Social Studies
Course:4th Grade Social Studies
Unit: Texas’ Steps to Statehood
TEKS
Guiding Questions/
Specificity
Assessments
Instructional Unit: 4th Grading Period
Days to teach: 33 days
Vocabulary
Strategies
Resources Weblinks
(16) Citizenship. The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations of Texas.
(10) Economics. The student understands the basic economic activities of early societies in Texas and North America.
(2) History. The student understands the causes and effects of European exploration and colonization of Texas and North America
(15) Government. The student understands important ideas in historical documents of Texas and the United States.
(3) Republic of Texas, and the annexation of Texas to the United States.
(16A) explain the meaning
Specificity:
What does ---- mean patriotic,
ELPS
Harcourt SS: Pg. 199, 200–203,
of various patriotic symbols
Six flags over Texas
to Texans?
landmarks
2I, 3H,1E,2G,5G,5B,4F 208–209, 214–215, 272–273
and landmarks of Texas,
San Jose Mission –
Leveled Reader:
including the six flags that
“Queen of Mission”
Create a booklet of the
Symbols of America
flew over Texas, the San
San Jacinto Monument
patriotic symbols and
Jacinto Monument, the
landmarks of Texas.
Alamo
Texas LRE – Create a
Alamo, and various missions.
Draw the symbol and
Classroom Flag
write it meaning and
importance.
Texas Treasures Unit 3
Add Up to Success
Flags of Texas
(10B) explain the economic
activities early immigrants to
Texas used to meet their
needs and wants
Specificity:
Agriculture: cattle and
ranching and farming
The exchange of
goods and products
Livestock including
horses
Crops
Weapons and tools
How did early
Texans support
themselves?
immigrants
needs
wants
ELPS
2I, 3H,1E,2G,5G,5B,4F
Create a map of Texas
with the economic
activities.
Book:
Celebrating Texas
By: Trisha James
Harcourt SS: 60–65
Leveled Readers:
Welcome to the Southwest,
The Story of Cowboys
Google Drive 10.B Lessons
Early German Immigration to
Texas: Economic Patterns
Book: Four Feet, Two Sandals
By: Karen Lynn Williams
Texans One and All
Institute of Texas Cultures
Revised April 2016
Social Studies
Course:4th Grade Social Studies
Unit: Texas’ Steps to Statehood
TEKS
Guiding Questions/
Specificity
(2D) identify Texas' role in
the Mexican War of
Independence and the war's
impact on the development
of Texas;
(2E) identify the
accomplishments and
explain the economic
motivations and impact of
significant empresarios,
including Stephen F. Austin
and Martín de León, on the
settlement of Texas
(15A)identify the purposes
and explain the importance of
the Texas Declaration of
Independence, the Texas
Constitution, and other
documents such as the
Meusebach-Comanche
Treaty;
(16D)describe the origins and
significance of state
celebrations such as Texas
Independence Day and
Juneteenth:
(3A) analyze the causes,
major events, and effects of
the Texas Revolution,
including the Battle of the
Alamo, the Texas Declaration
of Independence, the
Revised April 2016
Guiding Questions:
What was Texas’s role
in the Mexican War of
Independence?
Assessments
Why were Texans
fighting for
independence?
What was the Mexican
War’s impact on the
development Texas?
What significant
accomplishments/impa
cts did these
empresarios have on
the settlements of
Texas?
Why did Texas feel
that it needed to
declare independence
from Mexico?
Specificity:
Texas Independence
Day – March 2,
1836
Specificity:
Causes:
Law April 6, 1830
Arrest of Stephen F.
Austin
Santa Anna becomes
What is the
significance of the
Texas Constitution?
Instructional Unit: 4th Grading Period
Days to teach: 33 days
Vocabulary
Strategies
Resources Weblinks
role,
independence
development
impact
settlements
economic
motivations
empresarios
ELPS
2I, 3H,1E,2G,5G,5B,4F
Harcourt SS: 166-169, 172–
175, 178–181
Create Empresario
Trading Cards include
who they were, where
they settled, their
success and failures.
Google Drive: Empresarios
Activity with PPT
Empresarios Foldable
purpose,
Texas
Declaration of
Independence
Texas
Constitution
documents
MeusebachComanche
Treaty
ELPS
2I, 3H,1E,2G,5G,5B,4F
Harcourt SS: 194–199, 238–239
Why is March 2nd
Texas Independence
Day?
Create a trifold with each
document on the outside,
its purpose and
importance on the inside
ELPS:2I,3H,1E,2G,
5G,5B,4F
Letters to Austin
Google Drive: Declaration
Activities
Resources4Educators – Texas
Dec. of Independence
recreation.
Harcourt SS 196, 274
Where Texas Became Texas
Texas
Revolution
Battle of the
Alamo dictator
conflicts
convention
ELPS
2I, 3H,1E,2G,5G,5B,4F
Harcourt SS: Chapter 6 and 7
Texas Independence
Create a flow chart of
the causes, events and
effects of the Revolution
Safari Video :A Line in the
Sand
Social Studies
Course:4th Grade Social Studies
Unit: Texas’ Steps to Statehood
TEKS
Guiding Questions/
Specificity
Runaway Scrape, and the
Treaty of Velasco
Battle of San Jacinto;
(3B) summarize the
significant contributions of
individuals such as Texians
William B. Travis, James
Bowie, David Crockett,
George Childress, and
Sidney Sherman; Tejanos
Juan Antonio Padilla, Carlos
Espalier, Juan N. Seguín,
Plácido Benavides, and José
Francisco Ruiz; Mexicans
Antonio López de Santa
Anna and Vicente Filisola;
and noncombatants Susanna
Dickinson and Enrique
Esparza;
(3C) identify leaders
important to the founding
of Texas as a republic and
state, including José
Antonio Navarro, Sam
Houston, Mirabeau Lamar,
and Anson Jones;
(3D) describe the
successes, problems, and
organizations of the
Republic of Texas such as
the establishment of a
constitution, economic
struggles, relations with
American Indians, and the
Texas Rangers
Revised April 2016
dictator
Major Events:
Battle of Gonzales
Battle of Goliad
Battle of San Antonio
Convention of 1836
Guiding Questions:
What significant
contributions did
these individuals
have on the
settlement of
Texas?
Specificity:
Problems: debt, border
wars, disputes with
Native Americans
Successes:
development of
education system, set
up new government
with a democratic
republic, land grants,
and the creation of the
Texas Rangers
Assessments
Instructional Unit: 4th Grading Period
Days to teach: 33 days
Vocabulary
Strategies
significant
contributions
noncombatants
founding
republic
success
organization
struggle
establishment
Create a chart of the
problems and successes
of the New Republic of
Texas
Do a Wax museum of
the various
Revolutionary
individuals
Resources Weblinks
Google Drive: Texas
Revolution Activities
Books:
Clouds Over Texas
By: Kerr
A Paradise Called Texas
By: Janice Shelfman
I Am Houston
By: Mary D. Wade
Make Way for Sam Houston
By: Jean Fritz
Sam Houston: A Leader for
Texas
By: Judy Alter
Sam Houston: Soldier and
Statesman
By: Tracey Boraas
Sam Houston: Hero of Texas
By: Jean Lee Latham
Liberty, Justice and F’Rall:
The Dog Heroes of the Texas
Republic
By: Marjorie Kutchinski
The Alamo: An Interactive
History Adventure
By: Amie Jane Leavitt
Safari:
Texas Rangers: Manhunters of
the Old West