Selection 3:Boss of the Plains The Hat that Won the West

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Selection 3Boss of the PlainsThe Hat that Won
the West

• Written by Laurie Carlson
• Illustrated by Holly Meade

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Awards

• ALA Notable
• CBC Choices
• Horn Book Fanfare
• New York Public Library Title for Reading and
  Sharing

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Genre Biography

• A true story of the life of a real person.

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Selection Summary
As a boy, John Stetson worked in his fathers
New Jersey hat factory. In 1859, on his way west
looking for adventure, he invented a practical
hat for his own use. The style suited Western
life so well that Stetson became the manufacturer
of the most popular hat in the West.
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Key Concept

• Life in the Old West

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Key Vocabulary

• Adventurers
• Determined
• Frontier
• Gear
• Opportunity

• Pioneers
• Settlers
• Tanned
• Wranglers

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Adventurers travelers in search of unusual or
exciting experiences
The streets were filled with adventurers heading
to explore the West.
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Determined sticking to a purpose
John was determined to start a new life in St.
Joseph, Missouri, and he would not give up until
he succeeded.
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Frontier unexplored land
People were headed to the frontier to search for
gold.
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Gear equipment used for a specific activity
In St. Joseph, Missouri, people bought gear and
supplies for their journey to the goldfields.
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Opportunity a good chance
John Stetson found the opportunity to head West
when a group of travelers invited him along on
their journey to Pikes Peak.
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Pioneers people who are the first to settle in
a region
Pioneers settled on the lands of the West before
others came out to join them.
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Settlers people who travel to a little known
area and make a home
At first, settlers and travelers in the American
West wore whatever hats they had worn back home.
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Tanned changed animal hide to leather by
soaking it in chemicals
The settlers thought they might be able to use
rabbit skins to make a tent if they could be
properly tanned.
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Wranglers cowboys
John Stetson decided to make a hat for the
wranglers of the West.
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Strategy focus Summarize

• This biography tells how the Boss of the Plains
  hat was invented and became a success. Stop at
  different points in the story to summarize key
  events.

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Comprehension Skill Focus Making
Generalizations

• You can use a chart to list details from the
  story and then formulate generalizations from
  those details.
• Generalizations are statements about the story
  that are generally true.

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