Students learn about the opposing groups at the Consultation and the compromise resolution, the Declaration of November 7, 1835. Then, the students explain the collapse of the provisional government. Finally, they write a speech from the point of view of one of the delegates to the Consultation.
Students read an introduction to the Consultation of 1835 in San Felipe de Austin, including the election of Branch T. Archer as president and the division between pro-war, pro-peace, and compromise groups. They then choose one of the three groups and post a slogan to a class wall that represents that group’s position at the Consultation.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives, briefly explain the historical context of the Consultation, and guide students in understanding the different political positions among the delegates. Facilitate a whole-class discussion of the posted slogans, using them to highlight the contrasting goals of the pro-war, pro-peace, and compromise groups.
Students read Consultation of 1835 to learn more about the Consultation and the Organic Law, then answer a multiple-choice question about what the Organic Law introduced. Next, they read about the compromise Declaration of November 7, 1835 and use Declaration of November 7, 1835 to complete a graphic organizer with key information about the declaration and its terms.
Teacher MovesClarify the purpose of the Consultation and the Organic Law, checking for understanding as students answer the multiple-choice question. Support students as they extract main ideas and details from the declaration resource, prompting them to include information such as the Texans’ conditional loyalty to Mexico, their commitment to the Constitution of 1824, and their stance on continuing the fight while Mexican troops remained in Texas.
Students read an explanation of how the Consultation became the provisional government of Texas, including the roles of Henry Smith, the General Council, and Sam Houston, and the conflicts over issues such as the Matamoros expedition. They then read Provisional Government and complete a graphic organizer explaining three causes of the collapse of the provisional government.
Teacher MovesExplain the structure and function of the provisional government and highlight the disagreements between the governor and the General Council. Guide students in identifying and articulating specific causes of the government’s collapse in their organizers, such as internal conflict, attempts to disband the council, and lack of unified leadership as war approached.
Students read San Felipe de Austin’s Role as Provisional Government to deepen their understanding of how the provisional government operated. They then imagine themselves as delegates at the Consultation, choose either a pro-war or pro-peace stance, and write a brief persuasive speech to the Consultation on a class wall, attempting to convince others to support their point of view.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to connect details from the reading to the positions they adopt in their speeches. Select and share representative speeches from both pro-war and pro-peace perspectives with the class, and facilitate a discussion comparing the arguments, evidence used, and how each reflects the historical debates at the Consultation.
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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