Students learn about the complex relationship between the Spanish colonists and the Native Americans in Texas. They read about the various tribes and the diversity among them and their relations with the Spanish. They read a passage by Father Francisco Hidalgo and reflect on his attitude toward the Native Americans. Then they choose one of three dilemmas and describe it from two points of view: a Spanish settler and a Native American.
Students read an overview of the lesson and background text about Native Americans in Texas before European contact. They view images of Native peoples, contribute to a word cloud by listing Native American tribes that lived in Texas during the Spanish Colonial era, and respond to a prediction poll about the overall relationship between the Spanish and Native Americans.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the lesson focus and objective, highlighting that Native American societies were diverse and established long before European arrival. Provide examples of Texas tribes as needed, and use student responses in the word cloud and poll to surface prior knowledge and initial assumptions about Spanish–Native American relations.
Students read explanatory text about how European-introduced horses and firearms changed Native American life and shaped complex relationships with the Spanish. They then read detailed descriptions of several major Texas tribes and their interactions with the Spanish. Using this information, students complete a graphic organizer by summarizing key details about selected tribes, match tribes to descriptions of their relationships with the Spanish in a drag-and-drop activity, and answer a multiple-choice question about the economic role of trade in Spanish–Native American interactions.
Teacher MovesClarify how new technologies and shifting power dynamics influenced different tribes in distinct ways. Support students as they extract key details for the graphic organizer, prompting them to note both benefits and harms of Spanish contact. Review the drag-and-drop and multiple-choice responses to check understanding, address misconceptions about specific tribes, and reinforce the importance of trade in shaping alliances and conflicts.
Students read background information about Father Francisco Hidalgo and his efforts to expand Spanish missions, then examine excerpts from his 1716 report describing the Tejas (Asiani) people and their religious practices. They post a response describing Hidalgo’s attitude toward Native Americans, evaluating whether he shows understanding of their culture and supporting their claims with evidence from the text.
Teacher MovesGuide students in close reading of the excerpts, drawing attention to language that reveals both respect and bias. Highlight that Hidalgo’s letter is a primary source and prompt discussion about author perspective and bias. Share strong student examples, and ask the class why primary sources must be read critically and what assumptions Hidalgo brings to his description of Native Americans.
Students choose one of three dilemmas related to Spanish colonization—training Native Americans in new skills, the Comanche attack on Mission Santa Cruz, or converting Native Americans and teaching them Spanish—and explore a related resource (either the video New Skills, New Life, the article Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá and Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, or the article Life in the Missions: Between Reality, Romance and Revolt) to deepen their understanding. They then post a response describing the chosen dilemma from two perspectives: a Spanish missionary and a Native American, supporting each viewpoint with evidence from the lesson.
Teacher MovesExplain that historical events can be interpreted differently depending on perspective and that there are no single “right” answers. Encourage students to ground each point of view in specific evidence from texts and resources. After students post, select responses for whole-class discussion or have students read and reply to peers, prompting them to compare perspectives and consider how power and experience shape viewpoints.
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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