Students learn about the population shift in Texas as people moved from the rural areas to urban and suburban areas. The students identify reasons people left for the cities and what opportunities awaited them in various Texas cities. Then they learn about positive and negative impacts that the rapid population growth had on the cities.
Students are introduced to the idea that major Texas cities were not always large. They examine a historical chart showing population changes in four Texas cities between 1850 and 1910 and contribute observations about trends and patterns to a shared table.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives. Guide students in interpreting the population chart by prompting them to notice specific trends (such as overall growth and rapid increases in particular cities) and facilitating a brief discussion of their posted observations.
Students read about the difficulties of farm life and the economic pressures that pushed people off the land, as well as the job opportunities in cattle, oil, textiles, shipping, banking, cotton, and the military that pulled people into cities like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. They complete a cause-and-effect graphic organizer explaining how oil refineries in Houston, the cotton market in Dallas, and the military base in San Antonio contributed to city growth.
Teacher MovesClarify the push–pull factors described in the text, emphasizing how specific industries created urban job opportunities. Support students as they complete the organizer by modeling one example and, as needed, sharing sample explanations for each city to reinforce the link between industry development and population growth.
Students read an explanation of geographic, economic, political, and social reasons for city growth in early 1900s Texas. Using the resource City Population from 1850–2000, they select a city that existed by 1930, record its population by decade from 1850 to 1930 in a graphic organizer, and calculate total growth. They then review classmates’ posts to compare findings and read A Brief History of Urbanization to deepen their understanding of how urbanization affected different social classes. Finally, they post to a class wall explaining how life differed for upper- and lower-class residents, using evidence from the reading.
Teacher MovesEnsure students choose appropriate cities with data through 1930 and support them in calculating population growth. Encourage a variety of city choices to broaden class comparisons. Prompt students to use evidence from the urbanization reading when describing class differences, and highlight exemplary or insightful wall posts to spark whole-class discussion about unequal living conditions in growing cities.
Students read about how rapid urban growth strained city infrastructure, including housing, sanitation, public services, transportation, and road construction, and how new technologies like electricity and automobiles changed city life. They read Late Nineteenth-Century Texas (starting at paragraph 9) to learn more about these changes, then write a letter from the perspective of a new city resident in 1900 describing their living and working conditions and what they observe around the city. Students review classmates’ letters and respond to at least two with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesReinforce key impacts of urbanization—crowding, infrastructure challenges, and technological change—before students write. Prompt students to incorporate details from the reading into their letters, including type of work, housing conditions, and class-based differences. Monitor and spotlight letters that effectively capture both opportunities and challenges of city life, and encourage thoughtful peer feedback in the comment exchanges.
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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