Grade 7
Social Studies
Unit: 07
Lesson: 02
Suggested Duration: 3 days
Texas and the Quest for Manifest Destiny
Lesson Synopsis:
Manifest destiny is a concept related to the expansion of the United States to the Pacific Ocean. Annexation of Texas was
critical to achieving that goal but it would require warring with Mexico and giving up the western half of Texas. This lesson
will examine the influence of manifest destiny on Juan Seguin by having students complete a free write, gather
information by examining information cards, and process information by explaining the economic, social, political, and
geographical impact of the war on Texas.
TEKS:
7.4
History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of the Republic of Texas
and early Texas statehood. The student is expected to:
7.4B
analyze the causes of and events leading to Texas annexation
7.4C
identify individuals, events, and issues during early Texas statehood, including the U.S.-Mexican War, the Treaty of
Guadalupe-Hidalgo, population growth, and the Compromise of 1850
7.8
Geography. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data. The student is expected to:
7.8A
create and interpret thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases representing various aspects of Texas
during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries; and
7.8B
analyze and interpret geographic distributions and patterns in Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries
Social Studies Skills TEKS:
7.21
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through
established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is
expected to:
7.21B
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
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicator(s)
•
Create a storyboard explaining how the Mexican War shaped the history of Texas. Include important individuals,
events, and issues of the time period. (7.4B, 7.4C; 7.8A; 7.21B)
1C; 5F
Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:
•
Nations seek opportunities to expand and improve.
— What were the causes and events leading to Texas annexation?
— What were the events, issues, and people of early Texas statehood?
— How did manifest destiny impact the distribution of settlements in Texas and the United States?
Vocabulary of Instruction:
•
Manifest Destiny
•
compromise
•
treaty
•
•
textbook
butcher paper
•
white legal paper
Materials:
•
•
notebook/paper
sticky notes
Attachments:
©2012, TESCCC
01/09/13
page 1 of 5
Grade 7
Social Studies
Unit: 07 Lesson: 02
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Handout: Free Write: Juan Seguin (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Juan Seguin: The Rest of the Story
Handout: Mexican War Cards Pattern Puzzle (1 set per group)
Teacher Resource: Mexican War Cards Pattern Puzzle KEY
Handout: Mexican War Note Card (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Mexican War Note Card KEY
Handout: Compromise of 1850
Teacher Resource: Compromise of 1850 KEY
Handout: Texas Rangers Reflective Journal
Resources and References:
•
•
•
•
•
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Texas Beyond History: http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/stlouis/index.html
TSHA – Texas Online Handbook: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online
Portals to Texas History: http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6103/
Teaching Texas: www.teachingtexas.org
The Texas Almanac: http://www.texasalmanac.com
Resources 4 Educators: http://education.texashistory.unt.edu/index.html
Advance Preparation:
1. Teachers will need to become familiar with the content and procedures for this lesson.
2. Choose appropriate sections in the textbook and other classroom and library resources to support learning about
historical eras and geography.
3. Prepare attachment(s) as necessary.
Background Information:
Texas has a unique history in regards to other states. Texas was shaped by individuals, events, issues, and ideas that
were carried over from the days of Spanish and Mexican control, the Republic, early statehood, and the Mexican War.
Even the Texas Rangers are unique to Texas, a remnant of that early history. From the beginning of the United States,
Americans were steadily colonizing the West. The ideas of westward expansion, new lands, and new opportunities
permeate American history. Manifest destiny is a concept related to the expansion of the United States to the Pacific
Ocean. This goal was achieved by the United States with the addition of Texas, the Mexican Cession, the Oregon
Territory, and the Gadsden Purchase. In this lesson, students examine the impact on an individual on Texas and the
United States. When Texas joined the United States, the issue of slavery was contributing to sectionalism and divided
loyalties. The northern and southern states were divided over the issue of states’ rights. Many Southerner slave-holders
considered the “peculiar institution” of slavery their right according to the Constitution. The addition of Texas was one
more slave state. Whether slavery would go into these newly acquired U.S. territories complicated the situation. The
Compromise of 1850 was an attempt to defuse the situation and perhaps avoid a civil war. It only delayed the outbreak of
war.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT
Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners.
The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus
Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page.
All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
ENGAGE – Students will explain the events, issues, and people NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes
of early Texas statehood.
1. Free Write: Students read the Handout: Free Write: Juan Seguin
and write anything that comes to mind about Juan Seguin’s
experience. They should express their own opinions, ideas, and
questions.
©2012, TESCCC
05/01/13
Suggested Day 1 – 30 minutes
Attachments:
• Handout: Free Write: Juan Seguin (1 per
student)
• Teacher Resource: Juan Seguin: The Rest of
the Story
page 2 of 5
Grade 7
Social Studies
Unit: 07 Lesson: 02
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
2. After they have completed this exercise, write the following
questions on the board to discuss how political issues affect
common citizens. If you have students in groups, assign them
each a question and then discuss the questions with the entire
class. There could be a number of possible answers for these
open-ended questions.
• What would you have done if you would have had to
make the same choice as Juan Seguin?
• How did manifest destiny influence Juan Seguin?
•
How will manifest destiny influence Texas?
•
What kinds of opportunity were presented to Mexico and
the United States which encouraged war with each other?
TEKS: 7.4C
3. After the discussion, read to your class the Teacher Resource:
Juan Seguin: The Rest of the Story. They will want to know
what Seguin decided and what happened to him.
EXPLORE 1– Students will explain the events, issues, and
people of early Texas statehood.
1. Organize students into groups of two to three.
2. Provide each group a set of separated cards from the Handout:
Mexican War Cards Pattern Puzzle (make sure the set is mixed
up) and distribute the Handout: Mexican War Note Card (1 per
student)
3. Each group places the cards into the correct sequential order of
events. They may use resources, for example, the textbook to
reinforce their knowledge of events. The teacher will need to
monitor each group and make sure they have put the cards in the
correct order before the students move on to recording
information.
Suggested Day 1 (continued) – 20 minutes
Suggested Day 2 – 10 minutes
Attachments:
• Handout: Mexican War Cards Pattern Puzzle
(1 set per group)
• Teacher Resource: Mexican War Cards
Pattern Puzzle KEY
• Handout: Mexican War Note Card (1 per
student)
• Teacher Resource: Mexican War Note Card
KEY
TEKS: 7.4B, 7.4C, 7.8A, 7.21B
4. Students will gather information from this “timeline” they have
created and record it on the Handout: Mexican War Note Card.
EXPLORE 2– Students will explain the events, issues, and
people of early Texas statehood.
1. Students will define the term compromise by examining the
Compromise of 1850 and how the United States changed
geographically by completing the Handout: Compromise of 1850.
Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 20 minutes
Attachments:
• Handout: Compromise of 1850
• Teacher Resource: Compromise of 1850 KEY
2. The teacher will need to assist students in completing the issues
that brought about the need for a compromise.
EXPLAIN – Students will explain the events, issues, and people
of early Texas statehood.
1. Facilitate a short discussion reminding students of the key issues
surrounding early statehood and annexation.
• What were the causes and events leading to Texas
annexation?
• What were the events, issues, and people of early Texas
statehood?
©2012, TESCCC
05/01/13
Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 20 minutes
Materials:
• notebook paper
TEKS: 7.4B, 7.4C, 7.8A, 7.8B, 7.21B
page 3 of 5
Grade 7
Social Studies
Unit: 07 Lesson: 02
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
2. Students will identify the political, economic, geographic and
social impact of the Mexican War on the early statehood in Texas.
Remember that some answers can be examples for more than
one category.
3. Students draw and complete a PEGS Graphic Organizer (See
Below).
4. Students will identify the political, economic, geographic, and
social impact of the Mexican War on the early statehood of Texas.
Remember that some answers can be examples for more than
one category.
Political Impact
Economic Impact
Identify the political, economic, geographic,
and social impact of the Mexican War on
Texas.
Geographic Impact
Social Impact
5. Draw a replica on the board or chart paper and ask students to
share their answers.
ELABORATE – Students will explain the events, issues, and
people of early Texas statehood.
1. Ask students the following questions to review/clarify
understanding thus far:
• How did manifest destiny impact the distribution of
settlements in Texas and the United States?
• How did the Mexican War shape the history of Texas?
2. Students complete the Handout: Reflective Journal: Texas
Rangers.
3. After completing this exercise, students create a Texas Ranger
Discussion Board on a large piece of butcher paper to place on
the wall.
Suggested Day 3 – 20 minutes
Materials:
• butcher paper
• sticky notes
Attachments:
• Handout: Texas Rangers Reflective Journal
(1 per student)
TEKS: 7.4C
4. Each student places a sticky note on the Discussion Board stating
one way Texas Rangers shaped Texas history.
5. The information on the sticky note should reflect the students’
most important thought about Texas Rangers based on the
reading of the Reflective Journal.
©2012, TESCCC
05/01/13
page 4 of 5
Grade 7
Social Studies
Unit: 07 Lesson: 02
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
6. Students use this to complete the last question on the Reflective
Journal or for a class discussion highlighting the many ways the
Texas Rangers shaped Texas history.
EVALUATE – Students will explain the events, issues, and
people of early Texas statehood.
• Create a storyboard explaining how the Mexican War shaped the
history the history of Texas. Include important individuals, events,
and issues of the time period. (7.4B, 7.4C; 7.8A; 7.21B)
1C;
5F
Suggested Day 3 (continued) – 30 minutes
Materials:
• white legal paper
TEKS: 7.4B, 7.4C, 7.8A, 7.21B
Storyboard
1. Give each student either a legal size piece of paper or paper size
11x17.
2. Students fold the sheet of paper in half.(It will look almost like a
square).
3. Fold paper edge to edge.
4. Fold paper edge to edge one more time.
5. When folds open, there should be 8 blocks on which students can
record their information.
NOTE: If your class has access to technology, you may have
them use their storyboard to create a multimedia presentation.
Information on the Storyboard
1. Students will use the information gathered during the Explore and
Elaborate activity.
2. There should be at least 8 slides. Below are the required slides
 Title Page – Title, Name, Period, School, Date
 Texans and the Mexican War (1-2 blocks)
 Events of the Mexican War that Shaped Texas (2 blocks)
 Issues of the Mexican War that Shaped Texas (2 blocks)
 Significance of the Mexican War on Texas (1-2 blocks)
3. Each slide should include the following.
 Title
 Accurate information
 A Visual
©2012, TESCCC
05/01/13
page 5 of 5