Constitutional Rights Foundation
Sam Houston: A Study in Leadership
Learners read a short excerpt from a speech by Sam Houston and answer corresponding questions as well as engage in additional activities, including writing a persuasive essay and discussing topics in small groups. The resource helps lay...
Briscoe Center for American History
Mary Maverick and Texas History - Part 1
What's the difference between a diary and a memoir? Young historians explore the ramifications of this question as they learn how to use primary source materials to gain an understanding of life on the Texas frontier.
Briscoe Center for American History
Applying the SOAPS Method of Analyzing Historical Documents
Young historians use the SOAPS (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject) method of questioning to determine the historical value of primary source documents. The third in a series of five lessons that model for learners how...
Curated OER
Land and Liberty: The Saga of Sam McCulloch
The struggles of Sam McCulloch, a free black man, to be recognized as a citizen entitled to own land in Texas are the focus of research project that ask groups to examine a series of primary source documents and piece together...
US House of Representatives
Hispanic Congressional Representation in the Era of U.S. Continental Expansion, 1822–1898
From the Louisiana Purchase to the Spanish-American War, the history of the United States is intertwined with the story of Hispanic Americans. Using an article about Hispanics in Congress during the 1800s, learners research their lives...
Smithsonian Institution
Latino Patriots
Pupils may not be familiar with Bernardo de Gálvez or Juan Seguín, but these Latinx patriots played important roles in American history. Using biographies of the Revolutionary War hero and Texan politician, historians consider how Latinx...
The Alamo
The Alamo
Remember the Alamo! Scholars investigate the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. Using models, maps, quotes, biographies, and the Oath of Allegiance, the Alamo comes to life as the stories of those who fought and died in...
The Alamo
A Teacher’s Guide to Lorenzo De Zavala
Who was Lorenzo de Zavala to the Texas Revolution, and how did he change the Alamo? Find out using an educational resource that asks learners to fill out graphic organizers and respond to short-answer questions to further solidify their...
The Alamo
A Teacher’s Guide to Sam Houston
Need a teacher's guide all about Sam Houston and how he relates to the Texas Revolution? Look no further! The guide includes a timeline detailing Houston's life, important milestones, and relevant maps that include his movement around...
The Alamo
The Alamo Then and Now
The Alamo is one of the most famous buildings from the Texas Revolution. But what does it look like today, and how has it changed? Pupils find out more using different interactive modes, including a split-screen and side-by-side version.
The Alamo
A Lesson in Citizenship
What does it mean to be an American citizen? Lieutenant Colonel Commander William Barret Travis believed that it meant honor to country first—even above one's own life. Middle and high schoolers read his final letters from the Alamo that...
The Alamo
A Teacher’s Guide to Antonio LóPez De Santa Anna
Who was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and how did he relate to the Texas Revolution? Use an informative resource to find out! By reading primary sources, viewing maps and graphs, and answering short-answer written prompts in handouts,...
The Alamo
The Alamo Then and Now
Reading about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas revolution is one thing, but has the class seen it? Show them firsthand using an interactive resource. Scholars drag a mouse to view the surroundings of the Alamo in the past and as...
The Alamo
The Alamo Crossword Puzzle
Sort out who's who from the Battle of the Alamo with a helpful crossword puzzle. Complete with 20 clues and names, the resource helps history learners identify the major players in a pivotal moment in American history.
The Alamo
Lorenzo de Zavala and José Antonio Navarro: Their Contributions to the Independence of Texas
Lorenzo de Zavala and José Antonio Navarro were both native Mexicans and leaders of the Texas Revolution, but with different backgrounds and careers. Compare and contrast the two influential men with a research assignment in which...
Smithsonian Institution
Mexican War
Did you know that without the Mexican War, the United States would not include the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah, and even parts of Colorado? Scholars learn a variety of interesting facts about the...
Curated OER
Curriculum Guide For Teaching Texas History
Follow Texas history from Native Americans all the way to the 21st Century. Teachers analyze the creation of a year-long course on Texas history and use a wide range of teaching subjects and materials to guide them through the state's...
Briscoe Center for American History
Who Was Mary Maverick?
To begin a study of how to use primary source documents, class members read a brief biography of Mary Maverick, one of the first white women settlers in Texas, and answer comprehension questions based on the reading. The first is a...
Curated OER
Texas Revolution
Need to know more about Texas's state history and how it gained independence from Mexico? Learn about Stephen Austin's visit with Santa Ana and the reasons Texas went to war with Mexico with an informative slideshow presentation.
Curated OER
Notable "Texans" of the Texas Revolution
Students investigate why and how certain historical figures became famous in relation to the Texas Revolution. They view and discuss a variety of images, then in small groups record the names of individuals involved in the Texas...
Curated OER
Manifest Destiny
Complete with maps, photographs, and historical documents, this presentation would be a great resource throughout a unit about mid-19th century America. Manifest Destiny, Texas Independence, the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican War are all...
Curated OER
Sam Houston for President...Again
Fourth graders discover the political career of Sam Houston. In this Texas history instructional activity, 4th graders research primary resources and create a modern-day version of Sam Houston's political campaign of the 1840s.
Curated OER
Snapshot Snippets
Sixth graders list facts they have learned about the Alamo from their analysis of the Alamo images from The Real Alamo portion of this lesson. They then list 20 facts about the Alamo building, symbols, and Texas history.
Curated OER
The Many Faces of the Alamo
Sixth graders read background information about the Alamo and review both images and quiz questions to list the many uses that the Alamo building has seen to analyze information in written and visual form.