Students explore the Texas economy today and consider how it might change in the future. They examine the role of the oil and gas industry and identify new industries that are diversifying the Texas economy. Then they imagine how Texas will look thirty years in the future.
Students read background information about how the Texas economy has shifted over time from agriculture to oil and gas and then to high technology, healthcare, and education. They examine an image of downtown Houston and respond to a word cloud prompt by identifying the part of the economy in which a parent or guardian works (for example, healthcare, education, or construction).
Teacher MovesIntroduce the lesson overview and objectives, highlighting that students will explore both the current and future Texas economy. After students submit word cloud responses, guide a brief discussion to identify patterns in the types of jobs represented and prompt students to reflect on which sectors appear most common or surprising.
Students learn that the Fortune 500 lists the largest U.S. companies by revenue and use The 100 Largest Companies in Texas and Mapping the Fortune 500 to investigate which major companies are based in Texas. They record observations about the top 10 largest public companies in Texas, identify the largest public and largest private companies in the state, answer multiple-choice questions about where most large companies are located and the headquarters of GameStop, and post reflections about what surprised them most on a class discussion wall.
Teacher MovesClarify that many of the largest Texas companies are connected to the oil and gas industry and provide specific examples such as ExxonMobil and Dell, Inc. Monitor students as they complete the tables and poll questions, then facilitate a discussion of their wall responses, drawing out insights about the dominance of certain industries and the presence of familiar companies in Texas.
Students read an explanation of how the Texas economy, while still heavily influenced by oil and gas, has diversified into sectors such as computer technology, aerospace, and healthcare, and they read the article Diversified Texas Economy Still in Growth Mode to learn more about these changes. Using a graphic organizer, they summarize which industries and companies have recently expanded in Austin, San Antonio, and Brownsville.
Teacher MovesEmphasize the concept of a diversified economy and how it helps Texas avoid boom-and-bust cycles tied to a single industry. Support students in extracting key details from the article and guide them in accurately completing the graphic organizer with examples of new and expanding industries in different Texas cities.
Students consider projections that many future jobs do not yet exist and review a list of emerging technologies such as renewable energy, self-driving vehicles, electric cars, drones, 3-D printers, robots, reusable rockets, and biotechnology. They write a “letter from the future” describing what the Texas economy might be like in thirty years, including which jobs are growing or declining and how life in Texas has improved or worsened. Then they read classmates’ letters and respond to at least two with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to connect each listed technology to possible economic changes in Texas, offering example predictions (such as growth in wind and solar energy jobs or reduced demand for truck drivers due to self-driving vehicles). Encourage thoughtful, evidence-based speculation in students’ letters and facilitate constructive peer feedback by modeling respectful questions and comments.
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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