RANCH LIFE SERIES | BOOK 1 | RANCHING & LIVESTOCK:

Chapter 4

Content Area:

Social Studies

Topic:

Choose Your Own Adventure

Objective:

Students will compare needs and wants as they learn how a ranch makes a profit.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):

K.6A, K.6B, K.6C, 1.7A, 1.8B, 1.8C, 1.10B, 2.10A, 2.10B, 3.7A,

3.7B, 3.8A, 3.8B, 4.10B, 4.12A, 4.12E, 5.12A, 5.12B, 5.13B

ACTIVITY 3Choose Your Own Adventure Book

A3 - 1

EDUCATOR'S GUIDE ACTIVITY 3

Choose Your Own Adventure BookCONTENT AREA: Social Studies

TOPICS: Economics

ACTIVITY MATERIALS:

• SECURITY BRIEFING (page A3-2): 1 per student or student group

• CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE BOOK: “WILL HANK GET TO EAT?” (pages A3-3 to A3-12):

Copy/Print PDF front & back, staple bind, 1 book per student or student group.

Please note the instructions regarding production of the different versions of the resource below:

* If copying from Curriculum Guide:

• Duplex copy pages A3-3 to A3-12 (2-Sided to 2-Sided, Flip Side: Long)

• Fold each page in the middle, put pages in order, staple twice on the fold to bind book together

* If printing from the downloadable PDF for Activity 3:

• PAGES TO PRINT: 5-14

• PAGE SIZING & HANDLING: Actual Size (not Fit)

• LAYOUT/FINISH: Print Type - 2 Sided; Binding Position - LEFT Bind

• Fold each page in the middle, put pages in order, staple twice on the fold to bind book together

• THE BOTTOM LINE (pages A3-14): Copy/Print PDF, 1 per student or student group

READING STRATEGY:

Students will read Chapter 4 (pages 11-22) before completing the activity.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

• Give each student (or student group) the CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE BOOK: “WILL HANK GET

TO EAT?”

• Have students read through the book to make choices for Sally May and Loper. Encourage them to try again

and again until Hank gets to eat.

STUDENT SKILLS ASSESSMENT:

• Have students (or student groups) complete THE BOTTOM LINE worksheet at the end of the activity.

A3 - 1DOWNLOADABLE PDFs AVAILABLE ONLINE AT RANCHLIFELEARNING.COM

A3 - 2

Choose Your Own Adventure BookSECURITY BRIEFING —

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM HANK THE COWDOG:

Loper and Sally May had to make a lot of choices when they decided to become ranchers.

Each decision they make has an impact on everyone on the ranch. They can’t feed the most

important person on the ranch (their cowdog) unless they are making a profit in the cattle market.

So, I have to keep on top of them to make sure Loper is not using our money for shiny new spurs

instead of cow feed.

Sally May and Loper have to make sure all of the ranch’s needs (feeding Hank) are taken care

of, before they purchase their wants (Loper’s fancy spurs). Help Sally May and Loper make good

choices as you read through the book. Remember, the most important need of the ranch is to

keep the Head Of Ranch Security well fed!

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Read through the HANK THE COWDOG CHOOSE YOUR OWN ACTIVITY BOOK

"WILL HANK EAT?" and make decisions for Loper and Sally Mae.

2. Think about your budget as you make decisions that will affect the entire ranch.

WRAP UP:

Fill out THE BOTTOM LINE worksheet after you have completed the activity.

RA

NC

H L

IFE

WIT

H H

AN

K T

HE

CO

WD

OG

CH

OO

SE

YO

UR

O

WN

AD

VE

NT

UR

E!

Will Hank Eat?

AC

TIV

ITY

CR

EA

TE

D B

Y JE

NN

Y G

AO

NA

Lope

r an

d S

ally

May

had

to

make

a

lot o

f ch

oices

whe

n th

ey d

ecid

ed t

o

beco

me ra

nche

rs. E

ach

decisi

on t

hey

make

has

an

impa

ct o

n eve

ryon

e on

the

ranc

h. T

hey

can’t

fee

d th

e mo

st

impo

rtan

t pe

rson

on

the

ranc

h

(the

ir co

wdog

) un

less t

hey

are

makin

g

a pr

ofit

in th

e ca

ttle

mark

et. S

o, I

have

to

keep

on t

op o

f th

em t

o ma

ke

sure

Lop

er is

not

usin

g ou

r mo

ney

for

shiny

new

spu

rs in

stea

d of

cow

fee

d.

Sall

y M

ay a

nd L

oper

hav

e to

make

sur

e all

of

the

ranc

h’s n

eeds

(fee

ding

Han

k) a

re t

aken

car

e of

,

befo

re t

hey

purc

hase

the

ir wa

nts

(Lop

er’s

fanc

y sp

urs)

. Help

Sall

y M

ay

and

Lope

r ma

ke g

ood

choic

es

as y

ou r

ead

thro

ugh

the

book.

Reme

mber

, the

mos

t im

port

ant

need

of t

he ra

nch

is to

kee

p th

e

Head

Of R

anch

Sec

urity

well

fed

!

— H

ank

the

Cow

dog

—

OP

TIO

N 1

Afte

r ca

refu

lly c

on

side

ring

the

ir op

tion

s, th

ey

ge

t a lo

an

from

a b

an

k a

nd

use

the

m

on

ey

to re

nt la

nd

an

d ru

n a

ran

ch

.

Turn to Page 3

OP

TIO

N 2

Th

ey

de

cid

e ra

nc

hin

g is to

o risk

y

an

d c

ho

ose

to sta

y in

the

city

, inste

ad

.

Turn to Page 11

Wh

at sh

ou

ld th

ey

do

?

Sally M

ay and Loper are thinking about

purchasing land and livestock and becoming ranchers.

— 1 —

— 1

6 —

Sally M

ay and Loper fill

Hank’s food bowl

to overflowing.

HANK GETS

TO EA

T!

GR

EA

T JO

B!!

The ranch is success

ful!

— 1

5 —

All

of t

he h

orse

s do

not

fit

into

the

bar

n an

d ha

ve

to s

tay

outd

oors

in t

he

corra

l. Fiv

e ho

rses

run

off

durin

g a

light

ning

stor

m!

Seve

n co

wboy

s lea

ve t

he

ranc

h be

caus

e th

ey c

ould

make

mor

e mo

ney

work

ing

for

anot

her

ranc

her.

* TU

RN T

O PA

GE 11

*

— 3

—

OP

TIO

N 1

Re

nt 7

,50

0 a

cre

s of la

nd

.

Turn to Page 5

OP

TIO

N 2

Re

nt 9

,00

0 a

cre

s of la

nd

.

Turn to Page 11

Wh

at sh

ou

ld th

ey

do

?

How many acres should S

ally May and Loper lea

se? They have a land budget of $

40,000. Lease for the

land is $5 per acre, per yea

r.

— 1

4 —

OP

TIO

N 1

Ye

s, the

ir ex

pe

nse

s we

re le

ss tha

n w

ha

t the

y

bo

rrow

ed

an

d th

ey

ha

ve

mo

ne

y le

ft ov

er.

Turn to Page 8

OP

TIO

N 2

No

, ex

pe

nse

s we

re g

rea

ter th

an

the

loa

n

am

ou

nt, a

nd

no

w th

ey

're in

de

bt.

Turn to Page 11

Did S

ally May and Loper

make a profit on their ranch this yea

r? The total money they borrowed from the bank was $

1,000,000.00.R

ANC

H EXPENSES

Land $

40,000C

attle

$600,000

Feed

$450

Pickup $

25,000S

tock Trailer $

50,000C

owboys $

100,000

— 4

—

Lope

r go

es t

o th

e ba

nk

and

asks

if h

e ca

n

borro

w mo

re m

oney

.

The

bank

say

s NO

.

It loo

ks li

ke y

ou h

ave

made

a c

hoice

tha

t

will

lose

mone

y.

* TU

RN T

O PA

GE 11

*

— 1

3 —

OP

TIO

N 1

It's

a g

rea

t ti

me

to

se

ll t

o m

ak

e a

la

rge

r p

rofi

t.

Sa

lly

Ma

y a

nd

Lo

pe

r se

ll 2

00

ca

lve

s fo

r

$1,

00

0 e

ac

h.

Turn

to P

age 1

4

OP

TIO

N 2

Sa

lly

Ma

y a

nd

Lo

pe

r d

ec

ide

ag

ain

st

sell

ing

an

y c

alv

es

at

this

tim

e.

Turn

to P

age 1

1

Wh

at

sho

uld

th

ey

do

?

Sall

y M

ay a

nd L

oper

hea

d to

the

spr

ing m

arke

t

to s

ell t

heir

calve

s.

The

catt

le ma

rket

is h

igh.

— 5

—

OP

TIO

N 1

Sa

lly M

ay

an

d L

op

er b

uy

15

0 b

ulls a

nd

150

co

ws.

Turn to Page 12

OP

TIO

N 2

Sa

lly M

ay

an

d L

op

er b

uy

2

80

co

ws a

nd

20

bu

lls.

Turn to Page 6

Wh

at sh

ou

ld th

ey

do

?

Sally M

ay and Loper nee

d to buy both bulls and cows for their ranch.

They need to decide how

many of each they will nee

d.

— 1

2 —

Sally M

ay and Loper bought too

many bulls and not enough cows.

They do not have enough calves in the spring to sell and make a profit.

Sally M

ay and Loper are not able to pay back their loan from the bank.

* TURN TO PAGE 11 *

— 6

—

OP

TIO

N 1

Sa

lly

Ma

y a

nd

Lo

pe

r b

uy

15

ho

rse

s a

nd

w

ill

pa

y f

or

15 c

ow

bo

ys

roo

m a

nd

bo

ard

.

Turn

to P

age 1

5

OP

TIO

N 2

Sa

lly

Ma

y a

nd

Lo

pe

r b

uy

a p

ick

up

tru

ck

a

nd

a s

toc

k t

rail

er.

Th

ey

als

o e

mp

loy

tw

o c

ow

bo

ys

to w

ork

on

th

e r

an

ch

.

Turn

to P

age 9

Wh

at

sho

uld

th

ey

do

?

Sall

y M

ay a

nd L

oper

nee

d to

che

ck t

heir

catt

le,

but

can’t

do

it on

the

ir ow

n.

They

will

need

some

help

.

— 1

1 —

Sall

y M

ay a

nd L

oper

do

not

mak

e en

ough

mon

ey

to f

eed

their

cow

dog.

HANK

HA

S T

O GO

ES H

UNGR

Y!

* TU

RN T

O PA

GE 1

*

OH

, NO

!

Sta

rt ov

er a

nd t

ry aga

in?

— 7

—

Sally M

ay and Loper rea

lize they do not have enough fee

d for winter.

* TURN TO PAGE 11 *

— 10

—

OP

TIO

N 1

Sa

lly M

ay

an

d L

op

er c

are

fully

c

alc

ula

te w

ha

t is ne

ed

ed

, a

nd

de

cid

e to

bu

y $

45

0 w

orth

of fe

ed

.

Turn to Page 13

OP

TIO

N 2

Sa

lly M

ay

an

d L

op

er ta

ke

a g

ue

ss a

nd

on

ly b

uy

$10

0 w

orth

of fe

ed

.

Turn to Page 7

Wh

at sh

ou

ld th

ey

do

?

Sally M

ay and Loper have to decide on how much fee

d they are going to buy for the cows on their ranch to make it through the winter months. Fee

d costs $150 per month.

— 8

—

Sall

y M

ay a

nd L

oper

ma

ke a

pro

fit a

nd

have

a s

uccess

ful y

ear

on

the

ranc

h.

Th

ey a

re a

lready

mak

ing

plans

for

next

year!

* TU

RN T

O PA

GE 16

*

— 9

—

OP

TIO

N 1

Sa

lly

Ma

y a

nd

Lo

pe

r w

ou

ld p

refe

r to

ge

t a

h

igh

er

pri

ce

on

th

eir

ca

ttle

, so

th

ey

de

cid

e

no

t to

se

ll u

nti

l th

e m

ark

et

ch

an

ge

s.

Turn

to P

age 1

0

OP

TIO

N 2

Sa

lly

Ma

y a

nd

Lo

pe

r b

eli

ev

e s

ell

ing

so

me

o

f th

e c

att

le w

ill

all

ow

th

em

to

be

tte

r c

are

fo

r th

e c

att

le t

ha

t re

ma

in o

n t

he

ra

nc

h.

Turn

to P

age 4

Wh

at

sho

uld

th

ey

do

?

Fall

has

come

and

S

ally

May

and

Lop

er

have

to

make

som

e de

cision

s.

The

grass

has

sto

pped

gr

owing

and

has

no

nutr

ition

al va

lue f

or t

he c

attle.

The

catt

le ma

rket

is lo

w.

A3 - 13

A3 - 14

Choose Your Own Adventure NAME: __________________________________ DATE: ______________

THE BOTTOM LINE

Sally May and Loper make a lot of decisions as they run their ranch. These choices can impact

the most vital needs of a cattle ranch, such as, what are you going to feed your cowdog?

Were you able to be successful and help Sally May and Loper make a profit on their cattle ranch?

Answer the questions below:

1. What was the most difficult decision you had to make in the book?

2. What decisions would have made the ranch fail? Explain.

3. What decisions would have helped the

ranch succeed? Explain.

4. Did the ranch make a profit? Explain.

5. What recommendations would you give

Sally May and Loper for next year?