Curated OER
Corridos About the Mexican Revolution
Students explore the meaning behind Mexican corridos. In this Mexican Revolution lesson, students discover details about the war and its leaders as they read, analyze, and write their own corridos.
Curated OER
Land and Liberty: The Saga of Sam McCulloch
The struggles of Sam McCulloch, a free black man, to be recognized as a citizen entitled to own land in Texas are the focus of research project that ask groups to examine a series of primary source documents and piece together...
Curated OER
Notable "Texans" of the Texas Revolution
Middle schoolers investigate why and how certain historical figures became famous in relation to the Texas Revolution. They view and discuss a variety of images, then in small groups record the names of individuals involved in the Texas...
Curated OER
Living on a Cotton Farm: Mexican Americans Life In Texas
Seventh graders are introduced to the processes of cotton farming in the early 20th century. In groups, they examine the role of Mexican Americans on the farms and the impact of a boom and bust economy on cotton. They identify the...
Curated OER
The Texas Revolution: Exactly Who Were The Texans?
Students examine the Texas Revolution. In groups, they use the internet to research who the Texans really were and the reasons behind the revolution. They discuss the need to discover the world outside of school and work with people...
The Alamo
A Lesson in Citizenship
What does it mean to be an American citizen? Lieutenant Colonel Commander William Barret Travis believed that it meant honor to country first—even above one's own life. Middle and high schoolers read his final letters from the Alamo that...
Curated OER
Comparing Visual Interpretations and Actual Events: War & Battle
A Venn Diagram is used to compare artistic and historical representations of a single event. Young analysts view the provided images, read textbook descriptions, and discuss the validity of each representation in terms of bias and...
Curated OER
The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Immigration
Students identify the meaning of the following terms: immigrant, immigration, migrate, and assimilation. They identify reasons that immigrant groups came to Texas and explain where groups settle and the influence these groups have on...
Curated OER
Lorenzo de Zavala Online: Empresario, Statesman and Texas Revolutionary
Seventh graders study Lorenzo de Zavala's role in the Texas Revolution as politician and statesman. They determine his contributions to the establishment of a government as Texas fought for its independence. While completing research,...
Curated OER
The Alamo
Students study the Battle of the Alamo in depth. In this research skills instructional activity, students visit the Alamo de Parras website to examine issues related to the battle that took place in 1836. Students analyze comment strands...
Curated OER
The Revolt of Juan "Cheno" Cortina
Tenth graders examine the social and cultural impact of immigrant groups and the oppression of ethnic minorities with a focus on the role of Juan Cortina in Mexico. In small groups they discuss what a revolutionary is, read and discuss...
Curated OER
Quest for Freedom
Fourth graders examine and discuss the Texas Revolution and the founding of Texas as a Republic. They read about the major events of the Revolution, research the events online, and complete a chart to present to the class.
Curated OER
Remember the Alamo
Eighth graders comprehend how the siege of the Alamo and the Texas revolution laid the groundwork for the United States-Mexican War. They discuss how westward expansion led to Texas Independence. Students complete the "Remeber the...
Curated OER
Immigration and Identity
Students will analyze four historical events: The Annexation of U.S. Southwest, The Mexican Revolution, The Great Depression, and World War II. They determine how each event affected immigration to the U.S. from Mexico and Central...
Curated OER
A Letter Home
Students review the text of The Spirits of the Alamo part of the site, and each assume the identity of one person at the Alamo. They write a letter home describing his/her experience at the Alamo.
Curated OER
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Students study westward expansion. For this US history lesson, students describe the adventures and hardships faced by the explorers known as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Students write a report to the President about...
Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association: Mexican Texas to Independence [Pdf]
An activity guide where students refer to the Texas Almanac, which is free to download, for information needed to complete assigned tasks. In this activity, students examine the history of Texas from 1821-1833, the lead-up to the Texas...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: The Expansion of the United States, 1846 48
This online lesson plan shows students through primary sources how the borders of the U.S. changed in just a few years. They are asked to analyze maps and use map skills. All maps and worksheets are included as well as additional resources.