Showing what we know
Use accurate information to describe the Native American groups studied in class and explain similarities and differences in their ways of life.
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Social Studies
Explore the people, places, and stories that help us understand Texas.
Our current project
Native Peoples of Texas
An Informational Booklet
Students are creating informational booklets about the different Native American peoples of Texas we have studied. They are using information from our class learning to explain what they know while practicing clear, organized informational writing.
Growing as writers
Organize related facts, write clear and complete sentences, and explain ideas in our own words. Our writing helps us share our understanding of Texas history.
Talk about our learning
Ask: “What is one important thing you want a reader to learn from your booklet?”
Try: “These groups were alike because _____. One difference was _____.”
Coming next
European Explorers in Texas
After we finish our booklets, we will explore why Europeans traveled to Texas, what happened on their journeys, and how exploration affected Native peoples and later settlement.
The explorers we will study
Cabeza de Vaca
Francisco Coronado
René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle
Coming after our booklet project
Plan for about three weeks, with flexible time for writing and revision. The start date has not been announced.
Test dateTo be announced
Read and collect notes
Read short articles, watch videos, and discuss each explorer’s purpose, journey, important events, results, and effects. Record key words and phrases in note-taking spaces, then organize information on explorer charts.
Answer with evidence
Write one short constructed response about each explorer. Answer the question accurately and use relevant evidence from the article to support the answer.
From notes to a booklet
We will review how to turn notes into a Single Paragraph Outline, or SPO. Students will use a shared model and plan two independent paragraphs, then draft, revise, and edit their informational booklets.
Our assessments look at planning, clear and organized writing, and historical understanding. Students will practice explaining why their supporting details matter.
Talk about an explorer
Ask: “What did this explorer hope to accomplish? What actually happened? What evidence supports your answer?”
The names above come from fourth-grade Social Studies TEKS 4.2B. Texas Education Agency standards PDF, opens in a new tab↗
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