Texas Transportation
Grades
This lesson plan was written for grades 6–8.
Objectives
Students will analyze the effects of transportation on the settlement of Texas.
Materials
Materials needed are:
- selections from the article “Railroads, Windmills and Barbed Wire” originally published in the 1990–1991 Texas Almanac;
- Factors Contributing to the End of the Cattle-Drive Era worksheet;
- bird’s-eye views of Texas cities projected for the class to see or a computer lab with Internet access;
- image of Frederic Remington’s The Fall of the Cowboy (1895). A large poster of this image is available for free loan through the Amon Carter Museum’s Teaching Resource Center.
Procedure
1. Distribute excerpts from the article “Railroads, Windmills and Barbed Wire” originally published in the 1990–1991 Texas Almanac. Instruct students to read the article to find the factors that contributed to the end of the cattle-drive era. Have students list the factors on their Factors Contributing to the End of the Cattle-Drive Era worksheet.
2. Have students access the bird’s-eye views of Wichita Falls and Abilene from the Amon Carter Museum’s Texas Bird’s-Eye Views Web site, http://www.birdseyeviews.org.
3. Challenge students to study the views to find evidence that supports the ideas presented in “Railroads, Windmills and Barbed Wire.” Have them list the evidence on their worksheets.
4. Have students access maps of Texas railroads in 1873 and 1900. Students should use the railroad maps to provide additional evidence that supports or challenges the information found in “Railroads, Windmills and Barbed Wire,” and should record their findings on their worksheets.
5. Discuss the findings and compare the information obtained from the various resources.
6. Encourage students to formulate additional questions related to factors that contributed to the ending of the cattle-drive era.
Assessment
Show students an image of Frederic Remington’s The Fall of the Cowboy (1895). Have students explain the title of the painting by using examples from the Texas Almanac article, the bird’s-eye views, and the Texas railroad maps.
TEKS Connections
Social Studies
- 6.21C 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
- 6.21F use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs
- 6.22D create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies
- 7.8A create thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases representing various aspects of Texas during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
- 7.8B pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns in Texas during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
- 7.9B compare places and regions of Texas in terms of physical and human characteristics
- 7.9C analyze the effects of physical and human factors such as climate, weather, landforms, irrigation, transportation, and communication on major events in Texas
- 7.21B 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
- 8.10A create thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases representing various aspects of the United States
- 8.10B pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases
- 8.11C analyze the effects of physical and human geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States
- 8.28A analyze the effects of technological and scientific innovations such as the steamboat, the cotton gin, and the Bessemer steel process
- 8.30B 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
Language Arts
- 6.20D summarize and organize ideas gained from multiple sources in useful ways such as outlines, conceptual maps, learning logs, and timelines
- 6.22B interpret important events and ideas gathered from maps, charts, graphics, video segments, or technology presentations
- 7.20D summarize and organize ideas gained from multiple sources in useful ways such as outlines, conceptual maps, learning logs, and timelines
- 7.22B interpret important events and ideas gathered from maps, charts, graphics, video segments, or technology presentations
- 8.20D summarize and organize ideas gained from multiple sources in useful ways such as outlines, conceptual maps, learning logs, and timelines
- 8.22B interpret important events and ideas gathered from maps, charts, graphics, video segments, or technology presentations
This lesson plan was created by Wendy Coleman, Fort Worth ISD educator, to accompany the Texas Bird’s-Eye Views Web site produced by the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, and was made possible by a generous grant from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation representing BNSF Railway Company.