TEACHER:
CLASS: 7th Social Studies
DATE: December 7-8
Topic 4: TEKS Assessment and Practice
M T W TH F
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Resources:
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
Content Standards
1A: identify the major eras in Texas history, describe their defining characteristics, and
explain why historians divide the past into eras, including Natural Texas and its People;
Age of Contact; Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republic; Early
Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads;
Age of Oil; Texas in the Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights and
Conservatism; and Contemporary Texas
1C: explain the significance of the following dates: 1519, mapping of the Texas coast
and first mainland Spanish settlement; 1718, founding of San Antonio; 1821,
independence from Spain; 1836, Texas independence; 1845, annexation; 1861, Civil
War begins; 1876, adoption of current state constitution; and 1901, discovery of oil at
Spindletop
2D: identify the individuals, issues, and events related to Mexico becoming an
independent nation and its impact on Texas, including Texas involvement in the fight
for independence, José Gutiérrez de Lara, the Battle of Medina, the Mexican federal
Constitution of 1824, the merger of Texas and Coahuila as a state, the State
Colonization Law of 1825, and slavery
3A: trace the development of events that led to the Texas Revolution, including the
Fredonian Rebellion, the Mier y Terán Report, the Law of April 6, 1830, the Turtle
Bayou Resolutions, and the arrest of Stephen F. Austin
3B: 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
3C: 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
3D: explain how the establishment of the Republic of Texas brought civil, political, and
religious freedom to Texas
4A: identify individuals, events, and issues during the administrations of Republic of
Texas Presidents Houston, Lamar, and Jones, including the Texas Navy, the Texas
Rangers, Edwin W. Moore, Jack Coffee Hays, Chief Bowles, William Goyens, Mary
Maverick, José Antonio Navarro, the Córdova Rebellion, the Council House Fight, the
Santa Fe Expedition, public debt, and the roles of racial and ethnic groups
4B: analyze the causes of and events leading to Texas annexation
8A: create and interpret thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases
representing various aspects of Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries
9A: locate the Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, and Coastal
Plains regions and places of importance in Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st
centuries such as major cities, rivers, natural and historic landmarks, political and
cultural regions, and local points of interest
11A: analyze why immigrant groups came to Texas and where they settled
11B: analyze how immigration and migration to Texas in the 19th, 20th, and 21st
centuries have influenced Texas
14B: compare the principles and concepts of the Texas Constitution to the U.S.
Constitution, including the Texas and U.S. Bill of Rights
18A: identify the leadership qualities of elected and appointed leaders of Texas, past
and present, including Texans who have been president of the United States
Process Standards
21A: differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such
as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews,
and artifacts to acquire information about Texas
21B: analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect
U.S. History Textbook Colonization
through Reconstruction
pp. (249-253)
relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making
generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions
21C: organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals,
including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
21D: identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the
frame of reference that influenced the participants
22B: use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper
citation of sources
22D: create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information
23B: use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision,
gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to
implement a decision
Objective/Key Understanding:
In this topic, students learned about the eras in which Texas was ruled by Spain and Mexico.
 U.S. History Textbook Colonization through Reconstruction pp. (249-253)
TEACHER:
CLASS: 7th Social Studies
DATE: December 9-11
M T W TH F
Topic 5, Lesson 1: Early Texas Government
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Resources:
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
Content Standards
1A: identify the major eras in Texas history, describe their defining characteristics, and
explain why historians divide the past into eras, including Natural Texas and its People;
Age of Contact; Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republic; Early
Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads;
Age of Oil; Texas in the Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights and
Conservatism; and Contemporary Texas
1B: apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant
individuals, events, and time periods
1C: explain the significance of the following dates: 1519, mapping of the Texas coast
and first mainland Spanish settlement; 1718, founding of San Antonio; 1821,
independence from Spain; 1836, Texas independence; 1845, annexation; 1861, Civil
War begins; 1876, adoption of current state constitution; and 1901, discovery of oil at
Spindletop
4A: identify individuals, events, and issues during the administrations of Republic of
Texas Presidents Houston, Lamar, and Jones, including the Texas Navy, the Texas
Rangers, Edwin W. Moore, Jack Coffee Hays, Chief Bowles, William Goyens, Mary
Maverick, José Antonio Navarro, the Córdova Rebellion, the Council House Fight, the
Santa Fe Expedition, public debt, and the roles of racial and ethnic groups
4C: identify individuals, events, and issues during early Texas statehood, including the
U.S.-Mexican War, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, population growth, and the
Compromise of 1850
5A: explain reasons for the involvement of Texas in the Civil War such as states' rights,
slavery, sectionalism, and tariffs
5B: analyze the political, economic, and social effects of the Civil War and
Reconstruction in Texas
5C: identify significant individuals and events concerning Texas and the Civil War such
as John Bell Hood, John Reagan, Francis Lubbock, Thomas Green, John Magruder and
the Battle of Galveston, the Battle of Sabine Pass, and the Battle of Palmito Ranch
8A: create and interpret thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases
representing various aspects of Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries
8B: analyze and interpret geographic distributions and patterns in Texas during the
19th, 20th, and 21st centuries
U.S. History Textbook Colonization
through Reconstruction
pp. (258-261)
Online Editable presentation (p.258)
Start Up Activity: “Now in the Flag of the
Union” (p.258)
Reading and Note Taking Study Guide
(p. 258)
Analyze Maps, Tables, Visuals,
Information
(p.260)
Digital Activity: Three Branches (p.261)
Digital Lesson Quiz (p.261)
9A: locate the Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, and Coastal
Plains regions and places of importance in Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st
centuries such as major cities, rivers, natural and historic landmarks, political and
cultural regions, and local points of interest
9C: analyze the effects of physical and human factors such as climate, weather,
landforms, irrigation, transportation, and communication on major events in Texas
11A: analyze why immigrant groups came to Texas and where they settled
11B: analyze how immigration and migration to Texas in the 19th, 20th, and 21st
centuries have influenced Texas
12A: explain economic factors that led to the urbanization of Texas
13A: analyze the impact of national and international markets and events on the
production of goods and services in Texas such as agriculture, oil and gas, and
computer technology
14B: compare the principles and concepts of the Texas Constitution to the U.S.
Constitution, including the Texas and U.S. Bill of Rights
15A: describe the structure and functions of government at municipal, county, and
state levels
17A: identify different points of view of political parties and interest groups on
important Texas issues, past and present
17C: express and defend a point of view on an issue of historical or contemporary
interest in Texas
18A: identify the leadership qualities of elected and appointed leaders of Texas, past
and present, including Texans who have been president of the United States
18B: identify the contributions of Texas leaders, including Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross,
John Nance Garner ("Cactus Jack"), James A. Baker III, Henry B. González, Kay Bailey
Hutchison, Barbara Jordan, Raymond L. Telles, Sam Rayburn, and Raul A. Gonzalez Jr.
19B: describe how people from various racial, ethnic, and religious groups attempt to
maintain their cultural heritage while adapting to the larger Texas culture
Process Standards
21E: support a point of view on a social studies issue or event
Objective/Key Understanding:



Identify the documents that influenced the first Texas
state constitution.
Describe the three main branches of the Texas state
government.
Identify leaders of Texas during the early statehood era.
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p.258)
veto
judiciary
framers
Jose Antonio
Navarro
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 261)





How did past documents help shape the Texas constitution of 1845?
Why did the Texas constitution start with the phrase “We the people,” just like the U.S. Constitution does?
Explain how the rights granted by the Texas constitution show that women previously had few property rights.
How was the structure of the Texas constitution similar to that of the U.S. Constitution?
How were the voting laws passed by the Texas constitution stricter as compared to modern-day voting rights?
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions


What similarities exist between the Texas constitution of 1845 and the U.S. Constitution?
What three branches of government were created in the Texas constitution of 1845?
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
Texas Government During Early Statehood (p.259-260)
Remind students that the farmers were influenced by other state constitutions and by the U.S. Constitution.
 How were the principles and concepts of the Texas Constitution of 1845 similar to the U.S. Constitution?
The Three Branches of State Government (p.260-261)
Online Resources, Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
Online Editable Presentation (p. 258)
 Use the Editable Presentation found on the Digital Course to present the main ideas for this lesson
Start Up Activity: :Now in the Flag of the Union” (p. 258)
Project the Start Up Activity (p. 258).
Ask students to focus on the song lyrics as they enter and get settled. Then give them a few moments to answer the questions.
 What do you think “the Mexican Eagle had flown from his next” means?
Reading and Note Taking Study Guide (p. 258)
Students can preview Key Terms and Academic Vocabulary using the Interactive Reading Notebook on the Digital Course or preview
of the lesson in the Reading and Note taking Study Guide
Analyze Tables (p. 260)
Review the table, Texas Constitution (1845) vs. U.S. Constitution, on page 260.
 What reasons help explain the difference between the U.S. and Texas constitutions?
Digital Activity: Three Branches (p. 261)
Project Digital Activity: Three Branches (p. 261). Have students read and complete the activity. Their charts should be succinct.
Digital Lesson Quiz: (p. 261)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz (p. 148). Discuss with the class: In Early Texas Government, you learned that the new state of Texas
needed a constitution to set up its government. The farmers based their work on other state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution.
Like the U.S. Constitution, the Texas Constitution of 1845 established a government by the people that was made up of three
branches.
 What inferences can you draw from the fact that only one of the framer of the Texas Constitution, Jose Antonio Navarro a
native Texan?
 What might happen to cause Texas to revise or replace the Constitution of 1845?
Lesson Plan
*Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.224). Use the Editable Presentation
found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the lesson (p. 224).
Engage
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Start Up Activity: :Now in the Flag of the Union” (p. 258)
Project the Start Up Activity (p. 258).
Ask students to focus on the song lyrics as they enter and get settled. Then give them a few moments to answer
the questions.
 What do you think “the Mexican Eagle had flown from his next” means?
*Tell students that in this lesson they will learn about a major era in Texas history, early statehood. Fundamental
to their understanding of this era is an understanding of state government.
*Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with
the class.
 Texas Government During Early Statehood (p.259-260)
 The Three Branches of State Government (p.260-261)
*Students are to read assigned sections and use the Note Taking Study Guide to help them take notes and
understand the text as they read.
*Tell students that in this lesson they will learn about a major era in Texas history, early statehood. Fundamental
to their understanding of this era is an understanding of state government.
Texas Government During Early Statehood (p.259-260)
 Texas chose the writers of the state constitution for their skills and experience. Many of these men had
served Texas at other times. Thomas J. Rusk, the leader of the convention that wrote the constitution,
had fought for independence. He helped write the constitution of the Republic of Texas. During the years
of the republic, he served as a secretary of war and as chief justice.
The Three Branches of State Government (p.260-261)
 The Constitution of 1845 arranged the government into three parts. Texas voters chose many of those
who served in government. The law allowed only men 21 years or older to vote in Texas. No women or
African Americans were allowed to vote.
*Guided Reading and Discussion Questions
 See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
*Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
 See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
*Active Classroom
Use the Wallpaper Strategy to challenge students to explain the responsibilities of each branch of state
government and visually depict the relationships among the branches. Have students review the information in
the interactive chart and text. Allow them time to create their wallpaper. When their work is complete, have them
display it in the classroom. Conduct a gallery walk around the room, asking students to note what they learn from
others’ work.
*Topic of Inquiry
In this topic Inquiry, students work in teams to examine different perspectives on this issue by analyzing several
sources, arguing both sides of a Yes/No question, then developing and discussing their own point of view on the
question:
 Was Sam Houston’s opposition to secession justified?
*Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 261). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate
Evaluate
mastery by responding to the following questions on paper:
 How did past documents help shape the Texas constitution of 1845?
 Why did the Texas constitution start with the phrase “We the people,” just like the U.S. Constitution does?
 Explain how the rights granted by the Texas constitution show that women previously had few property
rights.
 How was the structure of the Texas constitution similar to that of the U.S. Constitution?
 How were the voting laws passed by the Texas constitution stricter as compared to modern-day voting
rights?