Students learn about the types of Spanish settlements in Texas: missions, towns (pueblos), and ranches. They work in small groups to research a specific mission. Then they learn about the early history of San Antonio and about the conflicts that arose between missionaries and private ranchers.
Students read background information about how Catholic friars, sponsored by the Spanish government, established missions and presidios in Texas and how many Texas place names reflect Spanish influence. They view an image of Mission Concepción and respond to a word cloud prompt by listing Texas places with Spanish names.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the lesson overview and objectives, highlighting that students will work in small groups to study missions, towns, and ranches. Provide examples of Texas places with Spanish names as needed, then organize students into small groups for the next three scenes.
In small groups, students are assigned or choose a Spanish mission in Texas to research using resources such as Spanish Missions and Spanish Missions in Texas. They answer guiding questions about the mission’s founding, location, architecture, key events, success or failure, and remaining structures, and the group recorder posts a written description of the mission.
Teacher MovesAssign or help groups select missions, ensuring coverage of key missions like San Francisco de los Tejas/San Francisco de la Espada, Corpus Christi de la Ysleta, San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo), and San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, and optionally a local mission. Clarify expectations for length and time, monitor research and collaboration, and, if time allows, invite brief oral presentations or have students read other groups’ descriptions.
Students read an explanation of the three types of Spanish settlements in Texas—missions, presidios, and pueblos—and how geography, Native relations, Spanish behavior, and defense needs shaped each settlement. Focusing on San Antonio as an early civil town, they watch The Making of Modern San Antonio and consult articles such as San Antonio and The First Civil Settlement in Texas. In small groups, they complete a timeline graphic organizer with four key events in San Antonio’s development from mission outpost to major town, including dates.
Teacher MovesClarify the distinctions among missions, presidios, and pueblos and emphasize San Antonio as a case study of a pueblo’s growth. Guide students to identify significant events (such as founding, church construction, becoming capital, secularization of missions) and support them in placing these events in chronological order on the timeline. Circulate to check for accuracy and completeness before moving on.
Students read about the development of ranching from mission livestock operations to private ranchos in Ranching in Spanish Texas. In small groups, they discuss potential conflicts and cooperation between missionaries and private ranchers and have a group note taker post a summary of their discussion.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to consider issues such as land ownership, access to grazing land, accusations of cattle rustling, and shared opposition to certain taxes and ranching laws. Highlight exemplary or especially insightful group responses and use them to lead a brief whole-class discussion about how economic interests shaped relationships between missions and private ranchers.
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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