CECsst.255


TITLE:  GUNFIGHTERS OF THE OLD WEST

AUTHOR:  Jon Cohrs, Sweet Home High School;
         Sweet Home, OR

GRADE LEVEL:  Suitable for grades 7-12

OVERVIEW/PURPOSE:   The fact and fiction that surrounds the
American West captivates our society like few other
historical eras.  Sorting out what was real from what
Hollywood has contributed to our understanding of
gunfighters is important to understanding the Old West.  In
this activity, students have an opportunity to combine their
knowledge of several well-known gunfighters into a
composite, fictionalized character.

OBJECTIVES:   Students will be able to:
1)   Identify, through specific character traits, several of
     the major gunfighters of the Old West.
2)   Demonstrate understanding of personality traits that
     made gunfighters famous.
3)   Create a new, composite character from preexisting and
     famous persons and their own imagination.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:  Background data on gunfighters (see
below), writing materials.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
- 1 -
     Martin Megalobux, a major motion picture producer has
come to you with a problem.  He plans to make an epic film
about the most famous gunfighter in American history, Evil
Eddie (or Edith, depending upon your preference).  Why has
Megalobux come to you?  Only because you are THE leading
historian in the world when it comes to gunfighters.  You
have the insight into the Evil One, that comes only from
years of intense study of the gunfighter psyche.
     Megalobux is giving you time to come up with an in-
depth character sketch/biography of the Evil One.  He is
under deadline pressure to turn the sketch over to his
screenwriters so that they can get to work.  Naturally,
Megalobux has given you an unlimited budget and resources,
but in exchange, he expects quality (and quantity--2 pages).
     He has listed some aspects of Evil Eddie/Edith that
must be included:  childhood experiences; family life; where
he has lived/worked; whether he/she was on the good or bad
side of the law; mental makeup; teenage activities; first,
most famous and last gunfighting experience; cause of death;
associates (other gunfighters, lovers, enemies, etc.);
gunfighting skills; and how he/she got the nickname "Evil".
     As an expert on the Evil One, you have been waiting for
this chance for your entire lifetime.  You have your major
sources all prepared:  "Legends of the Old West" and "Six-
Shooter Experts."  Draw from these sources to provide a
basis for Evil Eddie's/Edith's profile.  Naturally, he/she
was quite an individual:  he/she had many of the same
characteristics, but he/she stood out from the crowd to
become THE MOST FAMOUS GUNFIGHTER OF ALL TIME.  Make this
apparent to Megalobux so that he will refer to you in the
future.  He has lots of MONEY and has a soft spot in his
heart for old western movies!!

- 2 -
     Students should pre-evaluate their work and have peers
edit a draft copy.  Students should then make the necessary
revisions before submitting a final draft.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  Students may publish their work by
either reading it aloud or posting it.