Students brainstorm what motivated nineteenth-century immigrants to come to Texas. Then they focus on the experience of German immigrants. Next they analyze how the German immigrants impacted Texas. Finally they choose three additional immigrant groups and create a chart of interesting facts.
Students read an introduction explaining how Texas’s population grew after statehood and how immigration shaped the state. They view an image of Indianola, Texas, as a historic port of entry and respond to a word cloud prompt by posting brief ideas about what nineteenth-century immigrants might have been seeking when they came to Texas.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives, preview key vocabulary, and, if available, assign leveled readers about nineteenth-century immigration in Texas or the United States. Prompt students to think about possible motivations for immigration and, after reviewing sample responses, guide them to consider economic, political, and religious reasons people might have had for moving to Texas.
Students examine an image of German immigrants traveling to New Braunfels and read explanatory text about why many Germans immigrated to Texas, where they settled, and how diverse they were in background, religion, and occupation. They answer multiple-choice questions about German immigrants’ reasons for coming to Texas and the name of the region they settled, then add a question they have about German immigrants in Texas to a class table.
Teacher MovesClarify key ideas in the reading, such as economic opportunity, political freedom, and the geographic area known as the German Belt. Monitor student responses to the questions, address misunderstandings, and encourage students to pose thoughtful questions about German immigration that can be revisited or researched later.
Students view images of German-built structures, including a Catholic church in Fredericksburg, and read about how German immigrants contributed to Texas through farming, town building, businesses, schools, newspapers, and cultural traditions such as music halls and Oktoberfest. They then post an explanation on a class wall describing the impact German immigrants had on the development of Texas.
Teacher MovesHighlight examples of German influence on Texas’s economy, infrastructure, education, and culture. Review student explanations on the wall, share strong or representative responses with the class, and use them to prompt discussion about how immigration can shape a state’s growth and identity.
Students view an image of an early Polish settlement building and read directions to examine information in Immigration to Texas. They select three immigrant groups from countries other than Germany and complete a graphic organizer chart that lists each country of origin alongside an interesting fact about that group’s experience in Texas.
Teacher MovesGuide students in accessing and using the resource to locate relevant information about different immigrant groups. Facilitate a class discussion in which students share examples from their charts, connect these groups to their own family origins when possible, and compare immigrant experiences across time and place.
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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