TOPIC: Key events and people from Texas Battles
GRADE: 7th Grade Texas State History
FOCUS QUESTIONS:
- What were the major battles that took place in Texas between 1835 and 1836?
- What are the defining characteristics of these battles?
- Who were the key individuals who fought in these battles?
TEKS:
§113.19. Social Studies, Grade 7
- 7.1A identify the major eras in Texas history, describe their defining characteristics, and explain why historians divide the past into era, including…Mexican National; Revolution and Republic…
- 7.1B apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant individuals, events, and time periods
- 7.1C explain the significance of the following dates: …1821, independence from Spain; 1836, Texas independence
- 7.3 History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues related to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas
- 7.3B 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, Juan N. Seguín, and William B. Travis
- 7.3C explain the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas Revolution, including the Battle of Gonzales, William B. Travis’s letter “To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World,” the siege of the Alamo and all the heroic defender who gave their lives there, the Constitutional Convention of 1836, Fannin’s surrender at Goliad, and the Battle of San Jacinto
MATERIALS:
- Cartoon Panel Sheets
1. ARTIFACT - What are the components of a comic book panel?
"Today, we are going to be making some of our own comic panels to represent the different Texas battles you’ve been learning about. But before we begin, we’re going to look at a comic, and see what we might need to include when we create our images." View a comic book panel. The one orignally used for this lesson is the following image: http://ifanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Detective_Comics_78.jpg
Ask students the following questions:
Describe:
- What do you see in this image? (encourage students to discuss the colors, words, etc).
Analyze:
- What different components make up this image? (Narration text or "caption", characters, setting, dialogue or "speech bubbles," etc.)
- What might we want/need to include if we were to remake this image with our bodies?
- What might make this image even more interesting?
Relate:
- How might we use this structure (image, caption, dialogue) to capture/communicate the most important information about a historical event?
- How might we use our bodies to communicate information about the battles?
2. SHARING INFORMATION
Take a moment to review the major battles, and the key players/events.
Consider giving groups a comic book panel sheet that encourages them to identify the key facts about the battle, key individuals they might want to include in their image, and what those individuals might say (their speech bubble) in the images.
"As a reminder, we will be creating frozen images, and in these images we will not be touching each other (find a creative way to problem solve). While we will be portraying battles, we need to be respectful of each other. How might we do that?"
Brainstorm ideas with the class.
Transition:
"In a moment, we will divide you into groups. Each group will receive this sheet." Show blank comic book sheet on projector or to students. Create a sheet that has a large space for drawing, and spaces for students to write the following:
- Key events
- Key people
- Caption
- Dialogue
"Once you fill out the “Key information” and “Key People” parts of the sheet and sketch out what you would like your image to look like, get up and start creating your image. Remember, the idea is to create an image that in some way embodies the key information and shows us the key players. Consider:"
- How might we use our bodies to help communicate different characters?
- How can we create an image that displays key information?
Your completed image should have a caption, and each character in the image should have one line of dialogue prepared. This line of dialogue should communicate something important about your character’s role in this battle. Any Questions?"
3. IMAGE WORK
Give the students time to create images. Once they create the images, each group will have the opportunity to share their image with the class. If a student does not want to be in the image they might be the caption reader.
"When we share our images with the class, I will give you a count-down from 5 to get into your image. Whoever is reading the caption/title will tell the class that information. Then I will go up to each character and tap them on the shoulder, when I tap you, you will say your line in character."
As each group shares their image, engage in the following questions:
Describe:
- Describe this image, what do you see? (Encourage students to describe body positions/facial expressions before jumping to their analysis of the image)
Analyze:
- What do we think is happening in this image? What tells you that?
Relate:
- What did we learn from seeing this image?
- What key information did this image/the narration text and lines of dialogue communicate?
4. REFLECT
Describe:
- What did we just do in that activity?
Analyze:
- What did we just learn about those battles?
- What elements of images did we appreciate?
- What elements helped us better understand the information about that battle?
Relate:
- How we might use this activity when we’re learning about other historical events? H
- ow might this activity help us better remember the Texas battles?
Photograph the images created, and use these and other images of key events created in class to make a "photographic timeline" in the classroom.