Step 1:The teacher will read aloud the book Boss of the Plains, The Hat That Won the West and hold a class discussion.

Step 2: Your teacher will divide the class into groups of three students. The group will work together to complete each task. The Hat Designer will be using Paint, the Letter Writer will be using Microsoft Word, and the Facilitator will be using the Internet. Read the following description of each role before you make your decision.

Hat Designer- Fills out the List of Purposes Worksheet for each hat and uses Paint to design a 21st Century hat.
Letter Writer- Writes a rough draft of a friendly letter and then types a final copy in Microsoft Word.
Facilitator- Uses the Internet to navigate to all links listed on the process page and keeps the group members organized and on task.

Step 3: Within your group you will study the life of an American cowboy and the environment which inspired John B. Stetson's design of the Boss of the Plain. Complete the List of Purposes Worksheet for this particular hat and state the reasons why it was useful for life in the American West. Use the following links:

The American West
Stetson Hat Company
Stetson History

Step 4: Your group has studied the environment of the American cowboy and John B. Stetson. Your group is now ready to design a hat for the 21st Century. Complete the List of Purposes Worksheet for your new hat and state the reasons why it will be useful for present-day life. In Paint, design a hat that depicts the purposes. (Look at the evaluation page under hat design before you begin this step.)

Step 5: Your group has designed a 21st Century hat and is now ready to market the hat. Write a friendly letter to Hats of the 21st Century persuading them to choose your hat to market. In the letter tell the company why John B. Stetson's hat was so useful to a cowboy in the American West. Then include your group's reasons for why the new hat will be useful for present-day life. Use your List of Purposes Worksheet to help your group develop the body of the letter. You will need to hand write a rough draft. When you are finished with the draft edit the letter. Type the final copy in Microsoft Word. You will need to use the five parts of a friendly letter. (Look at the evaluation page under friendly letter before you begin this step.) Please use the following links to help you identify the five parts:

abcteach Friendly Letters
Five Parts of a Friendly Letter

Step 6: Present your group's design to the class. (Look at the evaluation page under presentation.) The group will read aloud the letter and discuss any important design aspects.