1. 🎧 Listen for the Big Idea (First Listening)
Step 1: Listen one time without reading.
Don’t worry about every word. Just ask yourself:
- What two big changes are coming to the ranch?
- Why does the town need Tex?
- How does Jake respond to the pressure?
Big Idea Question:
In one sentence, what is this chapter mainly about?
Example starter: “This chapter is mainly about __________________________.”
2. 📖 Read While Listening (Second Listening)
Now listen again while reading the text.
Tip: Try this listening order:
- Normal speed
- Slower speed (0.75)
- Normal again
Focus on:
- work words (branding, fence line, herd, strays)
- problem words (situation, stretched, trouble, rough bunch)
- responsibility words (needs doin’, keep an eye, weak spots)
3. 🧾 Vocabulary List (Key Words from the Story)
Study these words before listening again.
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Example / Your Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| situation | a problem that needs attention | Make your own sentence. |
| lonesome | lonely | Make your own sentence. |
| trail drive | a long cattle drive (moving cattle over distance) | Make your own sentence. |
| cook (chuck wagon cook) | the person who prepares meals for the crew | Make your own sentence. |
| branding | marking cattle (often with a hot iron) to show ownership | Make your own sentence. |
| scattered | spread out in many places | Make your own sentence. |
| greenhorn | a beginner; someone inexperienced | Make your own sentence. |
| stretched (thin) | having too much to do with too few people | Make your own sentence. |
| lawman | a sheriff or police officer | Make your own sentence. |
| badge | a metal sign of authority for a law officer | Make your own sentence. |
| rough bunch | a group of people who cause trouble | Make your own sentence. |
| merchant / mercantile | a shopkeeper / a general store | Make your own sentence. |
| grit | courage and determination | Make your own sentence. |
| weak spot | a place where problems can happen more easily | Make your own sentence. |
4. 🔁 Key Phrase Practice (Repeat Aloud)
Say these aloud 3 times each:
- “We’ve got ourselves a situation.”
- “Trail cooks don’t grow on juniper bushes.”
- “I just do what needs doin’.”
- “But we’ll get through. We always do.”
- “Trouble has a nose for weak spots.”
- “Looks like you and I got double shifts for a spell.”
🎤 Try reading them with emotion, like a storyteller.
5. ❓ Comprehension Questions (Answer in Your Own Words)
Write full sentences.
- Why does Miller want to leave the ranch?
- Why is losing Miller difficult for the ranch?
- What does Mary offer to do until they find another cook?
- What new job is Tex taking in town, and when?
- What problem is happening in town on Saturday nights?
- How does Caldwell feel about Tex leaving the ranch?
- What does Jake plan to do to keep the ranch running?
- How does the chapter end, and what mood does it create?
6. 🗣 Speaking Prompts (Record Yourself if Possible)
Answer out loud. Speak for 1–2 minutes.
- Have you ever had to take on “double shifts” (extra responsibilities)? What happened?
- Is it better to leave a job for personal reasons (like missing home), or stay and help the team? Explain.
- Why do you think a town needs a good sheriff? What happens when people feel unsafe?
- Mary says, “I just do what needs doin’.” Do you agree with that attitude? Why or why not?
- What do you think the coyote symbolizes at the end of the chapter?
🎧 Optional: Record yourself and listen again.
7. ✍️ Writing Task (5–10 Sentences)
Choose ONE:
- Option A: Summary – Write 6–10 sentences summarizing what happens in Chapter 4.
- Option B: Personal Reflection – Write about a time you felt “stretched thin” and how you handled it.
- Option C: Continue the Story – Write what happens the next morning when Jake plans the work with a smaller crew.
✅ Lesson 4 Complete: Use the helpful Student Writing Workbook for this lesson
You have now finished:
- Listening
- Reading
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
This is a full professional self-study lesson based on one ranch chapter.