Cattle Drive Narrative Project
Name ____________________________
Rough Draft Due 1/31/18
Final Draft Due 2/7/18
Cattle Drive Narrative Project
You will write a narrative as a cowboy or cowgirl working on a cattle drive starting in Texas. The
narrative will be written in first-person perspective (“I” and “we”). The narrative should be
authentic, realistic, and at least 500 words long.
Structure
Introduction – Introduce your character and the situation. Describe the setting, the goal of
your journey, and the beginning of your story.
Three challenges – Describe some of the challenges you face in detail. Each of these
challenges should take up at least a paragraph of information and descriptions.
Conclusion – Describe the end of your journey and what you learned from it.
Information to include
All of the information below should be incorporated into your narrative:
Where your cattle drive began and ended
Why cattle drives were necessary
The year during which you are going on the cattle drive
At least three challenges you faced on cattle drive
Details about cowboy life on the frontier
Schedule
On Tuesday, January 30th and Wednesday, January 31st, you will create an outline and write a hand-
written rough draft of the narrative. These will be due at the end of class on Wednesday,
January 31.
On Thursday, February 1st, one of your peers will help you edit your paper and give you suggestions
on how to improve it. You will begin working on your final draft on that day.
On Friday, February 2nd, you will create your final draft in class. The final draft will be due on
Wednesday, February 7th.
Advice
Be creative! It’s okay to write something weird, different, strange, odd, funny, goofy, scary,
action-packed, or even all of those things!
Use your senses to write. How do you think things would feel, taste, sound, smell, and
look on a cattle drive?
Read your rough draft out loud to someone before writing your final draft. You will be
surprised what you hear when you do this. You will notice all sorts of little things you can
change.
Cattle Drive Narrative Project Page 1 of 4
Name ____________________________
Rough Draft Due 1/31/18
Final Draft Due 2/7/18
Rubric
________ Pre-write (20 points)
Did you create an outline for your narrative? Did your rough draft basically follow the outline?
________ Editing (20 points)
Is your writing clear and understandable? Is it free of basic grammar and spelling mistakes?
________ Content (60 points)
Does the narrative include all of the required information? Is it incorporated into the story?
Cattle Drive Narrative Project Page 2 of 4
Name ____________________________
Rough Draft Due 1/31/18
Final Draft Due 2/7/18
Cattle Drive Narrative Project
Other than the introduction and conclusion, these paragraphs do not need to be in this exact order
in your rough or final draft. This outline does not need to be in complete sentences, but it should
make sense so you can use it while writing your rough draft.
I. Introduction
A. Who are you? Describe yourself (physical appearance, personal history, etc.)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. Why were you going on a cattle drive?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
C. Where were you going, and how did you plan to get there?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
D. Describe the setting (time period, city, trails, etc.)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
II. First Challenge
A. What was the first challenge you faced?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. How did you solve the problem?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
III. Second Challenge
A. What was the second challenge you faced while on a cattle drive?
Cattle Drive Narrative Project Page 3 of 4
Name ____________________________
Rough Draft Due 1/31/18
Final Draft Due 2/7/18
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. How did you solve the problem?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
IV. Third Challenge
A. What was the third challenge you faced while on a cattle drive?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. How did you solve the problem?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
V. Conclusion
A. What eventually happened to your cattle drive?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. What did you learn from the experience?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
