Plan
Unit 4 Lesson 1: Mexican Colonization and the Empresario System
Authors: Erica Johnson
TEKS
Grade 7 / Social Studies / N/A
Unit 4 Plan 1
Suggested Duration: 5
7.1
History. The student understands traditional historical points of
reference in Texas history. The student is expected to:
7.1A
Identify the major eras in Texas history, describe their defining
characteristics, and explain why historians divide the past into
eras, including Natural Texas and its People; Age of Contact;
Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republic;
Early Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction;
Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads; Age of Oil; Texas in the Great
Depression and World War II; Civil Rights and Conservatism; and
Contemporary Texas.
7.2
History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues
through the Mexican National Era shaped the history of Texas. The
student is expected to:
7.2D
Identify the individuals, issues, and events related to Mexico
becoming an independent nation and its impact on Texas,
including Texas involvement in the fight for independence, José
Gutiérrez de Lara, the Battle of Medina, the Mexican federal
Constitution of 1824, the merger of Texas and Coahuila as a state,
the State Colonization Law of 1825, and slavery.
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.
Attachments
Performance
Assessment(s)
Texas History Unit 04 PA 01
Create a sensory figure for a Spanish official in Texas during the early 1800s and a
sensory figure for a filibuster in Texas during the same time period. Each sensory figure
should include descriptions of what the individual is thinking, feeling, and experiencing.
Standard(s): 7.1A , 7.2D , 7.21B ELPS ELPS.c.5B , ELPS.c.5E
Key Understandings
How did Spanish officials respond to filibusters making claims to land in East
Texas?
Why were Spanish officials worried about the United States claiming territory in
Texas?
What was significant about the Adams-Onís Treaty?
Vocabulary
filibuster – an adventurer who engages in private rebellious activity in a foreign country
empresario – an agent who makes all the arrangements to bring settlers to a colony
immigration – the movement of people from one place to settle in another place
Tejano – the unique cultural blending of Spanish and American traditions in Texas
Related Vocabulary
land grant
constitution
Materials
annexation
revolution
colonization
Textbook
Notebook
Laptop
Copy paper
Handout: Individuals and Events Cards
Handout: Mexican National Era Point of View (1 per student)
Handout: Methods of Settlement in Texas (1 per student)
Handout: Methods of Settlement in Texas Graphic Organizer (1 per student)
Handout: Methods of Settlement in Texas Graphic Organizer
Instructional Procedures
ENGAGE
Bellwork: Vocabulary
Suggested Day
Day 1
1. Students consider the issue and prepare to state their opinion and
provide support for that opinion.
2. Organize students into groups of four.
3. Draw a line on the board.
5. Provide each student a marker.
6. Students place their mark on the line where their point of view falls
along the spectrum.
7. Groups discuss their points of views.
8. Offer students an opportunity to share their points of view and
provide the reason for their points of view.
9. Students place their second mark on the line, changing their
positions if they like.
10. Facilitate a discussion about their points of view, about their group
discussions, etc. In their discussions, students may have
discovered that people can have the same point of view, but have
arrived at that opinion in different ways and with different emphasis.
When discussing points of view, include the idea that points of view
are personal and there are many reasons for one’s point of view.
11. In this lesson students learn about events in Texas history about
which there are differing points of view. EXPLORE
1. Provide background information regarding events leading to
the revolution for Mexican independence from Spain.
2. Students gather information about events leading to Mexican
independence using primary source documents such as Father
Suggested Day
Day 1
Hidalgo’s El Grito, The Cry of Dolores (Sept. 16, 1810). EXPLORE
Bellwork: Vocabulary
Suggested Day
Day 2
1. Introduce the idea of filibusters and help students make the
connection to events leading to Mexican independence from Spain
that were discussed in the EXPLORE for Day 1, above.
2. Divide students into small groups of 4 or fewer.
3. Distribute the Handout: Mexican National Era Point of View and the
Handout: Individuals and Events Cards. Students use information
from these and other sources (textbook) to explore the filibuster
events and record the information regarding the different points of
view of Philip Nolan, the Gutiérrez Magee Expedition, the Long
Expedition, and the Spanish government. EXPLAIN
Bellwork: Vocabulary
1. Students use the information they gathered to answer the following
question on the Handout: Mexican National Era Point of View. (The last
row of the Handout: Mexican National Era Point of View is the explain
part of this lesson.) YOUR POINT OF VIEW: How do you think these events will impact
Texas? 2. Students explore “what happens next.” Now that Mexico is independent from Spain, what will be the impact on
Texas? ELABORATE
Bellwork: Vocabulary
Suggested Day
Day 3
Suggested Day
Day 4
1. Facilitate a discussion in which students bring together their
learning from this lesson to answer the guiding questions and
support the key understanding.
- How did the ideas of representation and democracy impact the
movement for Mexican independence and help shape the history of
Texas?
- What were the individuals, issues, and events related to Mexico
becoming an independent nation?
EVALUATE
Bellwork: Vocabulary
Create a sensory figure for a Spanish official in Texas during the early
1800s and a sensory figure for a filibuster in Texas during the same time
period. Each sensory figure should include descriptions of what the
individual is thinking, feeling, and experiencing.
Suggested Day
Day 5 and 6
Last Updated
Print Date 10/17/2016 Printed By Erica Johnson, NEWTON MIDDLE