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Lesson 1 (from Part 1: Chapters 1-3 | Part 1: Chapters 4-6)

Objective

Lonesome Dove is set in a fictional town on the Texas-Mexico border in the late 1800s. McMurtry paints a very believable picture of a real South Texas town in that time period. The objective of this lesson is to explore that setting.

Lesson

Small Group Activity:

Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 and require each group to research a historical Texas Ranger. Present to the class 4-5 facts about the figure they researched.

In Class Essay:

Have each student write a five paragraph description portraying life in the "Old West."

Class Discussion:

What do you think Texas - Mexico relations were like in the late 1800s? How does McMurtry portray this early in the novel? How do the other characters treat Bolivar? How does he treat the other characters? How does this compare to race relations now? What impact does illegal immigration have on those...

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