t
married and didn’t have kids, and who wanted to make money
4. Think about the text Why do you think the author included the
information in the sidebar on page 15?
to give some extra information about the Navajo; to persuade the
reader that the U.S. Army did not treat the Navajo well
Making Connections If you had been a cowboy like Goodnight and Loving,
what would you have done for fun?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Critical Thinking
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Name
Date
Blazing a Cattle Trail
Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two paragraphs.
Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal
knowledge to reach new understandings.
Why do you think Goodnight and Loving were willing to take the risks that
they did in order to establish a new cattle trail? Do you think the risks were
worth it, since the era of the Long Drive only lasted for about 20 years?
Why or why not? Explain your answer, giving examples from the selection.
Grade 5
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Lesson 23
BLACKLINE MASTER 23.10
Name
Date
Critical Thinking
Blazing a Cattle Trail
Critical Thinking
Read and answer the questions.
1. Think within the text What are the “roaming cattle”?
2. Think within the text How far did the cowboys travel on a typical
day?
3. Think beyond the text What kind of person do you think would
have made a good cattle driver?
4. Think about the text Why do you think the author included the
information in the sidebar on page 15?
Making Connections If you had been a cowboy like Goodnight and Loving,
what would you have done for fun?
Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.
Grade 5
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Student
Lesson 23
Date
BLACKLINE MASTER 23.14
Blazing a Cattle Trail • LEVEL T
page
6
Blazing a Cattle Trail
Running Record Form
Selection Text
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
The Civil War ended in 1865. After that, taking cattle to market,
or “driving cattle,” became a big business. At that time, there
wasn’t enough beef in parts of the United States. Texas
ranchers hired cowboys to round up their cattle. The cowboys
drove the cattle over long trails. The trails went north, east,
and west. There were train stops at the end of the trails. The
trains took the cattle to markets further away.
It was the time of the Long Drive. A Long Drive usually lasted
several months. These cattle drives went over long and dusty
trails.
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/99 × 100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 5
Behavior
Error
0
0
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cut sc
cat
0
Insertion
the
1
cat
Error
1414418
Behavior
ˆ
Word told
1
8
T
cat
1
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