Texas Economics, Politics, and Society
Grades
This lesson plan was written for grades 6–8.
Objectives
Students will identify the economic, political, and social influences that affected the settlements of Fort Worth and Waco in the late nineteenth century.
Materials
Materials needed are:
- bird’s-eye views of Texas cities projected for the class to see or a computer lab with Internet access;
- Venn Diagrams for the Fort Worth and Waco views;
- Chart of Influences on Fort Worth and Waco over Time.
Procedure
1. The following definitions from the Miriam-Webster Dictionary may help students during this lesson.
- The adjective political is defined as follows:
- 1. (a) of or relating to government, a government, or the conduct of government; (b) of, relating to, or concerned with the making, as distinguished from the administration, of governmental policy.
- The adjective social is defined as follows:
- 1. involving allies or confederates <the Social War between the Athenians and their allies>;
- 2. (a) marked by or passed in pleasant companionship with one’s friends or associates <leads a very full social life>; (b) sociable; (c) of, relating to, or designed for sociability <a social club>;
- 3. of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society <social institutions>.
- The adjective economic is defined as follows:
- 3. (b) of, relating to, or based on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services;
- 4. having practical or industrial significance or uses: affecting material resources.
- The noun influence is defined as follows:
- 3. (a) the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command; (b) corrupt interference with authority for personal gain.
1. Have students access the three bird’s-eye views of Fort Worth (1876, 1886, and 1891) and the three views of Waco (1873, 1886, and 1892).
2. Have one or more groups analyze the Fort Worth views and one or more groups analyze the Waco views. Have students chart the similarities and differences of each set of images on Venn Diagrams (Fort Worth diagram; Waco diagram) and then discuss the findings with the entire class.
3. Record the similarities between all three views of Fort Worth and the similarities between all three views of Waco on the Chart of Influences on Fort Worth and Waco over Time. Have students identify whether each similarity influenced the city politically, socially, or economically.
Assessment
Have students identify and support with evidence which influences had the greatest impact on both Fort Worth and Waco over time.
TEKS Connections
Social Studies
- 6.5A explain factors such as location, physical features, transportation corridors and barriers, and distribution of natural resources that influence the economic development and foreign policies of societies
- 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 influences 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
- 8.11B compare places and regions of the United States in terms of physical and human characteristics
- 8.11C analyze the effects of physical and human geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States
- 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.