Pre-K Pages | Pre-Kindergarten | Texas | Western | Cowboys

Here are some ideas to make your Western unit special.

Books

Music

Songs/Fingerplays

	T-E-X-A-S (tune: B-I-N-G-O) There is a state, it's the Lone Star state And Texas is it's name-o T-E-X-A-S T-E-X-A-S T-E-X-A-S And Texas is it's name-o!

	5 Little Cowboys Five little cowboys sitting on a gate The 1st one said, "Gee, Rodeos are great!" The 2nd one said, "There are buzzards in the air" The 3rd one said, "Oh, we don't care" The 4th one said, "Let's watch the horses run" The 5th one said, "I'm ready for some fun!" Then "Woooooo" went the wind, And off blew their hats, And the 5 little cowboys fell from where they sat.

Videos

Video/DVD

Literacy Activities

Activity	Instructions
Sight Word Boot Mats	Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers Objective: Sight word recognition Materials: boot notepad, Sharpie marker, laminating film, magnetic letters. Directions: Use the Sharpie marker to write your focus sight words on the pages of the boot notepad. Laminate the pages of the notepad for durability. Place a basket or tub of magnetic letters in the center of the table. Students will spell the sight words out on the boots with magnetic letters.
Yee Haw! Game	Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers Objective: Sight word recognition Materials: texas cut-outs, Sharpie marker, laminating film, Do-A-Dot markers, recording sheet, plastic container or basket to put cut-outs in Directions: This game is a modified version of the Bang Game. Write one one word on each Texas cut-out using the Sharpie marker. On one Texas shape write the words "Yee Haw!" with the Sharpie marker. Laminate the Texas cut-outs for durability. Place all the cut-outs in a basket or plastic tub. This game can be played in large or small groups. Give a recording sheet to each student. Have the students sit in a circle and pass the basket of cut-outs around. Each student closes his eyes and removes one Texas, then reads the word written on the back aloud and marks it on his recording sheet with a Do-A-Dot marker. If a student gets the shape that says "Yee Haw!" all the students can shout "Yee Haw!" out loud together. This game could also be played with letters written on the Texas shapes and recording sheet instead of sight words.
Cowboy Path Game	Setting: Small Group, Literacy Center Objective: Sight Words Materials: Do-A-Dot markers, western path sheet, sight word cards Directions: Give each child in the small group a western path game sheet and a Do-A-Dot marker. Place the sight word cards in the middle of the table in a basket or container. Each child takes turns selecting a card from the container. The child identifies the word on the card and then marks it on his paper with his Do-A-Dot marker.

Math Activities

Activity	Instructions
Western Counting	Setting: Small Group, Math Centers Objective: Number identification, number sense Materials: 10 western themed party plates, Sharpie markers, cowboy hat erasers Directions: Write the numbers 1-10 on the plates. Students place the correct number of western erasers on their plates.
Western Patterning	Setting: Small Group, Math Centers Objective: Patterning Materials: Patterning grid- one per child (available in printables section below), western stickers or erasers Directions: Give each child in the small group one patterning grid. Place the stickers or erasers in the center of the table in a container so all students can easily reach them. The students will use the stickers or erasers to create a pattern.
Western 1:1	Setting: Small Group, Math Centers Objective: 1:1 correspondence Materials: printable western mat- one for each child in the small group (available in printables section below), cardstock, laminating film, foam die, western erasers Directions: Print the western mats on cardstock and laminate. Give each student in the small group a mat. Place the erasers in the center of the table in a container so they are easily accessible to all students. Each student takes a turn rolling the die and putting the corresponding number of erasers on their recording sheet. When there is one eraser on each space on the mat they are finished.
Western Roll 'N Stamp Game	Setting: Small Group, Math Centers Objective: Number recognition, number sense, one-to-one Materials: foam die, western roll 'n stamp sheets (see printables section below), blue and red Do-A-Dot markers Directions: Students take turns rolling the die, identifying the corresponding number on their paper and stamping that number with a blue or red Do-A-Dot marker.
Western 1-5 Counting Grid	Setting: Small Group, Math Centers Objective: 1:1 correspondence Materials: 1-5 counting grid- one per child (available in printables section below), western stickers Directions: To play this game each child in the small group gets a counting grid sheet. Place the stickers in the center of the table in a container so all students can easily reach them. The students will place the correct number of stickers next to each number on the counting grid.
Western Board Game	Setting: Small Group, Math Centers Objective: 1:1 correspondence Materials: cardstock, laminating film, packing tape, western stickers, foam die, western erasers, western clipart Directions: Affix western stickers to the cardstock playing board to create a path. When the board is complete laminate it for durability. Use the western erasers as playing pieces. Place the playing pieces on the cowboy to start. Students will take turns rolling the die and moving along the path towards Texas.

Fun Activities

Activity

Instructions

Cactus

Materials: green construction paper, toothpicks, glue, pink tissue paper.

Have each student cut the green paper into the shape of a cactus. You can use a tracer, or Xerox the shape onto the paper. Next, break the toothpicks in half and have the students glue to the cactus shape. Give each student a few small squares of pink tissue paper to put on the end of their pencils, twist, and glue onto the cactus shape to make "cactus flowers".

Bluebonnet

Materials: blue tissue paper, glue, bluebonnet shape traced or copied on white paper or a green bluebonnet die-cut for each child.

Cut the tissue paper into squares. Next, have students glue the glue the tissue paper squares to the bluebonnet shape to create the flowers.

Armadillo

Materials: white regular size paper plates (the cheaper the better), gray construction paper, glue, crayons.

Cut each paper plate in half to create the armadillo's body. Cut strips of the gray paper into squares and have the students glue onto the body to create the armadillo's armor. This could also be done with elbow macaroni spray painted silver if you have the time and energy. Next, copy the pattern for a head, legs, and tail onto gray construction paper and have the students cut out and glue to the armadillo. Students can add facial features to the armadillo with crayons.

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Materials: Texas shaped macaroni, available at some grocery stores in TX, food coloring, rubbing alcohol, outline of state of TX on large construction paper, red die-cut hearts, glue, small photo of each child.

Dye half the macaroni red and the other half blue using the food coloring and the rubbing alcohol and set out to dry overnight. When dry, have the students glue the macaroni around the outline of Texas in a red/blue pattern. Next, glue the red heart in the middle of the state and add the student's photo to the middle of the heart. Caption these "Deep in the Heart of Texas". This makes a great display during open house or Texas Public Schools Week.

Texas Flag

Materials: red construction paper, blue constructions paper, glue, Xerox black line copies of Texas state flag, white die-cut star

First, cut the paper into squares. Have the students glue the squares onto the appropriate sections of the flag. When finished, glue the star in the correct spot. You could also do this with project with squares of tissue paper.

Paper Plate Cowboy

Materials: cheap, white paper plates, red construction paper, brown construction paper, multicultural crayons or paint, regular crayons, glue.

Copy a pattern for a cowboy hat onto the brown paper. Have each child color or paint his or her face on the paper plate, add facial features with crayons. Next, cut out the brown hat and glue onto the top of the plate. Fold the red construction paper in half diagonally and cut on the fold to create bandanas, glue to the bottom of the paper plate and fold the ends around the back if necessary.

I Feel Like a Cowboy When... Class Book

Materials: camera, cowboy hat, stick pony, paper bag vest, bandana, cardstock.

Take a picture of each student dressed in the hat, vest, and bandana "riding" the stick pony. Print or develop the film and glue each one to a piece of cardstock. Add this caption on the bottom "I feel like a cowboy when ______" . Ask each student when they feel like a cowboy and fill their responses in the blank for them. Finally, laminate and bind your class book. This activity is a companion to the copy and color book "Cowboy Roy".

Cowboy/Rodeo Day

Materials: note to parents, Texas shaped tortilla chips (available at HEB stores or Central Market), queso dip, green Gatorade, extra cowboy hats and bandanas.

Each year we have a Cowboy/Rodeo Day for the grand finale to our Texas unit. We start by sending a note home to the parents explaining the day and guidelines to follow for making their very own recycled stick pony. On the day of the Rodeo students bring their creative ponies to school and are allowed to dress like cowboys. We have stick pony races, drink "cactus juice" (green Gatorade) and have Texas chips and queso. I have a supply of bandanas and cowboy hats on hand for those who forget theirs. We have a sing along around the "campfire" (lights off, use flashlights, sit in a circle). You could also have a chili cook-off to spice things up!