Share
Tell other teachers, parents, and students about us.
Follow
Description
OVERVIEW
In this lesson, students will read passages about key people of the Republic of Texas to identify and summarize their significance to the era. Additionally, extension activities provide opportunities for students to consider the different points of view of various historical figures. This lesson can be adapted to last one class period or multiple periods.
LESSON TIME
This lesson will take approximately 45 - 60 minutes for a reduced version of the lesson. The full lesson can take 135 – 180 minutes.
Additional extension activities will take approximately 90 – 120 minutes.
Exact times may vary based on the specific needs of individual classes.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
- Who were some of the key people of the Republic of Texas and why were they significant?
Teacher Tools
-
Lesson Plan, Teacher Guide, Primary Sources Used
Downloadable/editable versions of this lesson plan, including a step-by-step guide through the lesson. When applicable, a list of primary sources used in the lesson is also included.
-
This ready-to-use classroom slideshow contains the warm-up exercise, the daily objective, the “We will / I will” statements, and the essential question for the lesson.
It guides the class through the assignment providing larger versions of images, visual representations of the directions, and supports for reading and answering questions including sentence stems for in-class responses. It concludes with the exit ticket.
Student Activities
-
Warm-up and Exit Ticket
In this printable warm-up / bell-ringer activity, students will observe a primary source photograph of Sam Houston’s kitchen at his Huntsville home and make inferences about life in Texas during the 1800s based on their observations.
In this exit ticket, students will choose two people from the day’s lesson and determine if they would have been friends or opponents. Students justify their claim based on information from the readings.
The Warm-up and Exit Ticket document includes two warm-ups on the front of the page and two exit tickets on the back of the page. This formatting reduces the number of copies needed, as teachers will cut each printed page in half. Each student will receive a half-page with the warm-up on the front and the exit on the back.
-
Grade Level Work
In this printable assignment, students will use the readings to record important information about each person including where they were from, their role in the Republic of Texas, and one to three significant facts or achievements.
-
In this printable assignment, students will use the readings to record important information about each person including their role in the Republic of Texas and one or two significant facts or achievements.
-
In this printable assignment, students will use the readings to record important information about each person including where they were from, interesting or significant background information, their role in the Republic of Texas, and 3 significant facts or achievements.
-
Grade Level Readings
This is a printable set of readings written at grade level for 14 significant people of the Republic of Texas Era.
-
Foundation Readings
This is a printable set of readings written at grade level for 14 significant people of the Republic of Texas Era. Significant terms and key information are presented in bold lettering.
-
Advanced Readings
This is a printable set of readings written above grade level for 14 significant people of the Texas Revolutionary Era.
Additional Activities
-
I have / Who Has?
This is a printable activity with a set of clue cards about each significant person from the reading. It is appropriate for all levels. This activity is meant to be completed together as a class and should take approximately 30 - 45 minutes.
-
Dinner Party Activity
In this printable assignment, students will choose 4 people from the lesson to invite to a fictional dinner. Students will explain their choices and complete several short activities based on the points of view of their chosen guests, including explaining what agreements and disagreements might occur at the dinner, how each guest might respond to a series of questions, and a dialogue between their guests. It is appropriate for all levels and can be shortened to accommodate the needs of diverse learners. These activities can be assigned altogether (approximately 45 – 60 minutes), or the activity can be shortened by only assigning one or more of the activities (30 minutes.)
-
Biographical Fact Sheet
In this printable assignment, students examine one specific person from the Who’s Who readings and record significant information from the reading. It is appropriate for all levels. (Approximately 45 – 60 minutes.
Sources
Previews and links to sources referenced in this lesson.
-
The Private Life of Sam and Margaret Houston
-
José Antonio Navarro Portrait
-
Letter from Mirabeau Lamar to Alcalde Martinez
-
Illustration of Mirabeau B. Lamar
-
A History of the Lone Star Statehouse
-
The Houston Morning Star Saturday, September 17, 1842
-
Houston Telegraph and Texas Register Wednesday, August 7, 1839
-
Jose Antonio Navarro House
-
Houston Telegraph and Texas Register Saturday, September 29, 1838
-
Houston Telegraph and Texas Register Saturday, November 17, 1838
-
Portrait of Thomas J. Rusk
-
Letter from General Adrián Woll to the Laredo Ayuntamiento
-
Women Tell the Story of the Southwest
.jpg){kind=link}
Rights
Support
Learn about our team, supporters, and how to contribute or give back.