Texas has many larger than life figures that have become immortalized through our history books, but it’s important to remember that there is no one person without faults, weaknesses, and real life drama.  In this lesson plan, students will use primary source documents, letters and pictures to learn the real facts about the lives of some Texas heroes.

Created by Laurie Gallant, December 2007

The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history. The student is expected to identify the major eras in Texas history and describe their defining characteristics.
TEKS §113.23. History, Grade 7. (b)(1)(A)

The student understands how individuals, events, and issues related to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to 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, and William B. Travis.
TEKS §113.23. History, Grade 7. (b)(3)(A)

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 identify individuals, events, and issues during the Republic of Texas and early Texas statehood, including annexation, Sam Houston, Anson Jones, Mirabeau B. Lamar, problems of the Republic of Texas and Statehood, including annexation, Sam Houston, Anson Jones, Mirabeau B. Lamar, problems of the Republic of Texas, the Texas Rangers, the Mexican War, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
TEKS §113.23. History, Grade 7. (b)(4)(A)

The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:

• differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about Texas;
• 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;
• organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps;
• identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference that influenced the participants;
• support a point of view on a social studies issue or event.

TEKS §113.23. Social studies skills, Grade 7. (b)(21)(A,B,C,D,E)

The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:

• use social studies terminology correctly;
• use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation;
• transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using computer software as appropriate;
• create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.

TEKS §113.23. Social studies skills, Grade 7. (b)(22)(A,B,C,D)

1. Hand each student the Agree or Disagree worksheet.  Students will check the boxes that they feel are correct. Depending on the level of your students, this may be done with a partner or a group of four. 



2. As students read the information they will figure out whether they checked the boxes on the worksheet correctly. (I would block out the part of the information that talks about the death of TJR, so the students may find that as you show the images of the website.) 



3. After the students have read the information from the Handbook of Texas, discuss which traits are positive examples of behavior for a leader, and which actions are negative. What surprises them about each person?



4. Discuss how history often glosses over the facts to shed a more positive light on historical figures. Explain how primary sources are a way for us to validate the authenticity of information that we read.

Assessment: 

Students will create a picture frame of one of the famous individuals mentioned, or may choose another figure who is approved by the instructor as a person of Historical Significance. Students will illustrate the frame itself with symbols and drawings – the figure’s strengths should be on the width of the frame, and weaknesses or faults of the person should be on the height of the frame.  In the center of the frame the student may draw or print a photo of the person, or draw symbols that represent the person.

Extension:

Students may use this to analyze more “modern” heroes, such as political figures of the 20th century.

When introducing Explorers, my students watch an A&E Video of Christopher Columbus, and then use information from the movie to create a hero/villain poster, in which students must use a different perspective to see the “villain-side” of Columbus. While Columbus is not traditionally seen as an explorer covered in the 7th grade, this project is nevertheless a perfect way to introduce the Columbian Exchange, which is a grade 8 TEK.

Letter about the death of Thomas J. Rusk Thomas J. Rusk in the Handbook of Texas Bust of Sam Houston Portrait of Sam Houston Letter naming Sam Houston an Honorary Member of Literary Society Sam Houston nominated for President Invitation to the funeral of Sam Houston Samuel Houston in the Handbook of Texas Engraving of Santa Anna Threat to Texan rebels at Bexar Santa Anna in the Handbook of Texas Speech by Matthew Gaines (one of 43 African Americans that served in the Texas Legislature between 1868-1900) Matthew Gaines in the Handbook of Texas

Agree or Disagree worksheetFamous persons picture frame