Lesson Plan
Isma Lundstrom
In cooperation with The Sugar Land Heritage Foundation
Materials needed:
Websites used:
The Sugar Land Heritage
Copies of the primary source “Budget Sheet”
Foundation
Copies of the Let’s Have APARTY! chart
http://money.cnn.com/magazin
es/moneymag/bplive/2010/sna
pshots/PL4870808.html
Course:
Texas History
Grade Level:
th
7 grade
Title of Unit:
Analyzing Primary Sources
Title of Lesson:
Cost of Living and Home Economics in early Sugar Land
Time Frame:
1 day
Description
Students will examine and analyze a primary source and determine which mathematical skills to use
in order to create their own household budget.
TEKS Objectives (http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113c.html#113.32 )
(21) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established
research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news
services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about Texas;
(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;
(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps;
(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference that influenced the
participants;
(H) use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs.
Teacher to Teacher Notes
This lesson may be done individually or in cooperative groups of 2-4 members. If you have already covered primary sources
with the class, this will be a unique opportunity to investigate primary sources and learn about the history of Sugar Land at the
same time. If you have not yet covered primary sources, you can use this lesson to introduce your class to this topic.
Procedures/Activities
- Begin by handing out the “Let’s have APARTY!” chart. Explain to the students that you are about to pass out a document
that was part of a booklet distributed to early Sugar Land residents. Tell them it will be their assignment to analyze this
document using the “APARTY!” chart and they will ultimately use the document to create their own household budget and
compare the cost of living of today in Sugar Land with the cost of living in the early days.
- Pass out the primary source documents and give the class about 20-30 minutes to complete the “APARTY” chart.
- While students are working, write $113,261 on the board. As each group begins to finish up, tell the students that this figure
is the median annual family income for Sugar Land residents as of 2010. Have the students fill out the second column on the
budget sheet with this figure as the yearly income.
- At the end of the lesson ask the student to generate a list of expenses from today’s lifestyle that do not fit into any of the
categories on the budget sheet.
Assessment(s)
-
The “APARTY” chart can be taken for a daily grade as an assessment.
Instructional Alternatives / Extensions
• Ask students what they want to be when they grow up? Then have them research what the going starting salary is for that
profession. Then have them rework the second column in the chart.
* Ask students to research the current minimum wage in Texas and rework the second column for the budget chart.
NAME(S)
DATE
Directions: Read the document carefully and use the chart to analyze the chart.
Let’s Have APARTY! With A Primary Source
Name of Document
If it doesn’t have an official
title, make one up that fits
the document.
A- Author – Who wrote the
document?
How do you know this?
What do you know about
them?
P- Place and Time - Where
and when was it produced?
How do you know? How
does knowing this help you
analyze the document?
A- Audience - For whom
was this document created?
How do you know? How
does knowing this help you
analyze the document?
R-Reason - Why was this
document created?
What did the author hope to
accomplish by creating it?
T-The Main Idea Summarize
what the document is saying
in two to three short
sentences.
Y-Yeah: So What? Why did
your teacher have you read
or examine this document?
!!! What are some of the
details you found most
interesting or exciting?
(If you found nothing interesting or
exciting, just fake it and pretend you found
at least two details to write in this box.)
PD
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