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Social Studies Lesson Plans
4th Grade Unit 4
European Exploration of Texas
Date: _________________________
Desired Results: (Unit
Understanding)
Nations sought colonies in
Texas to advance their
political and economic
interests.
Time Allotted: 5 Days
Assessment:
Choice of rhombus poem (should
contain accurate data), foldable,
RAFT, or closure question
Anticipatory Set: (Hook) Universal Generalization
their lives. Day 1
People move
Objective/TEKS:
I can summarize reasons why European
nations wanted to explore and settle
Texas and why they felt it would
increase their wealth. (4.2A)
I can identify economic motivations for
European settlement of Texas. (4.11A)
Topics/Concepts
to improve
Teacher selects a question stem to prompt a discussion such as:
 How many of you have moved? Why did your family choose to move?
 What are reasons people choose to move?
Students will respond in writing, possibly creating a list, in their ISN.
Alternate hook1: The teacher shows students two different images of places
they might choose to move to improve their lives. Students discuss and write
reasons for moving in their ISN.
Alternate hook2: The teacher ill introduce the anticipation guide (attached)
to support students in making predictions about upcoming text from the
textbook about explorers.
Instructional Input: (Line) Day 1
Teacher reads aloud (dramatically) SF TE page 116.
Teacher will ask students, “Why do you think Christopher Columbus left
home?” After discussing Christopher Columbus the teacher will model a fourdoor foldable book (who, what, when, where) using this information write a
summary on Christopher Columbus (inside the four door foldable). Next, on the
back of the who square, draw a picture that would represent this explorer. (ex.
Christopher Columbus-Nina, Pinta, St. Maria ships)
Guided Practice: (Line)** 2-3 days**
Shared Reading format of pages 117-123 in SF textbook and corresponding
Texas Studies Weekly. Divide class into small groups. Each group will read
about Cortes, Cabeza de Vaca, Coronado, and La Salle. Read each section and
create a four door foldable, picture and summary for each explorer.
Summaries should include reasons to explore America
 to collect riches
 to teach North Americans about the Roman Catholicism religion
 to claim the land as their own
Alternate line1: Use the Opinion-Proof strategy for the assigned pages. As
they read, students find the proof for the following opinions:
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trade
exploration
conquest
colonization
settlement
colony
mission
heritage
- Christopher
Columbus
- Cabeza de
Vaca
- Francisco de
Coronado
- La Salle
- Hernando
Cortez
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1. Explorers moved to Texas for riches.
2. Explorers moved to Texas for religious reasons.
3. Explorers moved to Texas for the glory.
Alternate line2: Students work in pairs to read pages 118-121. While
reading, students confirm and/or correct the statements from the anticipation
guide.
Once students have had the opportunity to confirm and or correct predictions,
the teacher will lead a discussion with the whole group (on the overhead). The
teacher will model how to complete a “Traveling Profile” using previous
information learned about Christopher Columbus. Example attached.
Independent Practice: (Sinker) Day 3-4
How will you
TLW-create a poem about their favorite explorer using the Tony Stead rhombus check for
understanding?
poem pattern.
Share rhombus
poems with
classmates.
See graphic organizer attached.
Alternate sinker1: Students participate in writing a RAFT response.
Role: Explorer, Audience: their King/leader, Format: a letter, Topic: what they
discovered in Texas
Alternate sinker2: Research groups will work together to complete a
“Traveling Profile” on the explorer that they were assigned to learn about.
Groups share their profiles with other groups of students- possibly within
framework of a Gallery Walk.
Discuss similarities and differences between explorers.
Students will respond in their ISN about whether explorations were successful
and how information learned relates to people moving today.
Modifications/Extensions:




Students may research explorer biographies on NetTrekker, recording
their findings in a foldable organizer including personal information,
goals, accomplishments, and other information.
RAFT- Within in their ISN, students will write a letter to an explorer from
the role of a king. They will have to praise the explorer for his
accomplishment(s) and thank them on behalf of that country. They
could possibly ask them to go on another expedition soon.
Read the assigned pages with students utilizing the DC Rom for support.
Use vocabulary activities to reinforce concepts.
Ask students to discuss the question, “What kinds of impact did
the explorers have, and how does it affect us today?”
Closure: Day 5
Alternate: Students share proof statements to summarize learning and/or
share RAFT letters to demonstrate an understanding of how nations sought
colonies in Texas to advance their political and economic interests.
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Social Studies Lesson Plans
4th Grade Unit 3
Exploration and Colonization
Date: _______________
Time Allotted: 4 Days
Desired Results: (Unit
Understanding)
Nations sought colonies in
Texas to advance their political
and economic interests.
Assessment:
RAFT; group grade for the
drawing (can be done through
rubric); individual grade for the
notes taken by each student.
Objective/TEKS:
TLW identify the accomplishments
of important explorers and explain
their effect on how Texas was
settled. 4.2B
Anticipatory Set: (Universal Generalization) (Hook) People move to improve their
Topics/Concepts:
Hook: have students brainstorm what they know about the explorers that
they’ve learned about in their ISN. This should include their names and why
they explored.
exploration
Conquest
colonization
Settlement
colony
Mission
Expedition
Conquistador
presidio
Route
competition
Power
religion
lives. Day 1
Instructional Input: (Line) Day 1
Students will work in groups or partners, or rotate through stations to take
notes about different explorers. These include Christopher Columbus,
Hernando Cortes, Esteban, Alvar Nunez, Cabeza de Vaca, Francisco Vasquez
de Coronado, Robert la Salle. There are others, but these are the most
important. Students will need to take notes (ISN, note cards, mind, map,
other- Your CHOICE). The notes will need to encompass what country they
were exploring for, reasons for exploration, expeditions (with dates) and the
explorers’ accomplishments. This will be modeled by the teacher using
Christopher Columbus.
Guided Practice: (Line) Day 2
With those notes, students will be split into groups of three or four (depending
on how many explorers you decide to highlight), and they will create a large
drawing (about half of the size of a student) that will be similar to the
character trait chart. The drawing should be in the middle and should have
spurs that give information as follows: 1. Name, 2. Country/ King, 3. Reasons
for exploration, 4. Expeditions/ Dates/ Outcomes [this can be done together,
or separate, as in, each expedition/date/outcome would be a different #, 5.
Major accomplishments. Again, this should be modeled using Christopher
Columbus.
Independent Practice: (Sinker) Day 3
Sinker: RAFT- In ISN, students will write a letter to an explorer from the role
of a king. They will have to praise the explorer for his accomplishment(s) and
thank them on behalf of that country. They could possibly ask them to go on
another expedition soon.
Modifications/Extensions:
Closure: Day 4
Ask students to imagine and talk to a buddy about what life would be like in
Texas if these explorers had not come here. What kind of impact have they
had? How do you think our lives are different because of them?
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How will you
check for
understanding?
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Clip Art
Foldables & Traveling Profile
Columbus
DeVaca
LaSalle
Cortez
Coronado
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Traveling Profile Sample
Explorer’s Name:
Country of Origin:
Job Occupation:
Purpose for Travel:
Travel Destination:
Accomplishments and/or Failures of Exploration:
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2. Country/King you are exploring for:
1. Name:
3. Reasons for
Exploration:
4. Expeditions, including
dates:
5. Major accomplishments:
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Anticipation Guide for Unit 3: Exploration and Early Colonization
Directions: Place a “+” beside statements with which you agree and a “-“
beside the ones with which you disagree.
Spanish Explorers
_____ The Spanish believed all reports of cities made of gold, so they sent
an expedition to prove their existence.
_____ Cortez and his army finally defeated the Aztecs and their land.
_____ Cabeza de Vaca built rafts to explore the coast to Mexico because
their trip was destroyed.
_____ La Salle establishes Fort St. Louis for France.
_____ A colony is a country’s claim to a faraway land.
Follow Up
Read the appropriate pages in your social studies textbook. Once
you have read these sections and determined if your predictions are
correct or not, have a discussion with your group to share what you
learned. Be sure to change the statement to make it correct.
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Rhombus Poem
First name
Journey start and journey end
Three words that describe his hardships
Four words that describe what he hoped to find
Three words that describe what he actually found
Two words that describe the explorer
Last name
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