Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09
Lesson: 03
Suggested Duration: 3 days
Grade 04 Social Studies Unit 09 Exemplar Lesson 03: Moving Across Texas
This lesson is one approach to teaching the State Standards associated with this unit. Districts are encouraged to customize this lesson by
supplementing with district-approved resources, materials, and activities to best meet the needs of learners. The duration for this lesson is only a
recommendation, and districts may modify the time frame to meet students’ needs. To better understand how your district may be implementing
CSCOPE lessons, please contact your child’s teacher. (For your convenience, please find linked the TEA Commissioner’s List of State Board of
Education Approved Instructional Resources and Midcycle State Adopted Instructional Materials.)
Lesson Synopsis
Students identify and explain how railroads changed the landscape of Texas.
TEKS
The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) listed below are the standards adopted by the State Board of Education, which are required by
Texas law. Any standard that has a strike-through (e.g. sample phrase) indicates that portion of the standard is taught in a previous or
subsequent unit. The TEKS are available on the Texas Education Agency website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148.
4.4
History. The student understands the political, economic, and social changes in Texas during the last half of the
19th century. The student is expected to:
4.4C Identify the impact of railroads on life in Texas, including changes to cities and major industries.
4.8
Geography. The student understands the location and patterns of settlement and the geographic factors that
influence where people live. The student is expected to:
4.8A Identify and explain clusters and patterns of settlement in Texas at different time periods such as prior to the
Texas Revolution, after the building of the railroads, and following World War II.
4.8B Describe and explain the location and distribution of various towns and cities in Texas, past and present.
4.9
Geography. The student understands how people adapt to and modify their environment. The student is expected
to:
4.9B Identify reasons why people have adapted to and modified their environment in Texas, past and present, such
as the use of natural resources to meet basic needs, facilitate transportation, and enhance recreational
activities.
Social Studies Skills TEKS
4.21
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a
variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
4.21B 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.
4.21C Organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts,
timelines, and maps.
4.21D Identify different points of view about an issue, topic, historical event, or current event.
4.22
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
4.22D Create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and
bibliographies.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicators
Grade 04 Social Studies Unit 09 PI 03
Create a series of cause-and-effect charts to show how various examples of technology changed daily life between1900 and today. Write a brief summary of how
transportation and communication in Texas has changed over time.
Standard(s): 4.4C , 4.8A , 4.8B , 4.9B , 4.21B , 4.21C , 4.22D
ELPS ELPS.c.1C
Key Understandings
Last Updated 05/09/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 1 of 10 Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09
Lesson: 03
Suggested Duration: 3 days
People adapt and modify their environment.
— How did railroads impact life in Texas?
— Where were settlements located in Texas?
— How did Texans adapt to and modify the environment?
Vocabulary of Instruction
railroad
free enterprise
transportation
Materials
See Notes to Teacher section for materials.
Attachments
All attachments associated with this lesson are referenced in the body of the lesson. Due to considerations for grading or student assessment,
attachments that are connected with Performance Indicators or serve as answer keys are available in the district site and are not accessible on
the public website.
Teacher Resource: Impact of the Railroad
Handout: Railroad Lines
Teacher Resource: Railroad Lines KEY
Handout: Cause and Effect – Technology (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Cause and Effect – Technology KEY
Resources
Library of Congress-The New York Tribune October 30, 1921 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1921-10-30/ed-1/seq-25/
Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/atlas_texas/rail_road_texas_1860.jpg
Advance Preparation
1. Teachers will need to become familiar with the content and procedures for this lesson.
2. Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
3. Choose appropriate sections in the textbook and other classroom and library resources to support learning about historical eras and
geography.
4. Preview websites according to district guidelines.
5. Prepare attachment(s) as necessary.
Background Information
After the Civil War, transportation began to improve by becoming faster and more efficient. Railroads, in particular, carried goods and people across the country into
regions that were not very populated. New settlements grew along railroad lines and became trade centers for the settlers.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Teachers are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to meet the needs of learners. These lessons are one
approach to teaching the TEKS/Specificity as well as addressing the Performance Indicators associated with each unit. District personnel may
create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab. All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within
the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
ENGAGE – Railroads in Texas
Notes for Teacher
NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes
Suggested Day 1 – 20 minutes
1. Project the Teacher Resource: Impact of the Railroad on the screen. (As an
Materials:
Last Updated 05/09/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 2 of 10 Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09
Lesson: 03
Suggested Duration: 3 days
option, print copies for individual students or for pairs of students to examine.)
2. Students examine the illustration and list three examples of how the railroad
impacted this city. (Possible answers may be: transportation for raw materials,
manufactured products, jobs, growth of the city, other businesses like dry goods
stores, grocery stores, laundries, etc. that bring people to the city, etc.)
computer
projector/screen
Attachments:
Teacher Resource: Impact of the Railroad
3. Ask: How did railroads impact life in Texas?
TEKS: 4.4C
Purpose:
Students identify the impact of railroads on life in
Texas.
EXPLORE – Railroads in Texas
Suggested Day 1 continued – 30 minutes
1. Distribute the Handout: Railroad Lines (1 per student).
Materials:
2. Students use the maps on page one of the handout to answer
the questions on page two. If students need additional
information, they may use their textbook and other districtadopted resources.
Why were more railroad lines built in Texas?
Which region of Texas changed the most because of
the railroad lines?
Which new towns or cities were established or grew
because of the railroads?
Name one industry that grew because of the railroad.
Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/atlas_texas/rail_road_texas_1860.jpg
Attachments:
Handout: Railroad Lines (2 pages) (1 double sided activity per
student)
Teacher Resource: Railroad Lines Key
TEKS: 4.8A, 4.8B
Purpose:
3. Students gather information about the impact of railroads in
Texas.
The purpose of this section of the lesson is for students to identify
and describe the impact of railroads on settlements in Texas.
4. Use the Teacher Resource: Railroad Lines KEY
EXPLAIN – Railroads in Texas
Suggested Day 2 – 15 minutes
1. Organize students into pairs: Student A and Student B.
Materials:
2. Student A explains everything he/she learned about the where railroads were built
Handout: Railroad Lines (completed earlier)
and the towns that developed because of those railroads. Students may use the
Handout: Railroad Lines completed earlier.
TEKS: 4.8A, 4.8B
3. Student B shares everything she/he learned about how railroads impacted the
Texas economy, what businesses came to Texas because of the railroad, and how
life changed because of these new developments. Students may use the Handout:
Railroad Lines completed earlier.
Purpose:
The purpose of this section of the lesson is for
students to identify and describe the impact of
railroads on settlements in Texas.
4. Allow students time to correct or adjust anything on their Handout: Railroad
Lines.
ELABORATE – Transportation and Texas agriculture
Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 35 minutes
1. Organize students into pairs and distribute to each group two index cards.
Materials:
2. Each group explores the following website and enlarges the graph Relation
of Motor Vehicles on Farms to Crop Values. (Knowing how to manipulate a
website like the Library of Congress is a college and career readiness skill
necessary for students.)
Library of Congress-The New York Tribune October 30, 1921:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1921-10-30/ed1/seq-25/
3. Students record one of the following questions below on each index card,
analyze the graph, and answer the questions.
What is this graph explaining? The impact of motor vehicles on crop
values.
How does Texas compare to other states? Texas does not use as
much technology (cars and trucks), as other states but Texas produces
more than other states.
Last Updated 05/09/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
computer
internet
index cards (2 per student pair)
Library of Congress – The New York Tribune October
30, 1921:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/192110-30/ed-1/seq-25/
TEKS: 4.9B, 4.21B, 4.21C
Purpose:
The purpose of this section of the lessons is for
students to analyze how transportation impacted Texas
agriculture.
page 3 of 10 Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09
Lesson: 03
Suggested Duration: 3 days
EVALUATE – Transportation in Texas industries
Grade 04 Social Studies Unit 09 PI 03
Create a series of cause-and-effect charts to show how various examples of technology changed
daily life between1900 and today. Write a brief summary of how transportation and
communication in Texas has changed over time.
Standard(s): 4.4C , 4.8A , 4.8B , 4.9B , 4.21B , 4.21C , 4.22D
ELPS ELPS.c.1C
1. Railroads were one type of technology that changed Texas into a modern state.
2. Students examine changes in various types of technology by completing the
Handout: Cause and Effect – Technology (1 per student).
3. Teachers may use the Teacher Resource: Cause and Effect – Technology
KEY as necessary.
Suggested Day 3 – 50 minutes
Attachments:
Handout: Cause and Effect – Technology (1
per student)
Teacher Resource: Cause and Effect –
Technology KEY
Purpose:
The purpose of this section of the lesson is for
students to analyze how transportation and
communication affected daily life in the 1800s and
how it changed over time.
TEKS: 4.21B, 4.21D, 4.22D
Last Updated 05/09/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 4 of 10 Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09 Lesson: 03
Impact of the Railroad
What are examples of how the railroad impacted this city?
Image Source: http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/gatransportphotos/atlantarailroadyard.htm
©2012, TESCCC
05/09/13
page 1 of 1
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09 Lesson: 03
Railroad Lines
Castaneda, P. (Photographer). (1976). •railroad lines: 1860, 1881; railroad lines. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.library.utexas.edu/maps/atlas_texas/index.html?p=print
©2012, TESCCC
04/04/13
page 1 of 2
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09 Lesson: 03
Railroad Line: Analysis
Between 1860 and 1909…
Evidence
Why were more railroad lines
built in Texas?
Which region of Texas
changed the most because of
the railroad lines?
Which new towns or cities
were established or grew
because of the railroads?
Name one industry that grew
because of the railroad.
Railroads impacted Texas by…
©2012, TESCCC
04/04/13
page 2 of 2
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09 Lesson: 03
Railroad Lines: Analysis KEY
Between 1860 and 1909…
Why was there more railroad
lines built?
Which region of Texas
changed the most because of
the railroad lines?
Which new towns or cities
were established or grew
because of the railroads?
Evidence
Railroads were a more dependable and faster type of transportation.
Railroads brought people and goods to and from Texas.
The Mountain and Basin (West Texas) and Great Plains (Panhandle) Regions were most
impacted by the railroad. Cities and towns were established because railroads for the first
time extended to these regions.
El Paso
Amarillo
Brownsville
Students should infer the answer based on their prior knowledge. Suggested examples:
Name one industry that grew
because of the railroad.

Oil Industries

Service Industries – hotels, banks, barbershops, restaurants, etc.

Industries other than agriculture
Railroads impacted Texas by…
The population of Texas increased.
More towns grew or were established.
New industries developed.
©2012, TESCCC
10/05/12
page 1 of 1
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09 Lesson: 03
Cause and Effect: Technology
Describe a type of transportation and communication that developed in the 1800s, how it changed daily life, and how it
th
was improved in the 20 century. Include a summary statement below each category with complete sentences.
Transportation
19th Century - 1800s
Wagon
How did this change daily life?
How did this transportation
th
improve in the 20 century?
Stagecoach
Ships and Steamboats
Trains
How did transportation change over time?
Communication
19th Century - 1800s
Letters
How did this change daily life?
How did communication
th
improve in the 20 century?
Pony Express
Telegraph
How did communication change over time?
Microsoft. (Designer). (2010). Clip art [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/
©2012, TESCCC
05/09/13
page 1 of 1
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit: 09 Lesson: 03
Cause and Effect: Technology KEY
Describe a type of transportation and communication that developed in the 1800s, how it changed daily life, and how it
th
was improved in the 20 century. Include a summary statement below each category with complete sentences.
Transportation
19 Century - 1800s
th
How did this change daily life?
How did this
transportation improve in
the 20th century?
Wagon
Wagons were used to haul supplies and
transport people from one place to the
other.
Van
Trucks
18-Wheelers
Suburban
Stagecoaches were used to transport
travelers from one town to the other
Bus
Train
Airplanes
Ships were used to transport goods and
people over the ocean or down a river.
Steamers
Airplanes
Trains were used to quickly transport
goods and people across the country.
Airplanes
Bullet Trains
Space Shuttle
Stagecoach
Ships and Steamboats
Trains
How did transportation change over time?
Transportation changed drastically in the 1800s. From horse and buggy to the space shuttle,
transportation has helped transport people and goods from one place to another with
increasing speed and efficiency.
How did communication
Communication
How did this change daily life?
improve in the 20th
th
19 Century - 1800s
century?
Letters
People were able to communicate with
Email and texts
loved ones, but it took months to get a
letter across the country.
Pony Express
This allowed letters to get across the
country faster, but it was still a slow
process.
Telegraph
This invention allowed communication
across the country in an instant.
Email and texts
Telephone, beepers,
walky-talkies, CB radios,
cell phones
How did communication change over time?
Communication changed from “snail mail” letters that took months, even years to reach their
destination to instantaneous communication through email and texts.
Image Source: Microsoft. (Designer). (2010). Clip art [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/
©2012, TESCCC
05/09/13
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