TEKS:
4.3 D describe the successes, problems, and organizations of the
Republic of Texas such as the establishment of a constitution,
economic struggles, relations with American Indians, and the Texas
Rangers
Social Studies Objective: We can identify capitals of Texas.
Proof: We can prove we met this objective by participating in a turn and talk discussion.
Materials:
Here is a video I made of this lesson during the Pandemic.
Vocabulary: president, republic, viewpoint, capital vs capitol
Questions: What was this president’s viewpoint on the Republic of Texas? How did this viewpoint impact where our capital was?
Lesson: Review the presidents and their viewpoints about the Republic of Texas. Houston–safety and joining the USA were his priorities. This explains his capital choice of Houston. He claimed that Austin was in danger from Native American attacks (true). Lamar, however, wanted to keep Texas a Republic. His choice of Austin in what he felt was a more central location was more focused on the future as an independent country. Since we live nearby, I also tell them that Waco was in the running for a capital when our capital finally came up for a vote in 1844. Show the capitals power point and explain each capital. Include the archive war. Use the questions to have students first discuss with their partner, then share with the class with any remaining time. You can learn more about our capital history by looking at the links at the end of the power point in the materials section above.
Teaching Without Twitching 