History Trunk: School Curriculum
(Highlighted areas indicate essential elements which can be implemented using history trunk)
§113.23. Social Studies, Grade 7. (a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present. Content is presented with more depth and breadth than in Grade 4. Students examine the full scope of Texas history, including the cultures of Native Americans living in Texas prior to European exploration and the eras of mission-building, colonization, revolution, republic, and statehood. The focus in each era is on key individuals, events, and issues and their impact. Students identify regions of Texas and the distribution of population within and among the regions and explain the factors that caused Texas to change from an agrarian to an urban society. Students describe the structure and functions of municipal, county, and state governments, explain the influence of the U.S. Constitution on the Texas Constitution, and examine the rights and responsibilities of Texas citizens. Students use primary and secondary sources to examine the rich and diverse cultural background of Texas as they identify the different racial and ethnic groups that settled in Texas to build a republic and then a state. Students analyze the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations such as barbed wire and the oil and gas industries on the development of Texas. Students use primary and secondary sources to acquire information about Texas.
(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as biographies and autobiographies; novels; speeches, letters, and diaries; and poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Selections may include a biography of Barbara Jordan or Lorenzo de Zavala and William B. Travis' letter "To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World." Motivating resources are also available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.
(3) The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes with the history and geography strands establishing a sense of time and a sense of place. Skills listed in the geography and social studies skills strands in subsection (b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together.
(4) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education
Code, §28.002(h). (b) Knowledge and skills.
(7.1) History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the major eras in Texas history and describe their defining characteristics;
(B) apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant individuals, events, and time periods; and
(C) explain the significance of the following dates: 1519, 1718, 1821, 1836, 1845, and 1861.
(7.2) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues prior to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to:
(A) compare the cultures of Native Americans in Texas prior to European colonization;
(B) identify important individuals, events, and issues related to European exploration and colonization of Texas, including the establishment of Catholic missions;
(C) identify the contributions of significant individuals including Moses Austin, Stephen F. Austin, and Juan Seguín during the colonization of Texas;
(D) identify the impact of the Mexican federal Constitution of 1824 on events in Texas;
(E) trace the development of events that led to the Texas Revolution, including the Law of April 6, 1830, the Turtle Bayou Resolutions, and the arrest of Stephen F. Austin; and
(F) contrast Spanish and Anglo purposes for and methods of settlement in Texas.
(7.3) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues related to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to: (A) 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; and
(B) explain the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas Revolution, including the battle of Gonzales, the siege of the Alamo, the convention of 1836, Fannin's surrender at Goliad, and the battle of San Jacinto.
(7.4) History. 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:
(A) 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, the Texas Rangers, the Mexican War, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo; and
(B) analyze the causes of and events leading to Texas statehood.
(7.5) History. The student understands how events and issues shaped the history of Texas during the Civil War and Reconstruction. The student is expected to:
(A) explain reasons for the involvement of Texas in the Civil War; and
(B) analyze the political, economic, and social effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction in Texas.