Students first brainstorm names of Austin downtown streets; all north-south running streets are named for rivers. Then students summarize details about different areas of life within the Texas settlements. Next they find a photo of a dog-trot house and infer how its structure helped residents adapt to the Texas climate. Finally they write a journal entry describing their life in the Austin Colony.
Students are introduced to the focus on life in the Texas settlements and review the lesson objectives. They examine an 1873 map of Austin and read about how streets near the capitol are named for major Texas rivers. Students then respond to a word cloud prompt by predicting other possible downtown Austin street names.
Teacher MovesProvide an overview of how this experience fits with related lessons on Texas colonization. Clarify key vocabulary as needed. After students submit word cloud responses, reveal that many north–south streets are named for Texas rivers and, if relevant, share additional information about Austin’s street layout to build interest and geographic context.
Students view an image of the Bastrop woodlands and read informational text describing different aspects of life in the Austin Colony, including livelihood (farming, ranching, mills, and cash crops), communication (mail routes, newspaper, and early English-language schools), religion (Catholic requirements and lack of priests), defense and justice (militia and legal system), and government (local democratic council and Austin’s leadership). They then complete a graphic organizer by summarizing the main ideas for each area of life.
Teacher MovesGuide students through the reading, highlighting how economic activities, communication, religion, defense, and government shaped daily life in the colony. Support students as they fill in the graphic organizer, prompting them to use key details and accurate terminology. Before moving on, have students share and refine their summaries to ensure they can describe life in the Austin Colony clearly.
Students are introduced to the dog-trot (dog-run) house as a common form of housing in Texas settlements. They locate and upload an image of a dog-trot house, view classmates’ images, and post a response explaining what they think is the purpose of the open space between the two living areas.
Teacher MovesExplain the structure and function of a dog-trot house, emphasizing how the open passageway provided shade, caught breezes to cool the home, and served as a work and storage area. Connect this housing design to how settlers adapted to the Texas climate and environment, and use student responses to reinforce the idea of environmental adaptation in the settlements.
Students examine an 1878 “Gone to Texas!” map and read about the phrase “Gone to Texas” as a description of large-scale emigration. They read Frontier Folk to learn more about daily life on the Texas frontier, then imagine themselves as settlers in the Austin Colony and write a journal entry describing a day in their life or a specific event. After posting, they read classmates’ entries and respond to at least two with a question or comment.
Teacher MovesDiscuss the idea of “Gone to Texas” and what it reveals about migration to the region. Prompt students to draw on details from the reading and earlier scenes (livelihood, communication, religion, defense, and government) as they craft their journal entries. Encourage thoughtful peer feedback by modeling how to ask clarifying questions and make text-based comments that deepen understanding of life in the Texas settlements.
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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