Texas Industries Then and Now
Grades
This lesson plan was written for grades 6–8.
Objectives
Students will identify contemporary economic counterparts to industries featured in Texas bird’s-eye views.
Materials
Materials needed are:
- bird’s-eye views of Texas cities projected for the class to see or a computer lab with Internet access;
- Goods and Services Data Collection Sheet.
Procedure
The following definition from the Miriam-Webster Dictionary may help students during this lesson.
- 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;
1. Have students access the 1892 bird’s-eye view of Dallas.
2. Have them read the text, which explains how this view is slightly different from the other bird’s-eye views, and discuss the idea of including the proposed improvements.
3. Introduce the following paragraph by the Library of Congress. “When reviewing published documents, remember that just because something was published does not make it truthful, accurate, or reliable. Every document has a creator, and every creator has a point of view, blind spots, and biases. Also remember that even biased and opinionated sources can tell us important things about the past.”
4. Discuss the bias in this view and list the important things that can be learned about the past from this image. Refer to the section “Were the Bird’s-Eye Views Accurate?” to bring the discussion to a close.
5. One of the areas of accuracy in this image is the list of businesses featured around the view. Challenge students to identify what the businesses sold and to identify a contemporary counterpart, if possible. Have students use the Goods and Services Data Collection Sheet to record their answers.
Assessment
Have students address the following after completing the Goods and Services Data Collection Sheet.
- List three ways businesses have changed in Dallas from 1892 to today.
- What can we learn about the past by studying the businesses of a community?
TEKS Connections
Social Studies
- 6.21B 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
- 6.21D identify different points of view about an issue or topic
- 6.21E identify the elements of frame of reference that influenced participants in an event
- 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
- 8.10B pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases
- 8.12A analyze how physical characteristics of the environment influenced population distribution, settlement patterns, and economic activities in the United States during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
- 8.30D identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference which influenced the participants
- 8.30F identify bias in written, oral, and visual material
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.