Texas History Tuesday: Republic of Texas Take 2

Welcome back for the second week of Texas History Tuesday for the Republic of Texas. Last week we talked all about how to get students the information they need about the Republic of Texas. This week is all about stretching their knowledge and having them show what you know!

I like to start off the week with a couple of mini projects. The first one can be seen above and is the New Country: Design Your Own Money. I like to start by reviewing what we know about the money in the Republic of Texas. Students usually remember that it was not worth a lot, and that they were in a lot of debt. Then we talk about what is included in money. I will get out a dollar bill so that they can tell me about the elements that are included. We make a list of these items and I point out that they are also on the rubric. Then, I turn them loose to design their own money. Their designs always turn out way more detailed than mine.  

Our next mini project is to design a flag for your new country. I really enjoy both of these projects, because after their introductions students can work on them as they have time. I don't necessarily have to dedicate a block of time for them to work. 

Being that we are finishing up this unit, it is time for me to make sure that my students have retained the information. This time around, instead of an assessment, I have two different sorts that students complete to show their knowledge. The first sort can be seen above and asks students to Compare President Lamar to President Houston. Using a Venn diagram students cut and paste statements to describe either Houston, Lamar, or both. 

The second sort has to do with the Successes and Challenges of the Republic of Texas. This time, students are given statements and a t-chart to sort them onto based on whether they were positive or negative. 

Both of these sorts let me know really quickly who is understanding the material and who needs a little more help. 

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This pretty much wraps up our unit on the Republic of Texas. Next week we will move onto Annexation.

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