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Website
Better Planet Productions

Earth Care: Wild Waters Downtown

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Urban settings have many wild animals and they need water just as humans do. Students will investigate the animals around them and determine where they get clean water. This is followed by a discussion of how these animals might be...
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Handout
PBS

The West: Sitting Bull Tatanka Iyotanka

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a biography of Lakota Indian Chief Sitting Bull who led his tribe in the Battle of the Little Bighorn against General George Custer.
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Graphic
Smithsonian Institution

National Postal Museum: Art of the Stamp: Annie Oakley

For Students 9th - 10th
View the artwork for a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1994 of Annie Oakley, famous for her acts in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in the late 1800s. Includes a short passage on her life and contributions.
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Interactive
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Texas Ranch House

For Students 3rd - 8th
What was it like to be a cowboy in 1867? Visit the Cooke Ranch and explore a cowboy's working and dwelling quarters. Play the interactive games to learn about the many aspects of daily life in the American West. (Click "Interactive...
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Handout
Other

World Web: Calgary: The Wild West Becomes a Modern Metropolis

For Students 9th - 10th
Great reference article on Calgary in Alberta, Canada that once was called a 'cowtown' but is now a cosmopolitan city. Offers information on history, economy, climate, transportation, and special attractions.
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Buffalo Bill Cody

For Students 3rd - 5th
America's Story gives a concise overview of Buffalo Bill Cody's (1846-1917 ) life. He helped to create the captivating picture of myth of America's West. Hyperlinks to additional stories about Buffalo Bill.
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Handout
Other

Colorado Historical Society: Kit Carson: A Hero in Fact and Fiction [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th
A short biography of the legend of the West, Kit Carson. PDF (requires Adobe Reader).
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eBook
Blackdog Media

Classic Reader: A Convert of the Mission by Bret Harte

For Students 9th - 10th
Classic Reader provides numerous classic works from famous authors. One work is a Convert of the Mission, a selection about the 1800s Wild West.
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eBook
Open Library of the Internet Archive

Open Library: The Wild Man of the West: A Tale of the Rocky Mountains

For Students 9th - 10th
This ebook version of Robert Michael Ballantyne's The Wild Man Of The West: A Tale Of The Rocky Mountains has been made available in multiple formats by the Open Library. Editions of the full novel, organized by year of publication, may...
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: History: Famous Gunfighters of the Old West for Kids

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the famous gunfighters of the old west including fun facts, lawmen, Wild Bill Hickok, Jesse James, and the Wild Bunch.
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Article
Other

Wild Things: Seven Swinging Sand Dollar Facts

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Written by a wildlife reporter for a newspaper, this blog entry about sand dollars briefly explains behavioral and feeding aspects of sand dollars on the west coast of the United States.
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Primary
Calisphere: University of California Libraries

University of California: Calisphere: Gold Rush Era: Murder and Mayhem

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of primary source materials and informational text that looks at law and order in the "wild west" of California, identifying changing ethnicity in a growing population seeking gold and other resources.
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Website
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Portraits of Texas Governors

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the lives of Texas' governors. This site organizes the governors into six eras: Early Statehood (1846-1861); War, Ruin, and Reconstruction (1861-1874); The Wild West (1874-1887); Texas Rising (1887-1915); The Politics of...
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Handout
Utah Education Network

Uen: Utah History Encyclopedia: Outlaws in Utah

For Students 9th - 10th
This site discusses the cultural icon of the western "outlaw" in the context of the state of Utah.
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Website
Other

Epcc Libraries: Borderlands: Black Cowboys Rode the Trails, Too 21 (2002)

For Students 9th - 10th
Faculty-edited college student articles on the US-Mexico border giving insight to what life was like for black cowboys in the late 1800s. The article explains how many were ex-slaves that became cowboys after Emancipation, what their job...
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Handout
National Women’s History Museum

National Women's History Museum: Annie Oakley

For Students 9th - 10th
Biographical account on Annie Oakley, famous markswoman known for her sharpshooting.
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Article
CNN

Cnn: Wolves Get Help to Make a Comeback in the West

For Students 9th - 10th
CNN news story about the efforts to reintroduce wolves into the wilds of America.
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Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: John F. Kennedy's Remarks, Berlin [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
"John F. Kennedy: Remarks in the Rudolph Wilde Platz, Berlin" is a one page persuasive speech delivered by JFK on June 26, 1963. In it he commended West Germany in its efforts to have a democratic government and berated the Communists...
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Unit Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Buffalo Bill in Show Business

For Students 3rd - 8th
This 3-part article explores how William Cody found his calling as "Buffalo Bill," in show business.
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Handout
Utah Education Network

Uen: Utah History Encyclopedia: Butch Cassidy

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource features an article on the life and exploits of the outlaw Butch Cassidy.
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Handout
PBS

Pbs American Masters: Will Rogers

For Students 9th - 10th
One of the most popular men in America during his time, Will Rogers was a film star, author, radio performer and vaudeville actor among other things. This PBS page offers a look at his life.
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Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Nebraska

For Students 3rd - 5th
Why is Nebraska named the "Cornhusker State?" Use this site to find out about Buffalo Bill Cody and explore the many sides to Nebraska culture.
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Website
Oklahoma Historical Society

Oklahoma Historical Society Home

For Students 9th - 10th
Find facts about Oklahoma's rich history and famous people, and explore museums and historic sites. An interactive map of the state allows you to choose museums, military sites, historic homes, and other notable locations in Oklahoma,...
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Lesson Plan
Other

Erwin E. Smith, Cowboy Photographer (Teaching Guide)

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This guide provides a sampling of the vast number of photographs taken by Erwin E. Smith (1884?1947). It is designed for use with fourth through seventh grade students and places particular emphasis on social studies and Texas history....

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