Written by Vowery Dodd Carlile and Traci Burnett Illustrated by Karen Birchak

Written by Vowery Dodd Carlile and Traci Burnett Illustrated by Karen Birchak

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION...5 TO THE TEACHER...6 STORIES ABOUT TEXAS: Background, Vocabulary Activities, Discussion Questions, and Creative-Thinking Activities...7 115 WHERE IN THE WORLD IS TEXAS?...8 17 THE FIRST TEXANS...18 27 EXPLORERS IN TEXAS...28 36 MISSIONS IN TEXAS...37 46 EMPRESARIOS COME WITH SETTLERS...47 56 REMEMBER THE ALAMO!...57 67 BECOMING A STATE...68 77 TEXAS IN THE CIVIL WAR...78 87 CHANGES ARE ON THE WAY...88 97 TEXAS LEADERS...98 106 TODAY IN TEXAS...107 114 RESEARCH UNIT...115 135 BIBLIOGRAPHY...136 Educational Impressions, Inc. 3

Introduction Texas is an amazing state with its variety of land formations, people, climate, history and economy. Known as the Lone Star State, Texas can boast of deserts and swamps, mountains and plains, huge cities and small towns and even miles and miles of nothing. In some parts of the state there are frigid winter northers and in others muggy tropical breezes. Citizens from all over the world have joined native Texans in calling the twenty-eighth state home. This state of bluebonnets (the state flower) and pecan trees (the state tree) has welcomed people from every walk of life conquistadors and settlers, Comanches and missionaries, cowboys and soldiers, and farmers and ranchers. The state is also home to a wide variety of animal life. There are bisons (buffalo), prairie dogs, armadillos, alligators and coyotes. Many birds also call Texas home; among them are eagles, pelicans, roadrunners and mockingbirds, the state bird. There are also cattle, cattle and more cattle although this was not the case until the Spanish brought herds from Spain several hundred years ago. Texans themselves are varied. They can be found building things, like computers and machines; farming cotton, maize or vegetables; raising cattle or sheep; working in factories; cutting lumber; drilling for oil or natural gas; or doing one of many jobs that provide services for people. From native Texans who refused to change their way of life to please the Spanish missionaries, to settlers struggling to make a new home, to battles between Native Americans and settlers, to Texas's fight for Independence from Mexico, to the decision to join the fighting in the Civil War, Texas was born of struggle. This summary of Texas events and history is intended as a springboard for further research on the people, land and history of Texas. The number of possible ideas for further research is as big as the state itself. Come join us in learning about the history of Texas. Educational Impressions, Inc. 5

Teacher Directions The state of Texas has a colorful history which intrigues children of all ages. This book is designed to teach students in grades 3 5 to think and learn creatively about Texas history. It provides eleven different stories about Texas history, each followed by a vocabulary lesson, discussion questions, creative questions and extra activities. At the end of the book, a research unit is provided. Directions: Step 1: Begin the unit by introducing the vocabulary words on the vocabulary-activity sheet. (These words are in bold and underlined in the stories.) Ask the students to look up the definitions and write them on their sheets. After completing this, students are ready to do the vocabulary activity. Step 2: Read the story, individually or together, and discuss the story using the discussion questions. Step 3: The students are now ready to complete the creative questions, which are asked at the upper levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. The questions are designed to encourage students to think at a higher level and not just repeat information learned in the story. Many of the questions involve no right or wrong answers; therefore, grading will be subjective. We suggest that you look for creative answers using knowledge gained from the story. Step 4: When the creative questions have been answered, you may let students pick out one or all of the extra activities. These activities include creative writing, illustrating, design or creating something new that will support the Texas History story. These can be assigned or done for extra credit. Step 5: After reading some or all of the Texas-history stories, students can participate in the research project unit. Directions are given. The objectives of this book are to encourage students to learn about Texas history, to use the acquired learning and to develop something new through a research project. In today's society, research is so important for the student. The skills needed to complete research will be used through college and careers. 6 Educational Impressions, Inc.

TEXAS Educational Impressions, Inc. 7

Where in the World Is Texas? The state of Texas is located in the southern part of United States of America, which is in the continent of North America. North America is located in the northern and western hemispheres of the planet Earth. Texas is the second largest state in the United States of America in both size and population. It stretches 773 miles from east to west and 801 miles from the northern panhandle to the southern tip. TEXAS Texas is made up of four main geographic regions. These areas are the Coastal Plains, the Central Plains, the High Plains, and the Mountains and Basins. These divisions were based upon the similarities of their geographic features. Because these regions are large, however, there are also differences. For that reason, each region is further divided into seven sub-regions. These are the Panhandle Plains, Prairies and Lakes, Pineywoods, Gulf Coast (Plains), South Texas Plains, Hill Country, and Big Bend Country. 8 Educational Impressions, Inc.

The Gulf Coastal Plains is the region along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and includes the easternmost part of Texas. Most of the land has a low elevation. In fact, this area has the lowest elevation of any place in Texas although there are no areas that are below sea level anywhere in the state. Wooded areas and even swamps are also found in the region. This region also receives the greatest amount of rainfall in Texas. Parts of east Texas may get as much as 48 inches of precipitation each year. Hurricanes blow up on the coast fairly often. The Gulf Coastal Plains has the highest population of any region in Texas. The cities of Houston, San Antonio and Dallas can all be found here. The Central Plains, as you may have guessed, is located in the center of the state, north of the Balcones Escarpment. The elevation here is slightly higher. The land in central Texas is known as the Hill Country and includes both pasture and farmland with clusters of trees and some wooded areas. Many rivers and lakes can also be found in this area. Cities in the Central Plains include Austin, the state capital; Fort Worth; Abilene; and Wichita Falls. This area, along with the High Plains, is a common place for thunderstorms and tornadoes in the spring. This is the second most populated region of Texas. High Plains Mountains and Basins Central Plains Gulf Coastal Plains Educational Impressions, Inc. 9