Students learn about motivations for French colonization in North America in general, and La Salle’s motivations in particular. They read about La Salle’s failed expedition to locate the mouth of the Mississippi and of his Texas settlement, Fort Saint Louis. They elaborate on the conflict between the Spanish and the French colonies, especially in Texas.
Students are introduced to the idea of “six flags over Texas,” noting that one of those flags was France, and preview that they will learn about French colonization of Texas and La Salle’s role. They view an image of the shipwreck of La Belle and respond in a table by posting a question they have about the shipwreck, ensuring their question is not a duplicate of one already posted.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives, connecting the “six flags over Texas” phrase to the focus on French Texas and La Salle. Use the image of La Belle to spark curiosity, prompting students to generate questions about the shipwreck and its connection to the lesson. Clarify that La Belle was one of the ships in La Salle’s 1684 expedition that landed in Texas and, if helpful, direct interested students to additional reading about La Belle in the student pack.
Students read introductory text explaining that La Belle was part of René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle’s expedition to Texas. They examine an image of La Salle’s expedition at Matagorda Bay and read the first paragraph, then the remainder, of the article La Salle Expedition to learn about French motives for colonization and La Salle’s 1684 expedition. Using what they read, they answer a multiple-choice question about French reasons for establishing colonies in North America, then additional questions identifying La Salle’s main objective for the expedition and which river he likely mistook for the Mississippi.
Teacher MovesGuide students through the reading of the article, ensuring they connect the visual of the expedition to the text. After students answer the question on French motives, relate their responses to the “Gold, God, and Glory” framework, emphasizing that French colonization focused more on trade and power than on religious conversion or large permanent settlements. Clarify misconceptions revealed by the questions about La Salle’s objective and his navigational error, reinforcing key details about the expedition and French interests in North America.
Students read an explanation that in 1685 La Salle built Fort Saint Louis on the Texas coast, briefly placing the French flag over Texas, and then read about Fort Saint Louis in the resource Fort St. Louis to understand the settlement’s purpose and location. They post a response on a shared wall explaining why La Salle built Fort Saint Louis on the Texas coast.
Teacher MovesClarify that La Salle mistakenly believed the Mississippi River emptied into the western Gulf of Mexico and therefore chose the Texas coast for his settlement. Explain that Fort Saint Louis was intended to protect French shipping routes along the Mississippi River and to secure a French presence in the region. Support students as they compose their wall responses, prompting them to connect La Salle’s geographic misunderstanding with his strategic and economic goals.
Students read about the broader power struggles among European empires in the Americas, including how a captured French pirate alerted Spain to La Salle’s plans and how Spain viewed the French colony as a threat to its silver mines and shipping routes. They reread the last two paragraphs of La Salle Expedition and then read the second and third paragraphs of Laredo to see how Spain increased colonization efforts in response to the French presence. Students answer a multiple-choice question about which Texas settlements were established by José de Escandón and then post on a shared wall explaining the conflict between Spain and France over Texas and how Spain responded.
Teacher MovesHighlight how intelligence about La Salle’s mission changed Spanish policy and led Spain to search for the French colony and expand eastward across Texas. Explain that, although early Spanish expeditions failed to find La Salle, they improved Spanish geographic knowledge and encouraged missions and settlements in eastern Texas and along both sides of the Rio Grande. Use the timeline details about later treaties and territorial changes to situate the conflict within a longer history of shifting claims, and prompt students to incorporate both the nature of the conflict and Spain’s strategic response in their wall posts.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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