My Mother was a Coyote. Pecos Bill Copyright by Remedia Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

Activity Book REM 632B My Mother was a Coyote Pecos Bill A TEACHING RESOURCE FROM... 2003 Copyright by Remedia Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. The purchase of this book entitles the individual teacher to reproduce copies for classroom use. The reproduction of any part for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. To find Remedia products in a store near you, visit: http://www.rempub.com/stores REMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC. 15887 N. 76 TH STREET SUITE 120 SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260

This activity book was created for use after reading or listening to the story, My Mother was a Coyote, a tall tale about Pecos Bill. The skill pages have been sequenced by level of difficulty with the easier pages at the beginning of the book. Skills covered are listed below. CONTENTS Visual Comprehension... 1-2 Configuration...3 Classification...4 Synonyms...5 Antonyms...6 Contractions...7 Alphabetizing...8 Capitalization and Punctuation...9 Writing Sentences... 10 Inference... 11 Analogies - Crossword Puzzle... 12 Idioms... 13 Map Reading... 14 Classification... 15 Logic... 16 Verbs... 17 Pronouns... 18 Homonyms... 19 Word Definitions... 20 Fact or Fiction... 21 Proofreading... 22 Labeling a Diagram... 23 Comprehension - Literal Comprehension and Critical Thinking Questions...24-27 Picture to Color... 28 Book Report... 29

Decide which sentence belongs with which picture. Write the sentence under the picture. There are snakes in my boots! They went off and left me! This horse wants me off! This is a nice horse. VISUAL COMPREHENSION Remedia Publications 1 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

Decide which sentence belongs with which picture. Write the sentence under the picture. VISUAL COMPREHENSION It s mighty cold up here! Hey, I don t like this one bit! Write your own sentence to go with each picture. PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 2 Remedia Publications

Put each word from the box into its correct shape. Then write the word on the line below. CONFIGURATION cowboy horse river lasso boot west wagon coyote snake saddle 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Remedia Publications 3 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

CLASSIFICATION Read the words on the cowboy hat. Write each word in the right box. chair doctor sleep bed whisper model table calm couch writer peace farmer JOB WORDS FURNITURE WORDS QUIET WORDS PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 4 Remedia Publications

SYNONYMS Words that mean almost the same thing are called synonyms. Read each sentence below. Find a synonym for each underlined word. Write it on the line. present bronco harm chubby pick leap scared skinny 1. Pecos Bill was afraid of nothing. 2. Which did you choose? 3. Did he ride the bucking horse? 4. Did the frog jump off the log? 5. Do not hurt yourself. 6. Did you open your gift? 7. This puppy is fat. 8. That puppy is thin. Remedia Publications 5 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

ANTONYMS Words that have opposite meanings are called antonyms. Complete the crossword puzzle using antonyms from the box. together hot summer give light tell early sell stranger always false yell aunt loud mine none ACROSS DOWN 4. ask 1. cold 8. yours 2. winter 9. quiet 3. all 10. apart 5. dark 12. real 6. never 13. friend 7. uncle 15. whisper 11. late 13. buy 14. take PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 6 Remedia Publications

CONTRACTIONS A contraction is a word made by joining two words. An apostrophe ( ) shows where a letter or letters are left out. Draw a line from the two words to the contraction. 1. is not can t 2. are not won t 3. was not isn t 4. were not aren t 5. can not wasn t 6. will not weren t Write each contraction as two words. 7. isn t 8. wasn t 9. weren t 10. can t Write a contraction for the two words. 11. My work (is not) finished. 12. The boys (are not) here. 13. It (was not) raining. 14. My friends (were not) there. Remedia Publications 7 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

ALPHABETIZING Find the Pecos Bill words in the word search saddle burrow coyote quirt wrestling enormous pack river hitched kettle A P H I T C H E D U I K J I U N M B B T R S A D D L N P A K C Y T O P A C K T R E D F N C O Y O T E P P K S C V F B U R R Q U I R G K U L M B E L K J R U D S L U G F M N B W R E S T L I N G R R E F I C V O P P O L K I T R E D Z R I V E R L K U R T E F D V L F R S X O G H V T Y T S A D D L E Q E U Y O B W T R F G H T B V C D E F L K I J J M Write the words in abc order. PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 8 Remedia Publications

CAPITALIZATION & PUNCTUATION A sentence always begins with a capital letter. The names of people begin with a capital letter. A sentence that just tells something ends with a period. A sentence that asks a question ends with a question mark. Write each sentence correctly. 1. pecos bill was a cowboy in the wild, wild west 2. mrs. coyote decided to raise bill 3. could pecos bill ride any horse 4. arizona kid and bullfrog doyle were bill s friends 5. how far did bill s bronco throw curley joe Remedia Publications 9 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

WRITING SENTENCES Use each word group in a sentence. Remember to use capitals and end punctuation. 1. cowboy in the wild west 2. two big rattlesnakes 3. a mountain lion 4. raised by coyotes 5. the rocky canyon PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 10 Remedia Publications

INFERENCE You can sometimes tell something about a person or situation even though it is not stated. What is stated: Bill s father wanted to move because the country was getting too crowded. What we can tell: Bill s father did not like having people living near him. night laws strong cold honest died hungry scared brave thirsty Read each sentence, then finish the statement under it with words from the box. 1. Bill fought all the horse thieves and robbers. Bill was and respected the. 2. The horse had gone to horse heaven. The horse had. 3. Bill wrestled the mountain lion until it was as tame as a cat. Bill was and. 4. The cowboys traveled by the light of the moon. The cowboys traveled at. 5. Bill grabbed two handfuls of beans and the kettle of coffee. Bill was and. 6. Curley Joe sat on Pike s Peak shivering and shaking. Curley Joe was and. Remedia Publications 11 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

ANALOGIES Complete the puzzle with words that answer the clues. Across 5. rattles are to snake as tusks are to 9. bullet is to gun as arrow is to 10. sun is to day as moon is to 11. sand is to desert as water is to 13. Texas is to state as United States is to Down 1. cowboy is to horse as sailor is to 2. scarf is to neck as sock is to 3. living is to life as dying is to 4. west is to east as up is to 6. howling is to voice as hearing is to 7. wheels are to wagon as wings are to 8. beans are to eat as coffee is to 9. girl is to sister as boy is to 12. funny is to laugh as sad is to PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 12 Remedia Publications

IDIOMS Idioms are groups of words with special meanings. Bill was not chicken-hearted when it came to fighting bad men. (Bill was not afraid when it came to fighting bad men.) In the sentences below, the idiom is in dark type. Find the meaning in the box below and write it on the line. taken by surprise clean help any possible way stories that might not be true early in the morning traveling 1. Curley Joe said he would lend a hand rounding up the cattle. 2. Mother Coyote kept her burrow spic and span. 3. The cattle rustlers were caught napping by Bill and his men. 4. It was in the small hours when Bill fell from the wagon. 5. I ll get that robber by hook or by crook, said Bill. 6. Bill s family had been on the road six days when they came to the Pecos River. 7. The cowboys sat around the campfire telling each other fishy tales. Remedia Publications 13 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

MAP READING N W S E NEVADA UTAH COLORADO Pike s Peak CALIFORNIA Greasewood Flats Cactus Hill PACIFIC OCEAN ARIZONA NEW MEXICO TEXAS Pecos River Turtle Creek MEXICO Rio Grande River 1. Bill was born near a creek in the middle of Texas. What was the name of the creek? 2. Name the state just west of New Mexico. 3. The Pecos River runs into what other river? 4. Curley Joe and Bill were at Cactus Hill when Joe tried to ride Widow-maker. What direction is Pike s Peak from Cactus Hill? 5. What country is south of New Mexico? 6. What direction would Bill go to travel from Cactus Hill to Turtle Creek? 7. From Cactus Hill, what direction is Greasewood Flats? 8. What ocean would Bill reach if he kept on traveling west? PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 14 Remedia Publications

CLASSIFICATION Look at each word in a lasso. Find three more words on the chuck wagon that go with that word. Write them on the lines. 1. boots 2. saddle 3. rifle 4. beans 5. campfire 6. bunkhouse horses knife chaps stars quirt cookhouse biscuits handgun hat 7. cows neckerchief buffalos coffee moon saddlebag jailhouse stream bridle steak lariat stable coyotes Remedia Publications 15 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

LOGIC Pictured below are some of Bill s cowboy friends. Read the clues and write their names under the pictures. 1. Alkali Ike is wearing a black hat. 2. Arizona Kid is above and between Bullfrog Doyle and Pretty Pete Rogers. 3. The cowboy with a black mustache and beard is Cheyenne Charley. 4. Pretty Pete Rogers has blond, curly hair. 5. Bill s best pal is Curley Joe. 6. Bullfrog Doyle has the biggest ears. Which cowboy did Bill meet first? 1. It was not Curley Joe. 2. Pretty Pete Rogers and Alkali Ike were the second two cowboys Bill met. 3. Bill met Bullfrog Doyle after he met Curley Joe. 4. Cheyenne Charley became Bill s friend the day he was out riding with the other five cowboys. The first cowboy Bill met was. PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 16 Remedia Publications

VERBS Choose the right verb from the box to replace each phrase below. Write it on the line. stumble sway ride grab leap shiver shoot move wrap throw return jolt fight play screech 1. to fire a gun 2. to jump suddenly 3. to come back 4. to move from side to side 5. to leave one place and go to another 6. to jar or shake roughly 7. to do something for fun 8. to sit upon something and move 9. to carry on a battle 10. to cover with something 11. to trip or stagger 12. to utter a harsh, shrill cry 13. to take suddenly 14. to hurl or fling something 15. to shake or tremble Remedia Publications 17 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

PRONOUNS A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Example: Bill put the saddle on the lion.!!! He put it on him. Circle the pronouns in the sentences below. 1. He loaded up his wagon with their household goods. 2. She told him to jump on her back. 3. He played with them as if they were his brothers and sisters. 4. He took hold of it and stretched its body out like a 30-foot rope. 5. Stranger, I was the boss, but you are now, he said. Write a pronoun on the line in each sentence. 6. Bill grabbed the coffee and drank. 7. Baby Bill was gone and his family didn t miss for four weeks. 8. Mrs. Coyote kept pups in a burrow. 9. all will go to New Mexico, Bill said to the men. 10. Bill grabbed the snakes and shook. Write two sentences that include pronouns. 11. 12. Some Commonly Used Pronouns I me my myself mine you your yourself yours he him his she her hers it its we us our ours they them their theirs themselves PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 18 Remedia Publications

HOMONYMS Homonyms are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Example: ate eight Write the correct homonym in each sentence. Numbers in the word list match the sentence numbers. 1. It was weeks before Bill s parents missed him. 2. Mrs. Coyote a child crying. 3. You can be boss, the men said to Bill. 4. He whipped snake into a 30-foot rope. 5. Bill did know he wasn t a coyote. 6. Curley Joe thought Bill had a horse. 7. Widow-maker Curley Joe to Pike s Peak. 8. It took five to reach the Pecos River. 9. Bill decided to go to Mexico. 10. The wagon wheels were made of. 11. A dude from the East into town. 12. At first, Bill didn t the mountain lion. 13. Bad men would the ranchers cattle. 14. Curley Joe sat shivering and shaking. WORD LIST 1. four/fore 2. herd/heard 3. our/hour 4. won/one 5. knot/not 6. grate/great 7. threw/through 8. daze/days 9. Knew/New 10. wood/would 11. road/rode 12. see/sea 13. steel/steal 14. there/their 15. scene/seen 15. It was the funniest thing he had ever. Remedia Publications 19 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

WORD DEFINITIONS against the law fence of bushes very large size long, deep cut desire to do something long time with no rain sure of himself very hungry strong, twisting wind jumped down suddenly Find the definition for each underlined word. Write it on the line below the sentence. 1. There was a hedge around the bunkhouse. 2. After his long ride on the range, Bill was famished. 3. Bill s fallen horse had a gash in its leg. 4. Two enormous rattlers crawled into Bill s boots. 5. It is illegal to steal cattle. 6. Curley Joe was confident when he said he could ride Widow-maker. 7. The mountain lion pounced on top of Bill. 8. There had been a drought in Texas. 9. Riding Widow-maker was like riding a cyclone. 10. Curley Joe had a hankering to ride Bill s horse. PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 20 Remedia Publications

FACT OR FICTION A FACT is something that really can happen or did happen. FICTION is something that is made up; it did not really happen. If the sentence is a fact, circle the letter in the FACT column. If the sentence is fiction, circle the letter in the FICTION column. 1. There were sixteen children in the family. 2. Mrs. Coyote told Bill to jump on her back. 3. A snake can be stretched into a 30-foot rope. 4. A cowboy can ride a bucking horse. 5. The mountain lion jumped on a man. 6. The horse threw Joe to the top of Pike s Peak. 7. They promised to be friends forever and ever. 8. He drank a kettle full of boiling coffee. 9. It was as cold as a blizzard. 10. The coyotes thought Bill was their brother. 11. He sat there shivering and shaking. 12. Bill could lasso a whole herd at one time. FACT L S W T L G D M G B E F FICTION A I T O R E Y O C I H S Write the letters you have circled on the lines below: What did cowboys in the Old West call their cattle? Remedia Publications 21 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

PROOFREADING Proofreading means reading what you have written in order to find and correct mistakes. The sentences below have spelling and capitalization errors. Circle the mistakes and write the corrections above them. 1. Bill thought mrs. coyote was a nise-looking, hard-working muther coyote. 2. A big mountain lion wuz hiding under a boosh and looking at bill. 3. curley joe was Bill s beast pal in the hole world. 4. Widow-maker bucked Curley Joe too the tope of pike s peak. 5. Bill wos born in texas, and he had sixten sistors and bruthers. 6. The dude frum the East looked so funnie that bill begain to lafe. 7. The cowboys sed they wood go to new mexico with pecos Bill. 8. Baby bill fell owt of the wagun going ovor the pecos river. Use the code to find out how many mistakes are in the sentences. 9. 10. There are capitalization errors. 21 18 21 7 22 22 13 There are - spelling errors. 7 4 22 13 7 2 12 13 22 Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 YOUR SCORE: Number of capitalization errors found: Number of spelling errors found: PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 22 Remedia Publications

LABELING A DIAGRAM Read the description of the American range saddle. Label the parts on the diagram. At the front and top of the saddle is a knob called the POMMEL. Straps that hold the saddle on the horse are cinches. There is a BACK CINCH and a FRONT CINCH. The back part of the saddle that is curved upward is the CANTLE. Between the pommel and cantle is the SEAT. The rider s foot is supported by the STIRRUP. The stirrup is attached to the saddle with a STIRRUP STRAP. A leather FLAP protects the horse s body from scraping by the stirrup strap. The saddle SKIRT rests on the horse s back. SADDLE STRINGS decorate the saddle skirt. 1. 5. 6. 7. 2. 8. 3. 9. 10. 4. Remedia Publications 23 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

COMPREHENSION Answer each question. 1. Why did Pecos Bill s father want to move farther west? 2. What caused Baby Bill to fall from the wagon? 3. How did Pecos Bill get his name? 4. After Bill fell from the wagon, why didn t his parents miss him right away? 5. Who found Baby Bill and took him to her home? 6. How long did Bill live with the coyote family? 7. What did the coyotes teach Bill? 8. When did Bill discover he was not a coyote? PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 24 Remedia Publications

COMPREHENSION Answer each question. 1. What crawled into Bill s boots when he was resting near a forty-foot cactus? 2. Describe what Bill did to the snakes. 3. Why did Bill decide to leave Texas and move westward? 4. What happened to Bill s first horse when he was on his way to New Mexico? 5. What pounced on Bill as he was walking along the trail after his horse died? 6. What did Bill do after he tamed the mountain lion? 7. Who did Bill come upon while riding down the rocky canyon on the mountain lion? 8. How did Bill become the boss of the cowboys he met? Remedia Publications 25 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

COMPREHENSION Answer each question. 1. What did Bill and the cowboys do in New Mexico? 2. Which cowboy was Pecos Bill s best pal? 3. What was the name of Bill s second horse? Why do you think that was its name? 4. What did Curley Joe want to do that Bill did not want him to do? 5. What happened when Curley Joe got on Widow-maker? 6. How did Bill rescue Curley Joe from Pike s Peak? 7. How did Pecos Bill die? 8. Would you have liked to live in the Wild West? Why or why not? PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 26 Remedia Publications

Pecos Bill A tall tale has details that describe things as greater than they really are. Write down at least three (3) examples of exaggeration that were in the story about Pecos Bill. COMPREHENSION Think of another way the story could have ended. Write the new ending. Remedia Publications 27 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

Pecos Bill PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK 28 Remedia Publications

Complete this book report about a famous cowboy named Pecos Bill. Include as many important details as you can remember. BOOK REPORT BOOK REPORT Book Title: Main Character: Where was he born? What happened to him as a baby? How did his life change when he was ten years old? As a grown-up, what kind of work did he do? Who was his best pal and what terrible thing happened to him? How does the story end? Remedia Publications 29 PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK

Answer Key PG# 3 1) wagon 2) saddle 3) snake 4) cowboy 5) river 6) horse 7) boot 8) lasso 9) coyote 10) west 4 Furniture Words: chair, bed, table, couch Job Words: doctor, model, writer, farmer Quiet Words: sleep, whisper, calm, peace 5 1) scared 2) pick 3) bronco 4) leap 5) harm 6) present 7) chubby 8) skinny 6 Across: 4) ask 8) mine 9) loud 10) together 12) false 13) stranger 15) yell Down: 1) hot 2) summer 3) none 5) light 6) always 7) aunt 11) early 13) sell 14) give 7 1) isn t 2) aren t 3) wasn t 4) weren t 5) can t 6) won t 7) is not 8) was not 9) were not 10) can not 11) isn t 12) aren t 13) wasn t 14) weren t 8 Word Search A P H I T C H E D U I K J I U N M B B T R S A D D L N P A K C Y T O P A C K T R E D F N C O Y O T E P P K S C V F B U R R Q U I R G K U L M B E L K J R U D S L U G F M N B W R E S T L I N G R R E F I C V O P P O L K I T R E D Z R I V E R L K U R T E F D V L F R S X O G H V T Y T S A D D L E Q E U Y O B W T R F G H T B V C D E F L K I J J M Alphabetical Order: burrow, coyote, enormous, hitched, kettle, pack, quirt, river, saddle, wrestling 9 1) Pecos Bill was a cowboy in the wild, wild west. 2) Mrs. Coyote decided to raise Bill. 3) Could Pecos Bill ride any horse? 4) Arizona Kid and Bullfrog Doyle were Bill s friends. 5) How far did Bill s bronco throw Curley Joe? 10 Sentences will vary. 11 1) honest, laws 2) died 3) brave, strong 4) night 5) hungry, thirsty 6) cold, scared 12 Across: 5) elephant 9) bow 10) night 11) ocean 13) country Down: 1) ship 2) foot 3) death 4) down 6) ear 7) airplane 8) drink 9) brother 12) cry 13 1) help 2) clean 3) taken by surprise 4) early in the morning 5) any possible way 6) traveling 7) stories that might not be true 14 1) Turtle Creek 2) Arizona 3) Rio Grande 4) north 5) Mexico 6) southeast 7) west 8) Pacific Ocean 15 1) hat, chaps, neckerchief 2) saddlebag, quirt, bridle 3) handgun, lariet, knife 4) steak, biscuits, coffee 5) stars, stream, moon 6) cookhouse, jailhouse, stable 7) horses, buffalos, coyotes PG# 16 The first cowboy Bill met was the Arizona Kid. 17 1) shoot 2) leap 3) return 4) sway 5) move 6) jolt 7) play 8) ride 9) fight 10) wrap 11) stumble 12) screech 13) grab 14) throw 15) shiver 18 1) He, his, their 2) She, him, her 3) He, them, they, his 4) He, it, its 5) I, you, he The following may have more than one correct answer: 6) it 7) him 8) her 9) We 10) them 11-12) Sentences will vary. 19 1) four 2) heard 3) our 4) one 5) not 6) great 7) threw 8) days 9) New 10) wood 11) rode 12) see 13) steal 14) there 15) seen 20 1) fence of bushes 2) very hungry 3) long, deep cut 4) very large size 5) against the law 6) sure of himself 7) jumped down suddenly 8) long time with no rain 9) strong, twisting wind 10) desire to do something 21 LITTLE DOGIES 22 Corrections: 1) Mrs., nice, mother 2) was, bush, Bill 3) Curley Joe, best, whole 4) to, top, Pike s Peak 5) was, Texas, sixteen sisters, brothers 6) from, funny, Bill, began, laugh 7) said, would, New Mexico, Pecos 8) Bill, out, wagon, over, Pecos River 9) fifteen 10) twenty-one 23 1) pommel 2) stirrup strap 3) front cinch 4) flap 5) seat 6) cantle 7) skirt 8) saddle strings 9) back cinch 10) stirrup 24 1) It was becoming too crowded where they were. 2) The wagon hit a bump in the river bed. 3) He was lost in Pecos country, so when he was older, he was called Pecos Bill. 4) There were so many children in the family, they didn t know he was gone. 5) Mrs. Coyote 6) 10 years 7) how to hunt rabbits and how to howl at the moon 8) A cowboy came along and told him he was not a coyote. 25 1) two big rattlesnakes 2) He whipped one until it stretched out like a thirty-foot rope. He wrapped one around his neck and used the other for a quirt. 3) He had gotten rid of all the bad men in Texas. 4) It fell, broke its neck, and died. 5) a big mountain lion 6) saddled it and rode it 7) a group of cowboys by a campfire 8) He showed he was tougher than any of them; ate hot beans and drank boiling coffee. 26 1) They rounded up cattle, rode the ranges together, and dealt out death to bad men. 2) Curley Joe 3) Widow-maker. It was so wild it threw off any man but Bill who tried to ride it. 4) ride his horse Widowmaker 5) The horse threw him so high he landed on top of Pike s Peak in Colorado. 6) threw a rope around Curley Joe s shoulders and dragged him down 7) He saw a funny dude from the East and laughed himself to death. 8) Answers will vary. 27 Answers will vary. PECOS BILL ACTIVITY BOOK Remedia Publications