Law in the West

This worksheet supports students in Grades 5 and 6 as they build critical reading, historical analysis, and interpretive reasoning skills by examining law and order in the American West. Students read an informational passage comparing the legendary cowboy “code of honor” with real frontier justice systems, then answer comprehension and critical thinking questions that explore values, community challenges, vigilante behavior, and the development of formal law enforcement.

Learning Goals

• Myth vs. Reality in the American West (Grades 5-6) – Students distinguish popular legends from historical facts about frontier life.
• Critical Reading & Interpretation – Learners analyze informational text to understand author purpose and key ideas.
• Development of Law and Order – The activity explains how justice systems evolved as western towns grew.
• Comparing Systems and Values – Students evaluate differences between informal community rules and official legal systems.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary social studies and ELA standards.
• Encourages Historical Thinking – Prompts push students to question myths and examine evidence.
• Balanced Comprehension & Analysis – Includes both text-based questions and deeper reflection.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Works well for close reading lessons, independent practice, discussion, or assessment.
• Low-Prep Printable – Ready for classroom or homeschool use with minimal preparation.

This Law in the West worksheet helps students develop a more accurate understanding of frontier justice by separating legend from reality. By analyzing how values, community needs, and legal systems interacted in the American West, learners strengthen reading comprehension, critical thinking, and historical insight in a meaningful, engaging way.

This worksheet is part of our American Frontier and Wild West Worksheets collection.