Letters from the Alamo- A Social Studies Lesson using Inferencing
Planning
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Reading Comprehension Strategy Inferencing
Reading Development Level 7th Grade
Instructional Strategies Advanced organizers, note-making, cooperative learning
Lesson Length One 45-55 minute period
Purpose The purpose is to provide textual evidence to support inferences made while reading
non-fiction text.
Objectives
ELA
7.10 Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences
and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their
understanding. Students are expected to:
(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three
texts representing similar or different genres, and support those findings with textual evidence.
Social Studies
7.3 History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues related to the Texas Revolution
shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to:
(B) explain the roles played by significant individuals during the Texas Revolution, including George
Childress, Lorenzo de Zavala, James Fannin, Sam Houston, Antonio López de Santa Anna, Juan N.
Seguín, and William B. Travis;
(C) explain the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas Revolution, including the Battle of
Gonzales, William B. Travis's letter "To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World," the
siege of the Alamo and all the heroic defenders who gave their lives there, the Constitutional
Convention of 1836, Fannin's surrender at Goliad, and the Battle of San Jacinto;
7.21 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information
acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology.
(B). Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships,
comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions,
and drawing inferences and conclusions.
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Resources, Materials, and Equipment
Children’s Literature None - using primary sources- letters from significant individuals at the Alamo
Websites
1. http://www.thealamo.org/battle/letter-Goodrich.php
2. http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/statesman/pdf/09/090507letter_content.pdf
3. http://www.thealamo.org/battle/letter-Autry.php
4. http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/treasures/republic/alamo/travis-full-text.html
5. http://www.pindax.com/messageBoard.asp?bid=6931
6. Anticipatory Set - http://prezi.com/ynzv1zjs0m23/the-alamo/
Graphic Organizers
Alamo Inferencing Graphic Organizer -
Alamo Inferencing GO.pdf
Materials
Letters from the above listed websites
Equipment
1. Teacher Computer
2. Student Computers
3. Projector
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Collaboration
Mrs. Day will lead the students through a brief video presentation on the Alamo in order to activate prior
knowledge. A short discussion will follow to assure all students have a working knowledge of the battle of
the Alamo. Mrs. Owen will help monitor the discussion. Mrs. Day and Mrs. Owen will use letters written by
William Travis to model how to access websites, make inferences, and complete the graphic organizer.
Students will read letters written by William Travis, David Crockett, Micajah Autry, and Benjamin Briggs
Goodrich and make inferences based upon the text. Both educators will monitor students as they work.
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Assessment
The students' category matrix will show their inferences and textual evidence. Students will also choose
their best inference to post on the Pindax bulletin board. Students must include the conclusion and textual
evidence that lead them to their conclusions. Students will be graded using the attached rubric: Student
Rubric
Teacher and Librarian will use the following rubric for their self-assessment as they evaluate the skills
each brings to collaboration: Teacher and Teacher-Librarian Self-Evaluation
Teacher and Librarian will use the following rubric to evaluate components of the lesson plan: Lesson
Plan Evaluation
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Standards
Reading and/or writing Make inferences; Draw conclusions; tone; mood
Listening and speaking
Other content areas Analyze information; summarize; Make generalizations
Information literacy Use prior background knowledge as context for new learning
Educational technology Use interactive virtual environments, participate with electronic communities as
a contributor
AASL Standards:
Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
1.1 Skills
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in
order to make inferences and gather meaning.
Standard 2: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create
new knowledge.
2.1 Skills
2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real
world situations, and further investigation.
Standard 3: Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic
society.
3.1 Skills
3.1.3 Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understanding effectively.
Implementation
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Process
Motivation
After viewing a short presentation on the Alamo, Mrs. Day will lead a short discussion with students to be
sure they understand what happened at the Alamo, followed with predicting how the men at the Alamo
were feeling. Mrs. Owen will then discuss what is meant by the terms mood and inference and how one
can use inferences to determine mood.
Student-friendly Objectives
1. Make inferences about expository text and provide evidence from text to support conclusions.
2. Organize information gathered from text to make predictions and inferences.
Presentation
Students will arrive in the library with their Reading teacher, Mrs. Owen, who will discuss with them the
importance of making inferences or "reading between the lines". Mrs. Day will then show a brief video
about the Alamo in order to activate their prior knowledge. A short discussion will follow to ensure all
students have a working knowledge of the battle of the Alamo. Mrs. Owen and Mrs. Day, the librarian, will
project letters written by William Travis and a class-sized version of the graphic organizer on the video
projection screen to model how to access websites, make an inference, and complete the graphic
organizer. Students will use the internet to access letters written by Travis, David Crockett, Micajah Autry,
and Benjamin Briggs Goodrich during the Battle of the Alamo. Students will access these letters via a
Pindax bulletin board created by Mrs. Day. They will show their thinking as they read by completing the
graphic organizer.
Student Participation Procedures
1. Using the library computers and the internet, access the Pindax bulletin board created by Mrs. Day.
2. From the Pindax bulletin board, choose one of the letters.
3. As you read the letter, complete the graphic organizer as modeled by Mrs. Owen and Mrs. Day.
4. Complete the graphic organizer by either stating a direct quote or summarizing what you read in the
first column. In the second column, connect this information with prior knowledge. In the third column,
combine what you read with what you know to draw a conclusion, or make an inference.
5. Post best inference as a reply to the sticky on Pindax. You must include the conclusion and textual
evidence used to draw that conclusion.
Guided Practice
Mrs. Day and Mrs. Owen will monitor student questions as they complete the graphic organizer and share
with partners.
Closure
Students will review their list of predicted feelings to see if they were right. Students will also be asked to
provide evidence of these feelings from the letters.
Reflection
Students will share whole group why their own experiences and knowledge is important to understanding
new thoughts and ideas.
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Extensions
Infer plausible outcomes had Travis' requests been granted. Discuss the impact that would have had on
the Republic of Texas then and on the state of Texas today.