TEXAS STATE CEMETERY
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3RD GRADE TOUR GUIDELINE
WELCOME
The Texas State Cemetery’s goal is to educate children of all ages on the importance of
preserving our past. Students will explore the grounds of the Cemetery to learn Texas history
through the people that are interred here. Students will learn of the lives of heroic men and
women who made important decisions, overcame obstacles, sacrificed for the betterment of
others, and embarked on journeys that resulted in new ideas, new inventions, and new
communities.
This packet is designed to assist the student in helping them discover the Texas State Cemetery
before their visit. In addition, it is also a guideline to help you, the teacher, by giving some tools
that will help prepare your class for your visit to the Texas State Cemetery.
The few activities in the packet will help students identify people in the Texas State Cemetery who
have built communities, identify local government officials and how they are chosen, identify
characteristics of good citizenship, hear of folklore, identify individuals who have preserved
cultural heritage, and identify those individuals who have helped communities through science.
We look forward to your visit to the Texas State Cemetery and we are excited about sharing our
unique history with you and your class.
BEFORE YOUR VISIT --Some things to keep in mind
There are certain rules that must be followed during your visit at the Texas State Cemetery and some things that
you may wish to consider before your arrival. When you arrive, please check in at the visitors center and the staff
will help you organize your group before the start of the tour.
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Large groups may wish to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early for restroom and water breaks before the tour
begins.
This is a WALKING tour and can last 45 minutes to an hour. Please make sure you and your students wear
comfortable clothing and shoes.
Check the weather in the Austin area before you leave. You may need to bring rain gear or a coat.
Water bottles are allowed on the tour; however, no other drink nor food (including chewing gum) is allowed on the
grounds at any time. Please make lunch arrangements at a local park or other eating establishment prior to your
visit at the Texas State Cemetery.
No rubbings of any marker or monument is allowed. Photographs are allowed.
Students are expected to be respectful of the markers and monuments on the grounds. We ask that they not sit,
stand, kick, or climb on any of the historical markers that are in place in the Texas State Cemetery. Pencils and
pens should be kept at a distance from any historical marker or monument.
Please note that we are still an active cemetery and funerals are unexpected and happen on short notice.
Funerals take precedence over tours and you may be asked to reschedule. Please try to have an alternate date in
mind should this rare event occur.
If you have any further questions or special needs, please contact us at: 512-463-0605.
WHO AND WHAT WILL WE SEE?
The following is a list of individuals that students will
most likely encounter on their visit at the Texas
State Cemetery.
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French Sailor
Albert Sidney Johnston
Joanna Troutman
Walter Prescott Webb
Fred Gipson
Jim and Miriam (“Ma and Pa”) Ferguson
Dan Moody
“Bigfoot” Wallace
Stephen F. Austin
Barbara Jordan
Bob Bullock
Edward Burleson
Josiah Wilbarger
Judge Edwin Waller
Edmund J. Davis
Joel Robison
James Sylvester
“Peg Leg” Ward
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“Three-Legged Willie”
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Ashbel Smith
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Joseph H. Barnard
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Tom Landry
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Willie Wells
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Other monuments or areas that will be seen:
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Highway 165
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September 11th Monument
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Medal of Honor Monument
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Confederate Fields
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VE/VJ Monument
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Sometimes, due to time constraints, it will not be
possible to see everything listed here; however, the
staff makes every possible effort to include those
individuals and places listed above as well as any
special requests from our visitors.
HOW DO I PREPARE MY CLASS FOR
OUR VISIT?
Visit our website
To familiarize the students with the Texas State Cemetery, teachers may wish to visit our web site at:
www.cemetery.state.tx.us
Our web site includes biographies and pictures of the people and their monuments. Students may
wish to read about a certain individual in order to become more familiar with who it is they will be
visiting at the cemetery. Our web site also includes pictures of the grounds and students will be able
to see the area before their visit.
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Talk about certain historical events
Students may not be familiar with certain events in Texas history so it may be beneficial to acquaint
your students with some of the facts regarding Texas history. You may want to briefly explain the
following topics:
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Texas Revolution –Specifically with the dates of March 2nd and April 21st. Also, briefly explain the Alamo and
Goliad.
Civil War –Specifically, what is the meaning of Confederate and Union
Texas Legislature – Specifically, there are two chambers; the House and the Senate. House members are
called Representatives and Senate members are called Senators. Individuals that serve in either chamber
are called legislators.
September 11, 2001
HOW DO I PREPARE MY CLASS FOR
OUR VISIT?
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Do some of the included activities
These activities include a seek-and-find and a “Who Am
I?” sheet that students can complete after they have
gone through the web site and have become more
familiar with the cemetery.
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Tour questions are also included.
This activity may be saved for the actual time of your
tour. Students can take the form, fill it out as
we go along, and turn it in to the teacher for a grade.
Word Seek
SOLUTION TO WORD SEEK
“Who Am I”
3rd Grade --Who Am I?
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I am known as the “Father of Texas”. Who am I?
My flag is considered to be the first Lone Star Flag to fly over the Republic of Texas. Who am I?
I was a general in the Civil War after serving as Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas. Who
am I?
I wrote several books, but I’m most famous for Old Yeller which was turned into a movie. Who am
I?
We were governors of Texas in the early 1900s. My wife became Texas’ first female governor.
Who are we?
I carried the mail through Comanche territory and was a Texas Ranger. I’m known for having big
feet. Who am I?
I was the first person to be buried in the cemetery in 1851. I was a Republic of Texas veteran, a
legislator, and vice-president of the Republic. Who am I?
I saw that the Cemetery needed a change and put forth an effort to renovate the Cemetery
grounds. Who am I?
I lived 11 years after being scalped by Indians. Who am I?
My monument stands the tallest at 31 feet tall. I was a Reconstruction governor and a lawyer in
Texas. Who am I?
We helped capture Santa Anna and were Republic of Texas veterans. Who are we?
I lost a leg in the Siege of Bexar and went on to build the Capitol of Texas.
Who am I?
I was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and became Austin’s first mayor. Who
am I?
I’m known to have three legs. I also became a lawyer and chief justice of Texas and helped
create many of Texas’ early laws. Who am I?
My nickname is “El Diablo” and I played baseball in the Negro Leagues. I had a .392 batting
average and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Who am I?
Answers to “Who Am I”
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Stephen F. Austin
Joanna Troutman
Albert Sidney Johnston
Fred Gipson
Ma and Pa Ferguson (Jim and Miram Ferguson)
Big Foot Wallace
Edward Burleson
Bob Bullock
Josiah Wilbarger
Edmund J. Davis
Joel Robison and James Sylvester
Peg Leg Ward
Judge Edwin Waller
Three Legged Willie
Willie Wells
TOUR QUESTIONS
3rd GRADE TOUR QUESTIONS
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Who was the first person to be buried in the State Cemetery?
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What is the name of the cemetery road and what is its speed limit?
3.
What was the name of the French Sailor’s ship?
4.
Where did most of the Confederates live before they were buried in the cemetery?
5.
What two flags do you see on the Albert Sidney Johnston statue?
6.
What flag did Joanna Troutman sew?
7.
Who wrote Old Yeller?
8.
What type of nuts did Bigfoot Wallace use to make a suit of armor?
9.
How long did Josiah Wilbarger live after he was attacked by Indians?
10.
Name one thing Bob Bullock did to help restore the cemetery.
11.
Which governor has the tallest monument in the cemetery?
12.
How old is the statue on Governor Connally’s monument?
13.
What does cenotaph mean?
14.
Name a person that has a cenotaph in the cemetery?
15.
What did Willie Wells invent that modern day baseball players use today?
ANSWERS TO TOUR QUESTIONS
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Edward Burleson
Highway 165. 15 mph
La Belle
Confederate Men’s Home
The flag on his body is the Confederate Flag and the one under his head is the Texas Flag
The “Liberty or Death” flag
Fred Gipson
Hickory
11 years
Answers may include: added the visitor’s center and gallery, the pond, the hilltop, landscaping,
and tombstones were taken down, cleaned, and repaired.
Governor Edmund J. Davis
About 600 years old
A monument in honor of someone who is buried elsewhere.
Landry
Batting helmets.
OTHER INFORMATION
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Our address is:
Texas State Cemetery
909 Navasota
Austin, TX 78702
We’re located off of 11th Street; just one mile
southeast of the Capitol Building
Our phone number is:
512-463-0605
And our fax number is:
512-463-8811
Our web site is:
www.cemetery.state.tx.us
Our email address is:
statecemetery@tbpc.state.tx.us
Published in 2006 by The Texas State Cemetery