Lesson Plan (Direct Instruction)

Teacher: Jessica Kiehl Subject/Grade: U.S. History/7th

Standard:
 S1C6-PO1: Analyze the factors leading to the Civil War: c. Westward expansion (Manifest
Destiny, Texas War for Independence, Mexican War)
 S1C1-PO6: Determine the credibility and bias of primary and secondary sources.
Objective (Explicit):
 Students will be able to examine the motives behind Texans declaring independence from
Mexico.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):
 Classify documents and their authors
 Identify specific quotations that exemplify why Texans declared independence
 Inspect the validity of the source
 Conclude whether or not the Texans were justified
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable, include variety of methods of checking for understanding):
 Students will complete the worksheet with an accuracy of 83% to ensure the standard is met.
Key vocabulary: Materials:
 Expansion  Worksheet
 Annex  Projector
 Manifest Destiny  Document Camera
 Texas War for Independence
Opening/Anticipatory Set: (state objectives, connect to previous learning, and make relevant to real life)
Watch a video to tie in previously learned key vocabulary in relation to Texas Independence to catch
the attention of the students. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N89LzFdlz5E)
Instructional Input

Teacher Will: Student Will:

Instruct students that we will be talking about Write down observations and questions
the reasons why Texas wanted to be an relating to the opening video. Write down
independent country from Mexico. Introduce the possible answers to the question based on
question, “Why did Texans declare the opening video.
independence from Mexico in 1836?”
Differentiation
Closed captions will be on to help students who have trouble understanding spoken English.
Guided Practice

Teacher Will: Student Will:

Hand out worksheet and ask students to log
onto canvas for the documents associated with
the worksheet. As a class, we will read the
documents and answer the questions for each
document.
Raise their hand to offer answers to the
questions relating to the documents. Record
findings on the worksheet.
 Differentiation
Documents will be loaded onto the students’ computers so every student has the documents in
front of them instead of having to try to look at the board in front of class which can be hard for
students who don’t have access to glasses. Documents will be read aloud by other students to
help students who are lower level reading still get the main concepts from each document.
Independent Practice

Teacher Will: Student Will:

Set up students for the conclusion segment of Finish the worksheet using the information
the worksheet for homework. learned in class to individually draw
conclusions.

Differentiation
Worksheet is on paper to ensure that lack of access to technology isn’t an issue.

Closure/Lesson Summary: Close the lesson with question that point out the main aspects of the lesson.
Possible discussion questions include:
 Why did Texans declare independence?
 Were Texans justifies in declaring independence?
 Were these honorable men, fighting for freedom, or greedy slaveholders?
 What evidence from the documents supports your position?
 Which of these pieces of evidence do you find more/less trustworthy? Why?
 Why do historians still debate this question?

Source:
http://sheg.stanford.edu/upload/Lessons/Unit%204_Expansion%20and
%20Slavery/Texas%20Independence%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf

Worksheet
http://stchris-school.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=9241027