Barbed wire may have made cattle farming easier, but it brought to an end the free-roaming days of the plains. No longer could Native American groups continue their nomadic lifestyle, and the days of cowboys herding large groups of cattle ended. Using the image from a the patent for barbed wire, young historians consider the effects of this particular invention.

Concepts

patents, inventions, american inventors, the american west, westward expansion, cowboys, native americans, primary source analysis, primary source images, primary sources

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use to stimulate debate on benefits and drawbacks of innovations
• Develop primary source analysis skills by building on previous knowledge of technology or the West using images

Classroom Considerations

• Learners need Internet access or a copy of the picture to complete the activity

Pros

• Activity offers a unique way to explore the history of the American West
• Image analysis improves many critical thinking skills

Cons

• None

Common Core

RI.3.1 RI.3.2 RI.3.3 RI.3.10 RI.4.1 RI.4.2 RI.4.3 RI.4.10 RI.5.1 RI.5.2 RI.5.3 RI.5.10 RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.3 RH.6-8.10