Grade 4 Social Studies
Unit 5
Title
Suggested Time Frame
3​rd​ Six Weeks
25 Days
Mexico Rules Texas
Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings
Texas experienced change in government style when Mexico took
Texas over from Spain.
Guiding Questions
What changes in government occurred when Mexico took control of
Texas from Spain?
Empresarios made a significant contribution to Texas colonizations.
What impact did empresarios have on Texas colonization?
Vertical Alignment Expectations
*TEKS one level below*
*TEKS one level above*
SS TEKS Vertical Alignments
TEKS
Readiness TEKS
*2E
8A
*Safety Net Standards
CISD 2016-17
Supporting TEKS
*2D
14B
Process Skills
6AB, 7AB,21ABCDE,22ABCDE,23AB
Sample Assessment Question
What was the Mexican War’s impact on the development Texas?
What was Texas’s role in the Mexican War of Independence?
Why were Texans fighting for independence?
What significant accomplishments/impacts did these empresarios have on the settlements of Texas?
The resources included here provide teaching examples and/or meaningful learning experiences to address the District Curriculum. In order to address the TEKS to the proper depth
and complexity, teachers are encouraged to use resources to the degree that they are congruent with the TEKS and research-based best practices. Teaching using only the suggested
resources does not guarantee student mastery of all standards. Teachers must use professional judgment to select among these and/or other resources to teach the district
curriculum. Some resources are protected by copyright. A username and password is required to view the copyrighted material.
Ongoing TEKS
(16) Citizenship. The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations of Texas. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the meaning of various patriotic symbols and landmarks of Texas, including the six flags that flew over
Texas, the San Jacinto Monument, the Alamo, and various missions;
Knowledge and Skills
with Student
Expectations
District Specificity/ Examples
Vocabulary
(2) History. The
student understands
the causes and
effects of European
exploration and
colonization of
Texas and North
Timeline of events leading to
Mexico's independence
from Spain:
1519 - 1821 Spain controlled the
government in Mexico (called
Nueva España, or New Spain). A
viceroy who was a representative
of the rulers in Spain
role,
independen
ce
developme
nt impact
settlements
economic
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Instructional
Strategies
Students
make a
timeline of
the Mexico’s
independence
from Spain
Suggested Resources
Resources listed and categorized to indicate suggested uses. Any
additional resources must be aligned with the TEKS.
Teach the definition of a revolution - a war to change the
government
Review information about the Spanish conquest and
colonization of the Americas including the influence of:
● Christopher Columbus - who began European
colonization of the Americas.
America. The
student is expected
to:
(D) identify Texas'
role in the Mexican
War of
Independence and
the war's impact on
the development of
Texas; and
administered the government. He
ran the government almost like a
king. Beginning in the 1500's the
Spanish began settling towns in
Mexico and Texas. New towns
they built and new governments
they established were just like
those in Spain. Spain controlled
Mexico (and Texas) for over 300
years. Their capital was Mexico
City .
Mexican Independence Day September 16, 1810.​ On 16
September 1810 a Catholic priest
named Father Miguel Hidalgo
sounded the "grito de Delores" in
the small town of Delores
Hidalgo, Mexico. This "shout"
was for Mexican independence
from Spanish rule (like the
American Declaration of
Independence). Father Hidalgo
and his followers were caught
and executed by Spanish
soldiers, but the "seeds" of
independence were planted.
1810 - 1821 - Various groups
within Mexico fought for
Mexican independence for
eleven years. In Texas, the
Republican Army of the North
fought against Spanish soldiers
in Nacogdoches, Goliad, and San
Antonio. They were defeated in
1813. Other groups fought in
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motivations
empresarios
● Hernan Cortez - who conquered the Aztecs in
Mexico and claimed Mexico for Spain
● Cabeza de Vaca - who was the first European to
live in and write about Texas (1528-34)
● Coronado - who explored the whole southwest
portion of what is now the U.S. and claimed land
for Spain.
Also review the Spanish method of colonization:
Spanish settlement patterns were to:
● Conquer any native people who might interfere
with Spanish occupation;
● Establish a mission (priests);
● Build a presidio (fort) to protect the missions
(which brought Spanish soldiers to the area);
● Establish Towns that grew as places for soldiers
and eventually family members and some
merchants;
● Give generous Land Grants (haciendas) for
ranchers and farmers.
Note to Teacher:
Point out to students that although Mexico fought for
their independence from Spain, when they actually
got independence, they set up a government that was
almost the same as the one they had fought to
overthrow.
Remind students that Texas was a part of Spain and
then Mexico in the 1820's. The border of the United
States and Spain/Mexico was the Sabine River (near
present day Beaumont). Louisiana and Arkansas
were in the United States. This is difficult for
students to understand.
A way to discuss this concept with the students might
include asking the following questions:
Mexico. Finally in 1821, Spain
gave Mexico its independence.
1821 - Mexico became an
independent country with an
emperor (absolute ruler). Later,
in 1824, this emperor was
overthrown and a Constitution
was written. The government of
Mexico was not very stable.
(see the next page for the impact
of Mexican independence on
Texas)
Effects of the Mexican
Revolution on events in Texas:
● Many Texans had fought
in the Republican Army
of the North and so
people in the Mexican
government knew Texans
had supported freedom
from Spain.
● In 1820, Moses Austin
negotiated a contract with
the Spanish government
in San Antonio to bring
Anglo settlers to Texas
from the United States.
● In 1821, the government
changed and the
empresario contract had
to be re-negotiated with
the new Mexican
government. Stephen
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How many of you have been across the Rio Grande
and gone into Mexico?
Let students tell about their experiences crossing
this international border
How many of you have driven from Houston to
Louisiana or Arkansas? Did you have to do
anything "special" to get into these states? Why
not?
Help students compare crossing an international
border with crossing a state border
Point out to students:
In the 1820's, when you left Texas and went into
Louisiana, you would be traveling into another
COUNTRY (like going to Mexico today). Louisiana
was in the United States and Texas was part of a state
in Mexico.
Have students draw conclusions about "Who got
mad…and why?" by giving them a series of
questions such as:
Father Hidalgo wanted Mexico to be free from
Spanish control…
▪
Who got mad…and why?
Mexican officials wanted Anglos in Texas to
learn Spanish…
▪ Who got mad…and why?
New settlers in Texas traded mostly with the
United States…
▪ Who got mad…and why?
Spain thought Mexico should be a "good" colony
and follow orders...
▪ Who got mad…and why?
▪
Austin went all the way
to Mexico City to do this.
He got favorable terms
from the Mexican
government.
● The new Mexican
government needed
money to help pay off
debt. They had lots of
available land in Texas.
So, they decided to sell
land very cheaply (12 ½
cents an acre with 10
years before you had to
pay). This was a benefit
to settlers in Texas who
could get lots of cheap
(and sometimes free)
land.
● The new Mexican
government had
problems of its own and
Texas was a long way
from Mexico City (over
700 miles), so Mexican
Texas was left alone to
pretty much "do as they
pleased". This allowed
new settlers in Texas to
ignore some of the
agreements they made
like learning to speak
Spanish and becoming
Catholic (the official state
religion of Mexico).
● New settlers traded
mostly with the United
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Create a poster to recruit soldiers for the Mexican
Revolutionary army.
Primary Sources
Pearson, ​MyWorld- ​Chapter 4 Lesson 3
Websites
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/mexicanrev.ht
m
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/chieftains.htm
http://www.teacheroz.com/Texas_History.htm
http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/3.ht
ml
Maps
The Arts in History
Background/ Extra information
States and kept many
customs and traditions
that they had when they
lived in the U.S.
This objective is introduced at
fourth grade. It provides the
foundation for Texas History
studies in Grade Seven.
(2) History. The
student understands
the causes and
effects of European
exploration and
colonization of
Texas and North
America. The
student is expected
to:
(E) identify the
accomplishments
and explain the
economic
motivations and
impact of
significant
empresarios,
including Stephen
F. Austin and
Martín de León, on
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Define:
● Empresario - a
businessman who
received land grants in
Texas in return for
bringing Anglo colonists
to settle.
● Anglo - person of English
or Northern European
ancestry usually
immigrating from the
Southern part of the
United States.
The students must know and be
able to explain the impact of:
​Moses Austin​ secured a land
grant to bring colonists from the
United States. He died before he
could accomplish the task. He
was the first Anglo to get this
type of land grant from the
Spanish government. (1820)
Stephen Austin​ began to
colonize using his father's land
Identify
Accomplish
ments
Explain
Economic
motivations
Impact
Empresarios
Stephen F.
Austin
Martín de
León
Settlement
Class
discussion and
chart of the
accomplishme
nts and impact
of Stephen F.
Austin,
Martin de
Leon and
Moses Austin
ELPS 2I,
3H,1E,2G,5G,
5B,4F Create
Empresario
Trading Cards
include who
they were,
where they
settled, their
success and
failures.
Children’s Literature
Stephen F. Austin: Wilderness Pioneer by Carol Hoff.
Hendrick-Long, 1987.
Moses Austin and Stephen Austin: A Gone to Texas Dual
Biography by Betsy Warren. Hendrick Long, 1996.
People of the West by Dayton Duncan. Little, Brown,
1996.
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon by Paul Erickson. John
Wiley and Sons, 1994.
Settler Sayings by Bobbie Kalman. Crabtree Publishing,
1994.
Texas Footprints by Rita Kerr. Sunbelt Media, 1988.
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen
Levine. Scholastic, 1992.
Mississippi Mud: Three Prairie Journals by Ann Turner.
Harper Collins Children's Books, 1997.
the settlement of
Texas.
grant. These colonists were
called the Old 300. Austin later
had to renew and negotiate his
contract with the new
government of Mexico. He
established San Felipe de Austin
as the main Anglo settlement on
the Brazos River. Baron de
Bastrop, a Mexican official,
aided Austin's cause. Stephen
Austin is called the "Father of
Texas" because he was the first
empresario. (1821-22)
The West: An Illustrated History for Children by Dayton
Duncan. Little, Brown, 1996.
Martín deLeón​ became the only
Mexican empresario to found a
colony is Texas. He was
successful and started the town
of Victoria near the coast and the
Guadalupe River. DeLeón was
an expert horseman and rancher.
He was responsible for much of
the cattle production in south
Texas. He opposed Santa Anna,
President of Mexico, but died in
1833 before the Texas
Revolution. His sons and
relatives continued his colony.
(1824)
The content for this objective is introduced at fourth
grade; however, students have been examining the
accomplishments and contributions of significant
historical figures since kindergarten and will continue
through high school.
Jane Long's Journey by Mary Dotson Wade. Colophon
House, 1998.
Jane Long: Frontier Woman by Anne Crawford.
Benson, 1990.
Ghost at the Old Stone Fort by Martha Tannery Jones.
Hendrick-Long, 1990.
Activities
The list of important people from this time period does
not have to be limited to just these individual and
empresarios. For instance, the "Mother of Texas" Jane
Long was in Texas before 1820 and deserves study and
mention.
Point out that when Anglos came to settle Texas, the
colonists agreed to:
● Learn Spanish.
● Become Catholic.
● Be good citizens and follow Spanish law.
Land in Texas was selling for 12 ½ cents an acre
compared to $1.25 an acre in the United States.
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Generous land grants of hundreds of acres were
available, usually with no money due for up to 10 years.
Note to teacher: To help students understand the size of
an acre, it is about equal to the inbounds size of a
football field. Have students do some "frontier math" to
decide how much land they could buy in Texas in the
1820's compared to the cost of a common item such as a
fast-food hamburger, a video game, a full-price movie
ticket, and so on.
1821 - 36 - Other empresarios and hundreds of Anglo
families took advantage of the cheap land available in
Mexican Texas and settled here to farm. Immigrants
also came from Ireland, Germany and other European
countries.
Use some of the suggested literature to help students
understand the hardships and difficulties of coming to
Texas in the 1820's and 1830's. This literature also helps
students understand life on the frontier - its isolation, its
challenges, and its appeal.
Make a poster Stephen Austin might have used to attract
colonists to Texas in the 1820's
Have students pretend that they are one of the original
Anglo colonists to Texas. Have them write a letter
back to a friend in the United States telling about life
here in Texas.
Give students a map showing the empresario grants.
Have them trace or sketch the locations of these
grants onto a current political map of Texas. Have
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them draw conclusions about the relationship of the
empresario grants to current cities, towns, and
economic activity. Ask each student to write five
statements about conclusions they draw related to
their maps. As an extension of this activity, have
students write five questions that could be answered
using their maps. Some sample questions might
include:
● What current cities are located near the Austin
grant?
● What do you notice about the location of most of
the empresario grants?
Primary Sources
Pearson, ​My World​- chapter 4 Lesson 4
Websites
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/empresarios.ht
m#deleon
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pfe01
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/austin.htm
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fau14
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/Spain3.htm
Maps
The Arts in History
Background/ Extra information
CISD 2016-17
(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:
(A) 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;
(14) Government.
The student
understands how
people organized
governments in
different ways
during the early
development of
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The student should understand
that human and physical
geographic factors influence the
location and patterns of
settlement and that those
settlement patterns change over
time. Students should know:
*the location and settlement
patterns in Texas prior to and at
the time of the Texas Revolution
*how the building of the
railroads changed the location
and settlement patterns as
people moved westward and
into urban areas
*the location and patterns of
settlement after World War II as
people moved into suburban
areas and into more remote
areas of Texas
Identify
Explain
Physical
geographic
factors
Human
geographic
factors
Location
Settlement
patterns
Discuss
definition of
the
vocabulary
word for this
lesson.
McGraw Hill
Children’s Literature
Activities
Brainstorm a
list of factors
that were
there before
humans
arrived to that
place, and
those things
created by
humans in the
enviornment.
Primary Sources
Websites
Maps
The Arts in History
Background/ Extra information
The students need to
understand the timeline of
government in Texas:
Spanish colonial rule - early
1500’s - 1821
Mexican War for
Independence - 1810-1821,
Emperor - 1821-1823,
Identify
Explain
Compare
Monarchy
Emperor
Constitution
al republic
Dictatorship
Create a
timeline with
facts about
the Spanish
colonial rule,
Mexican War
for
Independence
, Emperor,
McGraw Hill
Children’s Literature
Activities
Texas. The student
is expected to:
(B) identify and
compare
characteristics of
the Spanish colonial
government and the
early Mexican
governments and
their influence on
inhabitants of
Texas​.
Updated 11.10.16
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Mexican Constitutional
Republic - 1823-1833,
Military dictatorship under
Santa Anna beginning 1834,
Characteristics of each
government
Mexican
Constitutional
Republic,
Military
dictatorship
Primary Sources
Websites
Maps
The Arts in History
Background/ Extra information