Description

Have your Texas History students experienced a Documents Based Question? DBQ’s are one of the best ways to use primary sources in your classroom and prepare your students for the 8th Grade US History STAAR. Allow your students to explore the essential question “What was Texas’s greatest contribution to the Civil War?” through four primary source documents.

Students will begin this lesson with a hook – listening to the song “Bonnie Blue Flag” while they analyze the song for historical content. They will then read a background essay and discuss three of Texas’s contributions to the Civil War – military contributions, economic contributions, and defensive contributions. After they have completed the “Stop and Discuss” Questions embedded into the essay, they will analyze four different primary sources and a timeline. An outline will then be used to guide students in the final step, writing an essay using the documents.

When you purchase this activity, you will receive:

-a lesson plan including 7th grade TEKS

-a hook based off of the “Bonnie Blue Flag” song

-a six page background essay on “Texas in the Civil War”. Topics include the secession decision by Sam Houston, John Magruder, Richard Dowling, Santos Benavides, Hood’s Texas Brigade, Terry’s Texas Rangers, Battle of Sabine Pass, Battle of Galveston, Battle of Palmito Ranch, and the blockade of the South

–Stop and Discuss questions embedded into the background essay

–Four primary source documents including: poems on John Bell Hood, Map of the Anaconda Plan, transportation map, Civil War Battles in Texas map, and description of the Battle of Galveston

–handouts for guiding students through the essay

Don’t have time for a writing assignment? Consider placing your students into groups of 3 – assign each student a different topic and then debate the essential question!

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Do you like this style of teaching? Check out these other activities for Texas History!