TEACHER:
CLASS: 7th Social Studies
DATE: November 9-10
M T W TH F
Topic 4, Lesson 4: The Fall of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Resources:
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
Content Standards
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
1C: explain the significance of the following dates: 1519, mapping of the Texas coast
and first mainland Spanish settlement; 1718, founding of San Antonio; 1821,
independence from Spain; 1836, Texas independence; 1845, annexation; 1861, Civil
War begins; 1876, adoption of current state constitution; and 1901, discovery of oil at
Spindletop
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
3A: trace the development of events that led to the Texas Revolution, including the
Fredonian Rebellion, the Mier y Terán Report, the Law of April 6, 1830, the Turtle
Bayou Resolutions, and the arrest of Stephen F. Austin
3B: explain the roles played by significant individuals during the Texas Revolution,
including George Childress, Lorenzo de Zavala, James Fannin, Sam Houston, Antonio
López de Santa Anna, Juan N. Seguín, and William B. Travis
3C: explain the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas Revolution, including
the Battle of Gonzales, William B. Travis's letter "To the People of Texas and All
Americans in the World," the siege of the Alamo and all the heroic defenders who gave
their lives there, the Constitutional Convention of 1836, Fannin's surrender at Goliad,
and the Battle of San Jacinto
3D: explain how the establishment of the Republic of Texas brought civil, political, and
religious freedom to Texas
4A: identify individuals, events, and issues during the administrations of Republic of
Texas Presidents Houston, Lamar, and Jones, including the Texas Navy, the Texas
Rangers, Edwin W. Moore, Jack Coffee Hays, Chief Bowles, William Goyens, Mary
Maverick, José Antonio Navarro, the Córdova Rebellion, the Council House Fight, the
Santa Fe Expedition, public debt, and the roles of racial and ethnic groups
4B: analyze the causes of and events leading to Texas annexation
8A: create and interpret thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases
representing various aspects of Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries
9A: locate the Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, and Coastal
Plains regions and places of importance in Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st
centuries such as major cities, rivers, natural and historic landmarks, political and
cultural regions, and local points of interest
11A: analyze why immigrant groups came to Texas and where they settled
11B: analyze how immigration and migration to Texas in the 19th, 20th, and 21st
centuries have influenced Texas
14B: compare the principles and concepts of the Texas Constitution to the U.S.
Constitution, including the Texas and U.S. Bill of Rights
18A: identify the leadership qualities of elected and appointed leaders of Texas, past
and present, including Texans who have been president of the United States
Process Standards
21A: differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such
as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews,
and artifacts to acquire information about Texas
21B: analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect
U.S. History Textbook Colonization
through Reconstruction
pp. (193-204)
Online Editable presentation (p.193)
Start Up Activity (p. 193)
Reading and Note Taking Study Guide (p.
193)
Analyze Maps, Tables, Visuals,
Information
(p.195, 196, 197, and 199)
Interactive 3-D Model: The Alamo (p.195)
Active Classroom (p.196)
Interactive Gallery (p.198)
Digital Activity: “Victory or Death” (p. 204)
Digital Lesson Quiz (p. 204)
relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making
generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions
21C: organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals,
including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
21D: identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the
frame of reference that influenced the participants
22B: use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper
citation of sources
22D:create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information
23B: use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision,
gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to
implement a decision
Objective/Key Understanding:





Describe the causes of the collapse of the Provisional
Government.
Describe the siege of the Alamo and identify the heroic
defenders of the fort who gave their lives there.
Identify why Texans were eager to join Sam Houston’s
retreating army after the Alamo.
Describe the significance of the events that occurred
after James Fannin’s surrender of Goliad.
Explain why Texan settlers fled during the Runaway
Scrape.
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p. 193)
Reinforcements
Bayonet
Barracks
Tactical Retreat
Atrocity
James Fannin
William Travis
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p.204)





What issues were at the center of the dispute between Governor Smith and General Council?
What was an argument that contradicted the Texans’ decision to defend the Alamo?
Compare and contrast the varying roles of Tejanos in the Battle the Alamo?
Use the information to answer the question “Santa Anna was surprised….He did not think defenders would still be at the
Alamo. Tejanos in town told him that the Texans were low on supplies. “Based on the information, what were Santa Anna’s
expectations about a possible battle at the Alamo?
What role did physical geography play in Sam Houston’s decisions to order a retreat of the army to the part of Texas
controlled by Anglos?
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions





What happened when Governor Smith and General Houston rejected James Grant’s plan to attack Matamoros?
How was Jim Bowie persuaded to defend the Alamo?
What happened to the defenders of the Alamo who survived the Mexican assault?
How did Sam Houston respond when he realized that is army at Gonzales lacked sufficient training to challenge Santa
Anna’s forces?
What happened at Goliad that changed Texans’ perception of Santa Anna?
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
Trouble with Texas Government (p. 194-195)
 Review key players in the government and army.
 What roles were played by specific individuals during the Texas Revolution, including James Fannin?
 What eventually caused the collapse of the provisional government?
The Alamo (p.195-197)
The Siege and Battle of the Alamo (p.197-201)
 What roles were played by specific individuals, including Antonio Lopez de Santa anna and William B. Travis, during the
Texas Revolution and at the Alamo?
Houston’s Tactical Retreat (p.201-202)
 What made Houston’s retreat a smart military maneuver?
 Houston was a significant individual who played a vital role during the Texas Revolution by organizing his tactical retreat.
 Houston was roundly criticized for his retreat by Texans who wanted an immediate victory. Yet Houston kept his decision.
 What leadership qualities did Houston exhibit?
The Goliad Massacre (p.202-204)
 What were two direct effects of the Goliad Massacre?
 What was the Runaway Scrape?
Online Resources, Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
Online Editable Presentation (p. 193)
 Use the Editable Presentation found on the Digital Course to present the main ideas for this lesson
Start Up Activity: “Answered with a Cannon Shot”(p.193 )
Project the Start Up Activity: “Answered with a Cannon Shot”(p.193 ). Ask students to read Travis’s quotation and answer the
following question. Have students share their answers with a partner.
 What is the tone of Travis’s letter?
 What likely motivated Travis to hold his ground?
 What can you predict about the outcome of the siege at the Alamo?
Reading and Note Taking Study Guide (p. 193)
Students can preview Key Terms and Academic Vocabulary using the Interactive Reading Notebook on the Digital Course or preview
of the lesson in the Reading and Note taking Study Guide
Analyze Maps (p. 195)
Review the graph on page 195.
 How did the Alamo’s location in relation to San Antonio make it an important place for an army to control?
Analyze Visuals (p.196)
Review the visual, Alamo, on page 196.
The perimeter of the Alamo was almost one quarter mile long.
 What were the strongest and weakest points in the Alamo’s defenses?
Analyze Visuals & 3-D Interactive Map (p.197)
Review the illustration on page 197.
This engraving dramatically shows the Alamo as Mexican forces attempt to destroy it. The image was created in 1887; 51 years after
the battle took place.
 What did the Mexican army use to gain an advantage at the Alamo?
Analyze Illustrations & Interactive Gallery (p. 198)
Review the illustration on page 198.
During the siege, Travis drew a line in the dirt at the Alamo and asked those who wished to stay and fight to cross it. Only one
defender chose not to.
 Why did the defenders choose to stay if there was little chance of success?
Analyze Information (p.199)
Review the table, The Battle for the Alamo, on page 199.
 Compare the size of Texas and Mexican fighting forces in relation to the number of casualties they suffered. W
 What could have be the cause of such high Mexican casualties?
Digital Activity: “Victory or Death” (p. 204)
Project the Digital Activity: “Victory or Death” (p. 204). Have students read the activity and answer the question. Have students
share their responses with a partner. Then have all students participate in a discussion about this question:
 If there were one main idea about or lesson to be learned from the Texas Revolution, what would it be?
Digital Lesson Quiz: (p. 204)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz (p. 204). Discuss with the class: In, The Fall of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre, you read about
disasters that afflicted Texans in 1836. The provisional government fell apart, the Alamo fell, Houston’s army was forced to retreat,
340 soldiers were massacred at Goliad, and Texas fled during the Runaway Scrape.
 How do think most Texans of the time felt?
 Which qualities do you find admirable in leaders such as, James Fannin and William B. Travis?
Lesson Plan
Engage
Explore
*Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.193). Use the Editable Presentation
found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the lesson (p. 193).
Start Up Activity: “Answered with a Cannon Shot”(p.193 )
Project the Start Up Activity: “Answered with a Cannon Shot” (p.193). Ask students to read Travis’s quotation and
answer the following question. Have students share their answers with a partner.
 What is the tone of Travis’s letter?
 What likely motivated Travis to hold his ground?
 What can you predict about the outcome of the siege at the Alamo?
*Tell students that in this lesson they will learn about the fall of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre. Explain that
these were terrible defeats for Texans that altered the course of Texas history.
*Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with
the class.
 Trouble with Texas Government (p. 194-195)
 The Alamo (p.195-197)
 The Siege and Battle of the Alamo (p.197-201)
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate
 Houston’s Tactical Retreat (p.201-202)
 The Goliad Massacre (p.202-204)
*Students are to read assigned sections and use the Note Taking Study Guide to help them take notes and
understand the text as they read.
*Tell students that in this lesson they will learn about the fall of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre. Explain that
these were terrible defeats for Texans that altered the course of Texas history.
Trouble with Texas Government (p. 194-195)
 The governor and the General Council did not get along. In January 1836, James Grant came to San Felipe
with a plant that split the government. Grant had served in the Coahuila y Tejas legislature. After
migrating from this native Scotland, he had become a major landowner in Coahuila, but lost his land after
joining the fight against Mexico. Much of the motivation for his plan came from his hope of regaining the
land.
The Alamo (p.195-197)
 While Houston was in Goliad, a message arrived from J.C. Neill, the Alamo’s commander. It asked the
general for reinforcement. There are extra soldiers sent to a place to make the force there stronger.
Houston needed someone he could trust to assess the situation. Among the volunteers at Goliad was Jim
Bowie. Bowie had lived in Texas since 1828 and had married into a leading Tejano family in San Antonio.
Houston respected Bowie’s judgment. He asked Bowie to take a few men and go to the Alamo. He told
Bowie to decide if the Texans should defend the fort or destroy it.
The Siege and Battle of the Alamo (p.197-201)
 Santa Anna was surprised, too. He did not think defenders would still be at the Alamo. Tejanos in the
town told him that the Texans were low on supplies. Santa Anna demanded that the Alamo surrender.
Travis replied with cannon shot. In response, Santa Ann flew a blood-red flag from the top of San
Fernando Cathedral as a signal that he would show no mercy to the rebels if they chose to fight.
Houston’s Tactical Retreat (p.201-202)
 Sam Houston and his “army” rode into Gonzales on March 11. The army numbered just four men. The
town was in an uproar, having heard that the Alamo had fallen and all its defenders were dead. Although
Houston seemed unconcerned, he feared that the story was true. He sent his trusted scout, Erastus
“Deaf” Smith, riding toward San Antonio. He planned to take charge of the volunteers gathering in the
town and ride to the Alamo to aid Travis.
The Goliad Massacre (p.202-204)
 For those Texans who had planned to attack Matamoros, things had not gone well. This group included
Francis W. Johnson, James Grant, and Colonel James Fannin. Many Tejano settlers of South Texas saw
these volunteers as foreign invaders. They supplied Mexican General Urrea with information about the
volunteers’ every move.
*Guided Reading and Discussion Questions
 See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
*Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
 See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
*Active Classroom (p.196)
Guide students into considering more deeply images related to the Alamo by conducting a See-Think-Wonder
exercise. For each image ask:
 What do you see?
 What does that make you think?
 What are you wondering about now that you’ve seen this?
Provide, or direct students to find an appropriate response to any issues or questions students “wonder about.”
Discuss students’ ideas as a class.
*Topic of Inquiry
Examine primary source documents to answer the following questions.
 How did Anglo and Tejano Texans justify revolution and set up their new government?
Examining why Texans went to war will contribute to students understanding the Essential Question
 When is war justified?
*Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 204). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate
mastery by responding to the following questions on paper:
 What issues were at the center of the dispute between Governor Smith and General Council?
 What was an argument that contradicted the Texans’ decision to defend the Alamo?
 Compare and contrast the varying roles of Tejanos in the Battle the Alamo?
 Use the information to answer the question “Santa Anna was surprised….He did not think defenders would
still be at the Alamo. Tejanos in town told him that the Texans were low on supplies. “Based on the

information, what were Santa Anna’s expectations about a possible battle at the Alamo?
What role did physical geography play in Sam Houston’s decisions to order a retreat of the army to the
part of Texas controlled by Anglos?
TEACHER:
CLASS: 7th Social Studies
DATE: November 11-13
M T W TH F
Topic 4, Lesson 4: Declaration of Independence and the Convention of 1836
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Resources:
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
Content Standards
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
1C: explain the significance of the following dates: 1519, mapping of the Texas coast
and first mainland Spanish settlement; 1718, founding of San Antonio; 1821,
independence from Spain; 1836, Texas independence; 1845, annexation; 1861, Civil
War begins; 1876, adoption of current state constitution; and 1901, discovery of oil at
Spindletop
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
3A: trace the development of events that led to the Texas Revolution, including the
Fredonian Rebellion, the Mier y Terán Report, the Law of April 6, 1830, the Turtle
Bayou Resolutions, and the arrest of Stephen F. Austin
3B: explain the roles played by significant individuals during the Texas Revolution,
including George Childress, Lorenzo de Zavala, James Fannin, Sam Houston, Antonio
López de Santa Anna, Juan N. Seguín, and William B. Travis
3C: explain the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas Revolution, including
the Battle of Gonzales, William B. Travis's letter "To the People of Texas and All
Americans in the World," the siege of the Alamo and all the heroic defenders who gave
their lives there, the Constitutional Convention of 1836, Fannin's surrender at Goliad,
and the Battle of San Jacinto
3D: explain how the establishment of the Republic of Texas brought civil, political, and
religious freedom to Texas
4A: identify individuals, events, and issues during the administrations of Republic of
Texas Presidents Houston, Lamar, and Jones, including the Texas Navy, the Texas
Rangers, Edwin W. Moore, Jack Coffee Hays, Chief Bowles, William Goyens, Mary
Maverick, José Antonio Navarro, the Córdova Rebellion, the Council House Fight, the
Santa Fe Expedition, public debt, and the roles of racial and ethnic groups
4B: analyze the causes of and events leading to Texas annexation
8A: create and interpret thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases
representing various aspects of Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries
9A: locate the Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, and Coastal
Plains regions and places of importance in Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st
centuries such as major cities, rivers, natural and historic landmarks, political and
cultural regions, and local points of interest
11A: analyze why immigrant groups came to Texas and where they settled
11B: analyze how immigration and migration to Texas in the 19th, 20th, and 21st
centuries have influenced Texas
14B: compare the principles and concepts of the Texas Constitution to the U.S.
Constitution, including the Texas and U.S. Bill of Rights
18A: identify the leadership qualities of elected and appointed leaders of Texas, past
and present, including Texans who have been president of the United States
Process Standards
21A: differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such
as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews,
and artifacts to acquire information about Texas
21B: analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect
U.S. History Textbook Colonization
through Reconstruction
pp. (205-210)
Online Editable presentation (p.205)
Start Up Activity (p.205)
Reading and Note Taking Study Guide (p.
205)
Analyze Maps, Tables, Visuals,
Information
(p.206, and 209)
Active Classroom (p.207)
Interactive Chart (p.208)
Digital Activity: A New Government
(p.209)
Digital Lesson Quiz (p.209)
relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making
generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions
21C: organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals,
including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
21D: identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the
frame of reference that influenced the participants
22B: use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper
citation of sources
22D: create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information
23B: use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision,
gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to
implement a decision
Objective/Key Understanding:




Explain why Texans called for the Constitutional
Convention of 1836.
Understand why George Childress made the Texas
Declaration of Independence similar to the United
States Declaration of Independence.
Describe how the Texas constitution brought civil
political freedom to the Republic of Texas.
Describe the function of the Interim Government and
identify its leaders.
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p.205)
Ratify
Bicameral
Ad Interim
Lorenzo de Zavala
Unitary
George Campbell Childress
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p.210 )





Use the information to answer the question. “The General Council and Governer Henry Smith disagreed on many issues.
Smith vetoed the Council’s call for a convention. This time, though, he could not stop the Council. It overrode the governor’s
veto.” Describe a similar situation that might occur in the U.S. federal Government.
Why do you think that Santa Anna’s attacks on the Alamo changed the minds of Texans who had previously been loyal to
Mexico?
Why was Richard Ellis a good choice for president of the Constitutional Convention of 1836?
Why was it logical that George Campbell Childress based the Texas Declaration of Independence on the U.S. version?
Infer the reasoning in the delegates’ minds for setting up an ad interim government.
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions


What was the overarching goal of the Constitutional Convention of 1836?
How are the Texas Declaration of Independence and the United States Declaration of Independence alike?
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
The Constitutional Convention of 1836 (p.206-207)
Discus with the class why the delegates organized so quickly to form the Convention of 1836.
 Explain the role of Santa Anna during the Texas Revolution.
 Why was the Constitutional Convention of 1836 a necessary step in the Texas Revolution?
 Based on the makeup of the delegates to the Convention of 1836, make a prediction about the government they will form
when they declare independence.
Achievements of the Convention (p.207-210)
Discuss with students the challenges Childress’s faced when writing the Texas Declaration of Independence and why it was
significant that Texans wanted to enjoy the same freedoms that citizens of the United States did.
 Explain the role played by George Childress during the Texas Revolution.
 Explain the role played by Lorenzo de Zavala during the Texas Revolution.
 What were de Zavala’s contributions to the ad interim government?
Online Resources, Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
Online Editable Presentation (p. 205)
 Use the Editable Presentation found on the Digital Course to present the main ideas for this lesson
Start Up Activity (p. 205)
Project the Start Up Activity (p. 205). Ask students to look at the picture of Stephen F. Austin and answer the following questions as
they enter and get settled. Have students share their answers with a partner.
 To what “legacy” and “truth” is Bush referring?
 Rewrite President Bush’s statement in your own words.
Reading and Note Taking Study Guide (p. 1205)
Students can preview Key Terms and Academic Vocabulary using the Interactive Reading Notebook on the Digital Course or preview
of the lesson in the Reading and Note taking Study Guide
Analyze Images (p. 207)
Have students examine the photograph of the blacksmith shop.
 Why do you think the delegates may have wanted to meet at a blacksmith shop?
Interactive Chart: U.S. and Texas Constitutions (p.208)
Project the Interactive Chart: U.S. and Texas Constitutions. Have students fill in the graphic organizer to compare the U.S. and Texas
Constitutions.
Analyze Charts (p.209)
Review the chart, The Unitary Republic, 1836, on page 209.
In a unitary system, several smaller regional divisions carry out the policies of a single central government.
 What benefits did the unitary republic form of government offer to Texans?
Digital Activity: A New Government (p.209)
Project the Digital Activity: A New Government (p.209). Have students read the activity and answer the questions. Ask students to
share their responses with a partner.
 Have students review the reasons Texas declared independence in1836.
 Do you think the establishment of the republic of Texas fulfilled the aims of independence?
 What examples do you have to support your answers?
Digital Lesson Quiz: (p. 209)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz (p. 209). Discuss with the class: In Declaration of Independence and the Convention of 1836, you
learned about the importance of the Convention of 1836 to the formation of the new Republic of Texas. You were introduced to key
figures including George Childress, who wrote the Texas Declaration of Independence. You also learned about the government that
the Convention established.
 Summarize the achievements of the Convention of 1836.
 Explain how the establishment of the Republic of Texas brought civil, political, and religious freedom to Texas, providing
examples for support.
Lesson Plan
*Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.205). Use the Editable Presentation
found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the lesson (p. 205).
Engage
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Start Up Activity (p. 205)
Project the Start Up Activity (p. 205). Ask students to look at the picture of Stephen F. Austin and answer the
following questions as they enter and get settled. Have students share their answers with a partner.
 To what “legacy” and “truth” is Bush referring?
 Rewrite President Bush’s statement in your own words.
*Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas
Revolution and the Constitutional Convention of 1836.
*Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with
the class.
 The Constitutional Convention of 1836 (p.206-207)
 Achievements of the Convention (p.207-210)
*Students are to read assigned sections and use the Note Taking Study Guide to help them take notes and
understand the text as they read.
*Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas
Revolution and the Constitutional Convention of 1836.
The Constitutional Convention of 1836 (p.206-207)
 Texans differed over what they fought for in the early days of the revolution. Some wanted to bring about
change but remain loyal to Mexico. To achieve change, Texans had to end their differences and establish
a common goal. Voters from across Teas selected delegates to the convention on February 1, 1836.
Achievements of the Convention (p.207-210)
 The delegates opened the meeting by electing officers on the first day. They chose Richard Ellis, a cotton
planter and former judge, as president of the convention. He guided the delegates with a sure hand.
Herbert Simms Kimble, a lawyer, became the convention’s secretary.
*Guided Reading and Discussion Questions
 See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
*Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
 See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
*Active Classroom (p.207)
Post passages from the reading on individual pages around the room. Group students to use the Walking Tour
Evaluate
Strategy and tour the room, discussing each passage and providing a summary.
*Topic of Inquiry
Examine primary source documents to answer the following questions.
 How did Anglo and Tejano Texans justify revolution and set up their new government?
Examining why Texans went to war will contribute to students understanding the Essential Question
 When is war justified?
*Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 209). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate
mastery by responding to the following questions on paper:
 Use the information to answer the question. “The General Council and Governer Henry Smith disagreed on
many issues. Smith vetoed the Council’s call for a convention. This time, though, he could not stop the
Council. It overrode the governor’s veto.” Describe a similar situation that might occur in the U.S. federal
Government.
 Why do you think that Santa Anna’s attacks on the Alamo changed the minds of Texans who had
previously been loyal to Mexico?
 Why was Richard Ellis a good choice for president of the Constitutional Convention of 1836?
 Why was it logical that George Campbell Childress based the Texas Declaration of Independence on the
U.S. version?
 Infer the reasoning in the delegates’ minds for setting up an ad interim government.