Students learn about discrimination against the Tejanos and Native Americans in Texas. They read how the Tejanos felt like they did not belong in Texas (the U.S.) or Mexico. They analyze the issues facing the Native Americans and how the federal and state governments tried to solve their problems. Finally, they examine a letter from a Texas Ranger to Governor Pease about treatment of Native Americans.
Students read an overview explaining how the U.S.-Mexican War affected Tejanos and Native Americans in Texas, including discrimination, loss of land, and questions of loyalty and citizenship. They view an image of the Tejano Monument and are introduced to the lesson objectives. Students then respond to a collaborative prompt by posting examples of groups in U.S. history that have faced discrimination and briefly explaining why and when that discrimination occurred.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience by summarizing how the U.S.-Mexican War led to discrimination against Tejanos and conflicts with Native Americans, and review the lesson objectives. Prompt students to connect prior knowledge and personal or historical examples of discrimination, offering concrete examples (such as African Americans before the civil rights movement, Japanese Americans during World War II, and Muslims today) to deepen understanding. Organize students into small groups for the upcoming scenes and use the gate to transition the class when groups are ready.
Working in small groups, students read a narrative describing how statehood and the U.S.-Mexican War negatively affected Tejanos, including loss of property, forced migration, family divisions, denial of citizenship, political underrepresentation, and pressure to abandon language and cultural traditions. They collaboratively complete a table summarizing key details about discrimination against Tejanos during and after the war.
Teacher MovesGuide students through the reading by clarifying key terms and historical context, emphasizing how Tejanos’ land, citizenship, language, and culture were undermined. Support groups as they complete the table, prompting them to include specific examples such as family divisions, loss of land, erasure of history, and pressure to assimilate. Use the teacher gate to ensure all groups have recorded substantive notes before moving to the next scene.
In small groups, students examine background text about post–U.S.-Mexican War conflicts between settlers and American Indians, including the role of Texas troops and the Texas Rangers on the western frontier. They read the article Indian Relations (from the “Statehood” section through the Civil War) to learn how federal and state responsibilities, land control, and reservation policies affected Native peoples. Groups then post responses explaining factors that made relationships between Indians and Texans complicated, and they add a second collaborative response describing what they learned about Indian reservations in Texas and problems associated with them.
Teacher MovesPreview the context of increased settlement, land loss for American Indians, and the involvement of the Texas Rangers. Direct students to the specified section of the article and monitor group discussions to ensure they identify key issues such as divided authority between federal and state governments, loss of land, destruction of traditional ways of life, and tensions around reservations. Use the teacher notes as a guide to probe for details about specific reservations, frontier raids, blame placed on Indians, and the eventual removal of tribes from Texas. Facilitate brief whole-class sharing or comparison of group posts before transitioning students to independent work.
Students read an introduction to and the primary source letter E.D. Burleson to Governor Pease, in which a Texas Ranger describes violent encounters involving Rangers, American Indians, and a Black man. Drawing on the letter and prior learning, students write a paragraph expressing their opinion about how the Rangers dealt with the people involved, explaining whether they think the situation was handled appropriately and supporting their viewpoint with reasons.
Teacher MovesFrame the letter as a primary source that reveals perspectives on violence and relationships among Rangers, Tejanos, Native Americans, and African Americans. Encourage students to consider bias, point of view, and historical context as they form their opinions. After students submit their paragraphs, select and share one or more thoughtful or representative responses to spark class discussion about justice, discrimination, and the use of force. Use the gate to move the class forward once students have completed their reflections.
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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