Texas State Guide

General Facts

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Timeline

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Landmark Postcard

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Fun Facts

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Essential Questions for Texas

1. What are some significant events in the history of Texas?
2. What are some facts and features that make Texas unique?
3. What are some interesting places in Texas that people would want to visit?

All About Texas

Date of Statehood: December 29, 1845 (28th state)

State Motto: Friendship

State Nickname: The Lonestar State

State Bird: Mockingbird

State Tree: Pecan Tree

State Flower: Bluebonnet

Tourist Attractions: The Alamo, San Antonio’s River Walk, Big Bend National Park, Johnson Space Center, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and the Sixth Floor Museum

Famous Citizens of Iowa: Drew Brees, Lyndon B. Johnson, Steve Martin, Beyonce, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Kenny Rogers, and Sandra Day O’Connor

Capital City: Austin

Major Cities: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth

Brief History of Texas

Many years ago, Native American tribes inhabited Texas. Some of these tribes included the Caddos, the Apache, the Comanche, and the Karankawa. In 1519, Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda was the first to map the coastline, and Cabeza de Vaca arrived in 1528 when his ship wrecked. In the late 1600s, Europeans began settling in Texas. Frenchman Robert De La Salle established Fort St. Louis in 1685, but soon the Spanish took over. The Spanish established Catholic missions to spread Christianity throughout the area, and in 1718, what is now known as the Alamo was built.

In 1825, while Texas was still a part of Mexico, American Stephen F. Austin arrived with many people, and with the Mexican government’s approval, he established a colony. As the colony quickly grew, they had more and more disagreements with the Mexican government. Tensions got so high that in 1835, the Battle of Gonzales took place. As fighting broke out around the area, the Texas Revolution began. During the famous Battle of the Alamo in 1836, almost 200 Texans were killed. Even though they were defeated, Texas declared their independence on March 2, 1836, and defeated the Mexicans at the battle of San Jacinto. Although they were independent, Texas was not admitted into statehood until December 29, 1845 as the 28th state. Mexico was not happy that Texas was declared a state, and the Mexican-American War broke out in 1846. The war lasted about a year and a half, and ended with a U.S. victory in 1848.

Students will create a historical timeline, a postcard, a spider map, and a fun facts storyboard showing what they have learned about Texas. Creating these visuals gives the students the opportunity to show their creativity and their unique view of the state that they have researched. In addition, the combined use of words and illustrations allows students with different learning styles to show what they know in an exciting and eye catching way.