This resource unit for elementary students brings together information about cowboys, with a special emphasis on the songs and poetry that they created and that were created about them. The unit is self-contained. All poems and songs are included. Objectives are provided. Specifically, the unit should help students read and understand poetry about cowboys; give students a base of knowledge on which to build in doing further independent work such as writing poetry, lyrics, and music; provide students with an awareness of the daily life of a cowboy in the Southwest; help students develop a realistic attitude toward the life of a cowboy, as opposed to the cowboy of American fable and legend; and help students learn how important the cowboy was in the development of the whole Southwest, and in particular, in the development of Arizona from a territory to a state. Activities for art, music, and other courses are suggested. Examples of activities follow. Students read verses of poetry aloud. For example, they rewrite poems such as "Cattle" or "I'm an Arizona Cowboy," using their own words and images. Students draw pictures or cartoons creating a scenario around a Western scene, write words for a song to be sung by a cowboy or cowgirl, and present a Western skit. The unit concludes with a bibliography of resources for students and teachers. (RM)