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Tell a Tale of a Trail

Grade 7, Social Studies

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Description of the Unit

Students will choose a Texas historical trail and research the physical and historical impacts of the trail. Students will explore how the route affected the development of the state. For the final product, students will create an interactive website about the trail they chose.

This guide links the Tell a Tale of a Trail unit to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for seventh graders. Tell a Tale of a Trail is a social studies unit that allows students to study the history of Texas and the State’s historical trails from a geographic and cultural perspective. This unit also has interdisciplinary connections to English language arts. For example, students will use geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data, as addressed in the Social Studies TEKS; and students will analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding, as addressed in the English Language Arts and Reading TEKS. The following document includes the applicable TEKS and the details of the Tell a Tale of a Trail unit. The asterisks indicate the TEKS that are testable on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR™). The final section of this document presents the applicable Texas College and Career Readiness Standards adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on January 24, 2008.

Phase I. Learning Experiences

  1. Define the following terms: ferry, road, route, trace, and trail. Discuss these terms in relation to modes of travel, commerce (economy), and population in the past and present.
    Topics for discussion:
    • Do they know any trails?
    • What makes a trail famous?
    • Why use a trail?
    • What and/ or who influenced the creation of the trail?
    • What made the trail successful?
    • Is the trail well known today? Why or why not?
    • What does it mean to be a historic?
  2. Introduce historic routes to the students using a map of Texas. (See attachment A.) Have students speculate why these routes existed. Discuss what might have been transported on these routes and why?
  3. Divide the students into two or four groups. Each group will select either El Camino Real de los Tejas or El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro of the National Historic Trails within Texas. Go to the National Parks Society website for each trail: Consider the questions above and have students to develop their own about these two trails.
  4. Groups are to create a map with legend of the route(s) of the trail representing the past and present key points.
  5. Each group will present their findings and lead a class discuss on the impact of their trail. Groups should include why their trail is also a National Historic Trail.

    Other resources:
    https://www.nps.gov/elte/index.htm
    http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/library/pubs/travel/national_trail.pdf
    https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/national-scenic-and-historic-trails/el-camino-real-de-tierra-adentro
    https://www.blm.gov/visit/jornada-del-muerto-wsa

Phase II. Independent Research

A. Research process

  1. Selecting an individual or pair. Each student selects a trail to study that interests him or her. The trail could be from any area, but it must have an impact on Texas.

  2. Asking guiding questions. To understand the historical importance of the trail, students must ask questions of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance. They must not only ask when their trail was the most successful, but also how did it impact the events of the time.

    Each student should think of three to five guiding questions to explore, such as:

    • How did it contributed to the development of Texas?
    • How did the trail affect individuals, communities, states, nations, and the world? What is its affect today?
    • What factors contributed to your trails’ success or demise?
    • What political, economic, religious, environmental, or sociocultural perspectives influenced and/or motivated individuals to travel the trail?
    • How did the trail impact society?
    • How does the trail impact today’s economy?
    • Why should this trail be considered for recognition as a national historic trail?

    While these examples are general, the student’s questions should be specific to the chosen topic. Each student should think of guiding questions about the trail or the person or group that traveled the trail that will lead to his/her own research-based opinions. The student should also develop a hypothesis or some possible answers to the questions.

  3. Designing and submitting a research proposal. The student should include numerous components in the research proposal:

    • The trail he/she will research
    • The three to five questions he/she will investigate
    • Resources he/she will need to find answers to questions, such as primary and secondary sources, correspondence with experts on the subject, etc.
    • Initial thoughts concerning the impact of the trail on contemporary society.

    In the process of writing the research proposal, students may refine their guiding questions. Here are some questions to guide students’ identification of resources:

    • What libraries, research centers, archival institutions, museums, or organizations will have information on the trail?
    • What are some key words, dates, or people related to the trail?
    • What types of primary sources might exist? Who might you interview to gather information?
    • What letters, diaries, or other first-person narratives are available pertaining to the trail?
  4. Conducting the research. After the teacher has approved the student proposals, each student will begin using the identified resources and/or other sources he/she may encounter. During this stage, the student will need to keep a log, note cards, or resource process sheets of all the sources he/she uses and what he/she learn from each one.

B. The product

A webpage. The student should design a webpage with the historically information on their trail, a map of the trail, highlighting the impact on Texas, and links to resources. Students should create and properly document approximately ten artifacts highlighting the trail and its impact. Highlight changes in the trail over the years and the communities surrounding it. Each artifact need not be student-created. For example, students may include photos, drawings, maps, letters, and diaries that may be a photocopy, as appropriate. Students should think about how they can convey what the trail stood for and how it has impacted the times in which it was productive and/or the future. The web page should be easy to navigate and be user friendly.

C. Communication

In a period of no more than 10 minutes, students will navigate others through their website, engaging other students in the content of webpage. Students should ask questions for the student web developer to respond to.

D. A completed project consists of:

  1. A cover sheet
  2. The research proposal, including guiding questions
  3. A research log, note cards, or resource process sheets
  4. A layout design for the webpage
  5. A works cited page
  6. The webpage link for the final working webpage
  7. A videotape or audiotape of the presentation, including the Q&A session

This unit may address the following TEKS.

110.22., English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Adopted 2017

110.22(b)(1)
Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking--oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.
110.22(b)(2)
Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively.
110.22(b)(7)
Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts.
110.22(b)(8)
Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.
110.22(b)(10)
Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.
110.22(b)(12)
Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

111.27, Mathematics, Grade 7

111.27(b)(1)
Mathematical process standards. The student uses mathematical processes to acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding.

113.19, Social Studies, Grade 7

113.19(b)(1)
History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history.
113.19(b)(2)
History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues through the Mexican National Era shaped the history of Texas.
113.19(b)(4)
History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of the Republic of Texas and early Texas statehood.
113.19(b)(5)
History. The student understands how events and issues shaped the history of Texas during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
113.19(b)(6)
History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of Texas from Reconstruction through the beginning of the 20th century.
113.19(b)(7)
History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of Texas during the 20th and early 21st centuries.
113.19(b)(8)
Geography. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data.
113.19(b)(9)
Geography. The student understands the location and characteristics of places and regions of Texas.
113.19(b)(10)
Geography. The student understands the effects of the interaction between humans and the environment in Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
113.19(b)(11)
Geography. The student understands the characteristics, distribution, and migration of population in Texas in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
113.19(b)(19)
Culture. The student understands the concept of diversity within unity in Texas.
113.19(b)(20)
Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on the political, economic, and social development of Texas.
113.19(b)(21)
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology.
113.19(b)(22)
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.
113.19(b)(23)
Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings.

115.27., Health Education, Grades 7-8, Adopted 2020

115.27(b)(2)
Physical health and hygiene--personal health and hygiene. The student understands health literacy, preventative health behaviors, and how to access and evaluate health care information to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:
115.27(b)(12)
Injury and violence prevention and safety--healthy home, school, and community climate. The student understands that individual actions and awareness can impact safety, community, and environment. The student is expected to:

This unit may address the following Texas College and Career Readiness Standards.

Science:

S.I.B.1
Design and conduct scientific investigations in which hypotheses are formulated and tested.
S.I.C.1
Collaborate on joint projects.
S.I.D.1
Demonstrate literacy in computer use.
S.I.D.2
Use computer models, applications, and simulations.
S.I.D.3
Demonstrate appropriate use of a wide variety of apparatuses, equipment, techniques, and procedures for collecting quantitative and qualitative data.
S.I.E.1
Use several modes of expression to describe or characterize natural patterns and phenomena. These modes of expression include narrative, numerical, graphical, pictorial, symbolic, and kinesthetic.
S.I.E.2
Use essential vocabulary of the discipline being studied.
S.III.D.1
Use search engines, databases, and other digital electronic tools effectively to locate information.
S.III.D.2
Evaluate quality, accuracy, completeness, reliability, and currency of information from any source.
S.IV.C.2
Recognize the role of people in important contributions to scientific knowledge.
S.V.C.1
Recognize patterns of change.
S.V.D.1
Understand that scientists categorize things according to similarities and differences.
S.V.E.1
Use models to make predictions.
S.V.E.2
Use scale to relate models and structures.
S.X.C.1
Recognize variations in population sizes, including human population and extinction, and describe mechanisms and conditions that produce these variations.
S.X.D.1
Name and describe major environmental policies and legislation.
S.X.D.2
Understand the types, uses, and regulations of the various natural resources.
S.X.E.1
Describe the different uses for land (land management).
S.X.E.4
Understand land and water usage and management practices.
S.X.E.5
Understand how human practices affect air, water, and soil quality.

Social Studies:

SS.I.A.1
 Use the tools and concepts of geography appropriately and accurately.
SS.I.A.2
 Analyze the interaction between human communities and the environment.
SS.I.A.3
 Analyze how physical and cultural processes have shaped human communities over time.
SS.I.A.4
 Evaluate the causes and effects of human migration patterns over time.
SS.I.A.5
 Analyze how various cultural regions have changed over time.
SS.I.A.6
 Analyze the relationship between geography and the development of human communities.
SS.I.B.2
 Identify and evaluate sources and patterns of change and continuity across time and place.
SS.I.E.1
 Identify different social groups (e.g., clubs, religious organizations) and examine how they form and how and why they sustain themselves.
SS.I.E.2
 Define the concept of socialization and analyze the role socialization plays in human development and behavior.
SS.I.E.3
 Analyze how social institutions (e.g., marriage, family, churches, schools) function and meet the needs of society.
SS.I.F.1
 Use a variety of research and analytical tools to explore questions or issues thoroughly and fairly.
SS.I.F.2
 Analyze ethical issues in historical, cultural, and social contexts.
SS.II.B.6
 Analyze how individual and group identities are established and change over time.
SS.III.A.1
 Distinguish spatial patterns of human communities that exist between or within contemporary political boundaries.
SS.III.A.2
 Connect regional or local developments to global ones.
SS.III.A.3
 Analyze how and why diverse communities interact and become dependent on each other.
SS.III.B.1
 Apply social studies methodologies to compare societies and cultures.
SS.IV.A.1
 Identify and analyze the main idea(s) and point(s)-of-view in sources.
SS.IV.A.5
 Read narrative texts critically.
SS.IV.A.6
 Read research data critically.
SS.IV.B.1
 Use established research methodologies.
SS.IV.B.2
 Explain how historians and other social scientists develop new and competing views of past phenomena.
SS.IV.B.3
 Gather, organize, and display the results of data and research.
SS.IV.B.4
 Identify and collect sources.
SS.IV.C.1
 Understand and interpret presentations (e.g., speeches, lectures, informal presentations) critically.
SS.V.A.1
 Use appropriate oral communication techniques depending on the context or nature of the interaction.
SS.V.A.2
 Use conventions of standard written English.
SS.V.B.1
 Attribute ideas and information to source materials and authors.

Cross-Disciplinary Standards:

CDS.I.A.1
 Engage in scholarly inquiry and dialogue.
CDS.I.A.2
 Accept constructive criticism and revise personal views when valid evidence warrants.
CDS.I.B.3
 Gather evidence to support arguments, findings, or lines of reasoning.
CDS.I.B.4
 Support or modify claims based on the results of an inquiry.
CDS.I.C.2
 Develop and apply multiple strategies to solve a problem.
CDS.I.C.3
 Collect evidence and data systematically and directly relate to solving a problem.
CDS.I.D.1
 Self-monitor learning needs and seek assistance when needed.
CDS.I.D.2
 Use study habits necessary to manage academic pursuits and requirements.
CDS.I.D.3
 Strive for accuracy and precision.
CDS.I.D.4
 Persevere to complete and master tasks.
CDS.I.E.1
 Work independently.
CDS.I.E.2
 Work collaboratively.
CDS.I.F.1
 Attribute ideas and information to source materials and people.
CDS.I.F.2
 Evaluate sources for quality of content, validity, credibility, and relevance.
CDS.II.A.3
 Identify the intended purpose and audience of the text.
CDS.II.A.4
 Identify the key information and supporting details.
CDS.II.A.5
 Analyze textual information critically.
CDS.II.A.6
 Annotate, summarize, paraphrase, and outline texts when appropriate.
CDS.II.A.7
 Adapt reading strategies according to structure of texts.
CDS.II.A.8
 Connect reading to historical and current events and personal interest.
CDS.II.B.1
 Write clearly and coherently using standard writing conventions.
CDS.II.B.2
 Write in a variety of forms for various audiences and purposes.
CDS.II.C.2
 Explore a research topic.
CDS.II.C.3
 Refine research topic based on preliminary research and devise a timeline for completing work.
CDS.II.C.4
 Evaluate the validity and reliability of sources.
CDS.II.C.5
 Synthesize and organize information effectively.
CDS.II.C.6
 Design and present an effective product.
CDS.II.C.7
 Integrate source material.
CDS.II.C.8
 Present final product.
CDS.II.D.1
 Identify patterns or departures from patterns among data.
CDS.II.D.2
 Use statistical and probabilistic skills necessary for planning an investigation and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data
CDS.II.D.3
 Present analyzed data and communicate findings in a variety of formats.
CDS.II.E.1
 Use technology to gather information.
CDS.II.E.2
 Use technology to organize, manage, and analyze information.
CDS.II.E.3
 Use technology to communicate and display findings in a clear and coherent manner.
CDS.II.E.4
 Use technology appropriately.

English Language Arts:

ELA.I.A.2
Generate ideas, gather information, and manage evidence relevant to the topic and purpose.
ELA.I.A.1
Determine effective approaches, genres, rhetorical techniques, and media that demonstrate understanding of the writer’s purpose and audience.
ELA.I.A.3
Evaluate relevance, quality, sufficiency, and depth of preliminary ideas and information; organize material generated; and formulate a thesis or purpose statement.
ELA.II.A.7
Compare and analyze how features of genre are used across texts.
ELA.II.A.8
Identify, analyze, and evaluate similarities and differences in how multiple texts present information, argue a position, or relate a theme.
ELA.II.A.4
Make evidence-based inferences about a text’s meaning, intent, and values.
ELA.II.A.1
Use effective reading strategies to determine a written work’s purpose and intended audience.
ELA.II.A.2
Use text features to form an overview of content and to locate information.
ELA.II.A.3
Identify explicit and implicit textual information including main ideas and author’s purpose.
ELA.II.D.3
Appreciate the aesthetic qualities and values of diverse texts.
ELA.II.D.1
Make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections.
ELA.II.B.3
Use reference guides to confirm the meanings of new words or concepts.
ELA.II.C.2
Analyze the relationships between works of literature and the historical periods and cultural contexts in which they were written.
ELA.II.B.1
Identify new words and concepts acquired through study of their relationships to other words and concepts.
ELA.II.B.2
Apply knowledge of roots and affixes to infer the meanings of new words.
ELA.III.A.5
Plan and deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey clear and distinct perspectives and demonstrate sound reasoning.
ELA.III.A.4
Adjust delivery, vocabulary, and length of message for particular audiences, purposes, and contexts.
ELA.III.A.1
Participate actively, effectively, and respectfully in one-on-one oral communication as well as in group discussions.
ELA.III.A.3
Understand how style, register, and content of spoken language vary in different contexts and influence the listener’s understanding.
ELA.IV.A
Apply listening skills in a variety of settings and contexts.
ELA.IV.A.2
Listen critically and respond appropriately.
ELA.V.C
Design and produce an effective product.
ELA.V.C.1
Integrate and organize material effectively.
ELA.V.C.2
Use and attribute source material ethically.
ELA.V.B.3
Assess the relevance and credibility of sources.
ELA.V.B.1
Explore and collect a range of potential sources.
ELA.V.A.1
Articulate and investigate research questions.
ELA.V.A.2
Explore and refine a research topic.
ELA.V.A.3
Devise a plan for completing work on time.

Mathematics:

M.IX.B.2
Understand and use appropriate mathematical models in the natural, physical, and social sciences.
M.IX.B.1
Use multiple representations to demonstrate links between mathematical and real-world situations.
M.IX.A.1
Connect and use multiple key concepts of mathematics in situations and problems.
M.IX.A.2
Connect mathematics to the study of other disciplines.
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