Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Unit: Exploration and Colonization
Unit Question: Why did the Spanish explore, colonize, and ultimately establish dominance
in the Southwest?
Unit Understanding(s): Spanish settlement of Texas left an enduring cultural legacy.
Lesson: 4 Cultural Legacies
TEKS:
Objectives: TLW:
Supplies: Visual discovery power point, matrix, writing utensil, ISN
Hook/Preview: Define and model what a legacy is and have the students write
down some legacies that the students hope to have handed down to them by their
parents or grandparents
Line/Notes: Visual discovery and matrix
Sinker/Process:
Choice 1:
You are a CSI investigator who must go to court and testify that the Spanish
legacy is strong in Alief ISD. Draw a picture of the facts that you will present in
court and write a statement that demonstrates your expert opinion.
Choice 2:
Acrostic poem: Legacy
Instructions:
1. Model the hook for the students by reviewing the handout and providing some
examples from your own life. These can be either cultural or family legacies. Once the
students have an understanding of the word allow them 3-5 minutes to write some of the
legacies they wished to have handed down to them by their family or culture. Allow
students to volunteer and share their answers.
2. Explain to the students they will be taking part in a visual discovery in which they will
be asked to examine evidence to solve the mystery of the Spanish legacy that has
survived from the 1700s. Let the students know they will be taking notes and hand them a
matrix.
(Note: The matrix can be drawn into the ISN to conserve paper)
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
3. Preview the vocabulary words before you begin the lesson. Go over these words to see
what the students already know and add definitions to the words they do not know.
4. Begin the visual discovery and follow the guide. Have the students fill in the matrix
according to the numbers on the slide. For example in the first column the students would
either draw a sketch of or describe the visual image in slide one before it has been
discussed (remind them to only write down the facts and not to assume anything), they
would then discuss the similarities in slide 2 to show what we still practice today, and in
slide 3 they would write the legacy after the class has discussed it.
Slide 1-2
Description: People are coming out of a building, one is carrying a cross, there are some
people kneeling down on a blanket, and there are some people kneeling down with their
hands folded. There are people standing behind them watching.
Evidence: After viewing slide 2 and discussing the similarities the students can write
The modern picture shows a group of people including two priests walking somewhere
outside with a group of people of different nationalities.
Legacy: influence of the church
5. Continue this process by following the visual discovery guide through all 20 slides.
6. When the students have completed all 20 slides they may begin the sinker. There are
two choices for the sinker. The teacher can decide for the students or let the students
decide which one they would rather complete.
Choice 1: You are a CSI investigator who must go to court and testify that the Spanish
legacy is strong in Alief ISD. Draw a picture of the facts that you will present in court
and write a statement that demonstrates your expert opinion.
Choice 2: Create an acrostic poem by writing the word legacy down the side of the page.
The students will use the first letter on the line to create the poem. The information for
the poem will come from the visual discovery and notes.
Leaving behind their legacy to practice for the next 300 years
Even in schools the bells are a Spanish legacy
Gathering at church for social and religious reasons
A
C
Y
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
HOOK: Legacy
Legacy means something important that is left by someone who is no longer
present.
Food can be a legacy:
Are there any traditional dishes that you family serves?
Holidays:
Are there any special holidays that you celebrate because of your
culture?
Family legacies:
Has there been anything passed down from generation to generation
(example: sometimes fathers name their sons after themselves and they
become Jr. or the third )
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Vocabulary
Quadrant
North, South, East and West
Northeast, Northwest
Southeast, Southwest
Architecture
Arch
Chaps
Cattle industry
Brands (branding)
Hide (cow hide)
Legacy
Cultural legacy
Originated
Christianity/ Catholic
Patio
Irrigation
Lariat/ lasso
Fiesta
Rodeo
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Visual Discovery Guide
Review:
On the bard draw a compass rose and label the quadrants. The draw a square and divide
the square into four equal parts. In the top of each square write northeast, northwest,
southeast, and southwest. Advise the students that when they are examining details of the
pictures they must refer to them as their directional quadrants.
Slide 1: Black and White sketch
1. Before the students answer any questions tell them to mentally divide the image
into for quadrants and refer to these quadrants as the northeast, northwest,
southeast and southwest quadrants.
2. The southwest quadrant
What do you see? (just the facts) Describe the people on the ground. How are
they dressed and what are they wearing?
3. Southeast quadrant
Describe the people in the southeast quadrant? What are they doing? How are they
dressed? How is their dress (the people kneeling) different from the people standing
behind them? What are the people standing doing? How are they dressed? Who do
you think these groups of people are?
4. Northeast and Northwest quadrants
Describe the people coming out of the building? What is the building? How are the
people dressed? Who are they and what are they doing?
5. Entire picture
What do you think is happening in this image?
Answer: This is a Spanish mission. The people in the southwest quadrant are
Europeans. The people kneeling in the southeast quadrant are Natives that have
been taught the Christian religion. The people standing behind them are Native
Americans observing the religious practices. The purpose of the missions was to
spread Christianity (more specifically the Catholic religion) to the Natives of the
area. This is a religious ceremony.
Slide 2: Click until you see modern ceremony on split screen with sketch
Compare the picture of the Spanish mission to the one of modern life. What
are some of the similarities in these pictures?
The students have used their detective skills to point out the evidence in the
picture and they must use their knowledge to solve the mystery:
What is the Spanish legacy in this image that is still influencing us today?
(What is it that the Spanish did in the 1700s that we are still doing today?)
Answer: influence of the church on society and people are gathering for social
reasons.
Note: Make sure that students understand that these are Spanish influences from
Spain and not Mexican influences from Mexico. The time period of the missions is
the 1700s and there is no Mexico yet.
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Slide 3: Mission San Jose
1. Direct the students’ attention to the southwest quadrant of the image. There is a
person standing there.
2. Examine the picture of the man in comparison to the building and share your
observations.
3. After the students share their observations on the image tell them this is mission
San Jose and click to the next image.
Slide 4: Mission San Jose on split screen with modern church
1. Image 4 is the 2 churches shown together. The modern church is located on West
Belfort.
2. What are the similarities between these two buildings?
3. Answer
 Both churches seem large in appearance
 Both churches have arches (the arch in the modern church is located t the
very top)
 Both churches have the dome and the tower (the dome and the tower in the
modern church are combined and located near the arch)
The students have used their detective skills to point out the evidence in the
picture and they must use their knowledge to solve the mystery:
What is the mystery of the legacy in these two images?
Answer: Architecture
Note: Make sure that students understand that these are Spanish influences from
Spain and not Mexican influences from Mexico. The time period of the missions is
the 1700s and there is no Mexico yet.
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Slide 5: Mission San Juan Capistrano
Display the image of the church with the bells
1. What are some of the features in this church that you have seen in
previous images?
2. What is something unique to this church that you have not seen in the
other pictures? The bells
Slide 6: Modern day church (split screen)
View both churches and compare then. Which features are the same?
The bells, both churches are tall in appearance, arches, grand entrances.
What purpose do the bells serve?
In the days of the missions the purpose of the bells was to call people to prayer.
It is still used for the same reason today. It is also used in celebrations such as
weddings.
How does school let everyone know when class is starting?
The students have used their detective skills to point out the evidence in the
picture and they must use their knowledge to solve the mystery:
What is the mystery of the legacy in these two images?
Answer: Architecture and bells
Note: Make sure that students understand that these are Spanish influences from
Spain and not Mexican influences from Mexico. The time period of the missions is
the 1700s and there is no Mexico yet.
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Slide 7: Mission Patio
1. What do you think this image is? Use the evidence in the picture to
support you answer.
The students might say there is a mountain the background of this picture. It is
actually a wall that encloses this area.
2. Why do you think this area is enclosed? Protection and privacy
This image is the enclosed patio of a mission
Slide 8: Mission Patio, modern patio, and home patio
Slide 8 will contain 3 images.
Click on to slide 8 once and you will see a smaller image of slide 7. Click twice
and you will see the image of a modern church area.
1. What are some of the similarities between these two images?
Flooring (solid ground instead of dirt) landscaping, and an somewhat enclosed
area.
2. What do you think this area is used for?
Some students may have definite answers for this if they belong to a church.
Today it is used for socializing or reflecting. In the days of the missions it was
used for
Click the image again to see another image.
3. What do we call this area of our home? Patio
4. What are some of the similarities between the home patio and the church
patios? Landscaping, there are places to sit, the flooring
5. Do all of these patios serve the same purpose?
The students have used their detective skills to point out the evidence in the
picture and they must use their knowledge to solve the mystery:
What is the mystery of the legacy in these two images?
Answer: The patio
Note: Make sure that students understand that these are Spanish influences from
Spain and not Mexican influences from Mexico. The time period is the 1700s and
there is no Mexico yet.
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Slide 9 (Irrigation system)
1. What do you see in this image?
The students may respond that they see railroad tracks, this is actually an
irrigation system (emphasize system)
Refer back to Native Americans, specifically the Jumanos who used irrigation for
farming. The Jumano idea of irrigation was a ditch filled with water.
What the students are seeing in this slide is actually is called an
Slide 10: Numerous irrigation systems
Click 1: These are examples of modern irrigation systems. This is a sprinkler system
Click 2: Is a very large hose
The students have used their detective skills to point out the evidence in the
picture and they must use their knowledge to solve the mystery:
What is the mystery of the legacy in these two images?
Answer: irrigation systems
Note: Make sure that students understand that these are Spanish influences from
Spain and not Mexican influences from Mexico. The time period is the 1700s and
there is no Mexico yet.
Slide 11: Mission San Juan
This slide is a visual transition. This slide is for discussion purposes and will not
be recorded on the matrix
1. What is the building the men are standing in front of? A mission
2. Who established these missions? The Spanish
3. Describe the people in the picture. Some are wearing bright colors, they have
hats on and one is on a horse.
4. Describe the landscape. Desert like in appearance, flat land, and some
vegetation (mostly cactus) which suggests a dry climate. This also explains why
they needed an irrigation system.
We will refer back to this slide later when cowboys are discussed
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Slide 12: Cows
This slide is also a transition slide to the next legacy
Slide 13 Click 1: The brand
1. What do you think this is and what evidence do you have to support your
idea?
If students do not know tell them it is a brand.
2. What is a brand and what is it used for?
A brand is a piece of metal that has been shaped in a unique way to represent a
ranch. The brand was then heated over a fire and burned into the hide of a cow to
show proof of ownership. This brand is actually from the ranchero Cabaras from
the Mission Espada. The shape is unique in that it is actually a C with a cross and
a diamond. The C stood for the name of the ranch.
3. What was the significance of the cross? It was the symbol of the mission
4. Why did the missions have cattle?
At first it was a way to feed themselves and to help support the mission. The cattle
industry became a profitable economic system for the missions. The meat was
used to feed the people at the missions. The tallow (fat) was used for a lighting
source because it burned. The people in the missions need the light source to read
the Bible in the missions.
The missions would take most of the hides and send them to Europe to be sold for
profit
Click 2:
This is a picture of a cow that has already been branded. The brand on this cow is
not the same as the other brand. This brand looks almost like and H with a hook
on it.
Click 3:
1. Where is the brand on this cow? On the ear
2. How is this brand different from the other brands we have seen? It is a tag
through the ear and not burned into the skin of the animal.
3. Why do you think we ear tag the animals today? It is more humane. It does
not hurt as much as the brand and it is also faster than branding.
The students have used their detective skills to point out the evidence in the
picture and they must use their knowledge to solve the mystery:
What is the mystery of the legacy in these two images?
Answer: the cattle industry and branding
Note: Make sure that students understand that these are Spanish influences from
Spain and not Mexican influences from Mexico. The time period is the 1700s and there is
no Mexico yet.
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Slide 14: The cowboy/ vaquero
Slide 14 has a slit screen with a cowboy standing and a cowboy on a horse. Project both
images before asking questions so the students will see all the necessary parts
What do you see?
 Hat/ sombrero
Why did the cowboys/ vaqueros need sombreros?
To keep the sun off their face and neck
 Chaps
What purpose did the chaps serve?
To protect the cowboys legs from cactus, mesquite trees and cattle horns
(reference back to slide 11 which showed all the cactus)
 Lariat (lasso)
What was the purpose of the lariat?
To rope the cows
 Bandana
What was the purpose of the bandana?
The bandana offered protection from dust as well as mosquitoes.
Slide 15: Cowboys on horses
Project just the image of the cowboy on the horse and review all the parts that
were pointed out in the previous slide.
Then project the modern cowboy on the horse
What similarities do you see in these two images?
Inform the students that horses are not native animals to North America, they
were brought to this continent by the Spanish.
Slide 16: Cowboys standing
Repeat procedures for slide 15
The students have used their detective skills to point out the evidence in the
picture and they must use their knowledge to solve the mystery:
What is the mystery of the legacy in these two images?
Answer: cattle industry, cowboys and horses
Note: Make sure that students understand that these are Spanish influences from
Spain and not Mexican influences from Mexico. The time period is the 1700s and
there is no Mexico yet.
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Slide 17: Line of people on horses in front of a mission
1. What do you see in this picture?
2. Did the cowboys in the previous pictures dress this way for everyday
work? No these cowboys seemed to be dressed up.
3. What do you think may be happening in this image?
These cowboys are from the mission San Jose. The mission is entertaining visitors
and the cowboys are showing off their skills with the horses and lariats. After this
ceremony there would be a party called a fiesta.
4. Do we still practice this today? What is it called? Yes it is called a rodeo
Slide 18: Split screen of rodeo
What are the similarities between these two pictures?
The students have used their detective skills to point out the evidence in the
picture and they must use their knowledge to solve the mystery:
What is the mystery of the legacy in these two images?
Answer: rodeo
Note: Make sure that students understand that these are Spanish influences from
Spain and not Mexican influences from Mexico. The time period of the missions is
the 1700s and there is no Mexico yet.
Slide 19: Party/ Fiesta (this slide is for discussion purposes only and will not be recorded
on the matrix)
1. What do you see?
o Bright clothing
o Sombreros
o Architecture of the building
o Piñata in the background
2. What do you think this is a picture of?
This is a picture of a party or a fiesta that would take place after the rodeo
3. After the Houston Live Stock show and rodeo is there a party or fiesta?
Yes, there is a concert and a carnival
Note:
This slide shows the Mexican flag. This shows that Spanish legacy has influenced
the Mexican culture as well as the culture in the United States.
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Slide 20: Food
1. What do you see in this picture?
Food or people making food
2. What is the legacy in this picture?
Food
Today we call this food Mexican food or TexMex. Most of this food comes from
the missions because the Spanish had no corn in Spain. One of the more popular
brands of tortillas on the market today are Mission tortillas.
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Evidence
(list of details)
Legacy
Slide 5-6
Slide 3-4
Slide 1-2
Sketch or Description of
Slide
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Slide 12-13
Slide 9-10
Slide 7-8
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Slide 20
Slide 17-18
Slide 14-16
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4
Visual Discovery: Cultural Legacies
Alief I.S.D. 2006
Unit 3: Lesson 4