Tools and Resources for Teaching Texas History

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Tools and Resources for Teaching Texas History

• presented by the
• Texas State Historical Association

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Overview

• Using state and local documents to teach broader
  topics
  
• Locating Resources
• Getting students to use primary resources
  meaningfully
  
• Other opportunities

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Texas vs U.S. History

• Texas History is United States History!
• Inclusive Nature
• Using Texas /Local Examples adds Relevance

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Why Use Primary Sources

• Prompts Student Questions
• Helps Students Establish Context for Historical
  Events
  
• Helps Students Question Sources of Information
• Helps Students Understand Continuity and Change
  Over Time
  
• Helps Students Consider and Recognize Bias

http//www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles
/BB/fbr4.html
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The Value of Letters

• Historical Figures
• Significant Dates
• Important Issues
• Human Conflicts Resolutions

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Tying letters to photographs

• Womens suffrage parade
• New York City, 1911

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Great Texas Women

• http//www.utexas.edu/gtw/ipage.php?id889
• The Great Texas Women web site was designed to
  support and enhance the Gallery of Great Texas
  Women. The Gallery is located on the first floor
  of Kinsolving Residence Hall at The University of
  Texas at Austin. The Great Texas Women web site
  brings together a wealth of web resources
  including biographies, quotes, articles, personal
  accounts and other information about Texas women.
  The listing features links to many web resources
  about these influential women.

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Working With Primary Resources

• Use A Diary
• A Photograph
• An Oral History
• To write about a person, a hometown, a family,
  and a neighborhood, or about events and ideas.

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Internet-basedTexas History Primary Documents

• http//www.tshaonline.org/lshl/

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Texas Heritage Digitization Initiativehttp
//www.texasheritageonline.org
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• Young Scholars Page
• Portal Services for Teachers
• TEKS Aligned Materials on
• 
  Archives
  
• 
  Historical Societies
  
• 
  Museums
  
• 
  Private Collections
  
• http//texashistory.unt.edu/

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Stephen F. Austin UniversitysTides in Early
Texas History

• Enriches Curriculum
• Bridges Gaps Between
• Disciplines
• Meets Needs
• of Texas History Teachers
• Correlates with TEKS
• http//tides.sfasu.edu/home.html

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Texas ConstitutionsVisit the Tarlton Law
Librarys Texas Constitutions athttp//tarlton.la
w.utexas.edu/constitutions/index.html

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Celebrating all that makes Texas distinct . . .

• Teacher Education Workshops
• Texas Flags 4th 7th Grade Tools
• Texas History Coloring Book
• Community History Workshops

http//www.texasstudies.com/
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Texas Beyond HistoryCollege of Liberal Arts, UT
AustinTexas Archeological Research Library

httpwww.texasbeyondhistory.net/
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Institute of Texan Cultures

• Exhibits
• Educational Programs
• Cultural Heritage

http//www.texancultures.utsa.edu/
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Other State Resources

• Texas Education Agency
• http//www.tea.state.tx.us/ssc/primary_resources/p
  rimary_sources.html
  
• Texas State Library
• http//www.tsl.state.tx.us/exhibits/index.html
• General Land Office
• http//www.glo.state.tx.us/archives/findingaids.ht
  ml

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Texas Library Association

• Great bibliography of secondary reference
  sources
  
• http//www.txla.org/pubs/trs/trsonline.html

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Humanities Texas

• Online Exhibits
• Great Primary and Secondary Source Material
• Lessons and Activities
• www.humanities-interactive.org

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Texas Historical Commission

• Historic Sites Atlas
• http//atlas.thc.state.tx.us/
• La Salle images and activities
• http//www.thc.state.tx.us/lasalle/lasdefault.shtm
  l

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Texas Archeological Society

• Activities for students
• Suggested teaching resources
• http//www.txarch.org/index.html

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S.A.G.E.

• Social Studies Texan Archives
• Teaching With Historic Places
• Other Resources
• http//sage.tamu.edu/index.asp

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Austin College

• Center for Southwestern Mexican Studies
• Lesson Plans
• Mexican American Resources
• http//www.austincollege.edu/Category.asp?1968

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Additional Resources

• Presidential Libraries
• Presidential Timeline
• TCEE/NCEE Products
• American Memory

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Online Training Resources

• Searching American Memory
• Prospecting in American Memory
• The Great Depression

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Other Resources

• Handbook Alignment Tools
• Southwestern Historical Quarterly
• Documents of Texas History
• A Brave Boy A Good Soldier
• New Texas History Movies
• TSHA Publications
• Others?

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Project Based Learning-A Winning Combination

• Rationale
• Differentiation for individual learners
• Best Practices
• Project Types
• Interdisciplinary opportunities
• Recognition Opportunities

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Skills Contests

• Junior Historians
• Focus on all Texas history, though other topics
  are allowed
  
• Project based
• Co-curricular or extra-curricular activity
• Awards are available for quality research
• For 4th-12th
• http//www.tshaonline.org/education/jh/index.html

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Skills Contests

• Texas History Day
• Focus on all history
• Project based
• Co-curricular activity
• Awards are available for quality research
• For 6th-12th
• http//www.tshaonline.org/education/thd/index.html

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Skills Contests

• Daughters of the
• Republic of Texas
• Cash awards available
• Research on people, events and locations prior to
  1850
  
• K-5 Poster and Artwork Contest
• 6-12 PowerPoint Presentation
• http//www.drt-inc.org/education.html

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Writing Contests

• Junior Historians
• Sponsored since 1940
• Over 2,000 in awards available
• 500-2,500 word open topic papers
• 500 for 4th-5th
• 1,500-2,500 for 6th-12th
• Opportunity for publication
• Open to 4th-12th grade
• http//www.tshaonline.org/education/jh/index.html
  

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Writing Contests

• Daughters of the
• Republic of Texas
• 200 in awards available
• 500-825 word topic centered papers
• 500-525 for 4th
• 800-825 for 7th
• Open to 4th 7th grade
• http//www.drt-inc.org/education.html

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Knowledge Contests

• Texas Quiz Show
• Multi-level contest based on all things Texas
• Classroom and school levels help identify
  prospective team members
  
• Teams represent schools at regional and state
  level
  
• Regional contests in Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort
  Worth, and San Antonio in 2008
  
• Open to 6th-8th grade
• http//www.TexasQuizShow.com

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Other services of TSHA

• Handbook of Texas Online
• TEKS Tool and Lesson Plans
• History Awareness Workshops
• Publications
• TSHA Annual Meeting
• Mary Jon and J.P. Bryan Leadership Award

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Questions?

• http//www.TSHAonline.org