Lesson Title: 
Exercising One's Rights as a Citizen
 
Grade Level:  
Grade Five Lesson 5
 
Unit of Study: 
U.S. History
 
History-Social Science Standard: 
5.7.5   Discuss the meaning of the American creed that calls on citizens to safeguard the liberty of individual Americans within a unified nation, to respect the rule of law, and to preserve the constitution.
 
Correlation to K-8 California Adopted Textbooks: 
Harcourt Brace.  Early United States.  Unit 5: The New Nation.  Chapter 9: The Constitution.  Chapter 10: A New Government Begins.  Unit 8: Americans, Then and Now.  Chapter 16: The Promise of America.
 
McGraw-Hill: A New Nation.  Unit 5: The Fight for Independence.  Chapter 13.  Unit 6: Building the U.S. Chapters 14 and 15.  Unit 8: The U.S. Past and Present.  Chapters 19 and 20.
 
Setting of Context:
The rule of law is important to any society.  Our neighborhoods and cities must have a rule of law in order to maintain the public order and to provide safety for all of its citizens.  Sometimes we must protect U.S. citizens when they are outside of the Country.  Many of the Texans still thought they were U.S. citizens living in Texas and wanted the protection of the United States.  
 
Focus Questions: 
Why did people move west?

Why did Americans want to settle in Texas?

What problems did Americans and Mexicans have in Texas?

How did Texas become an independent republic in 1836?

How did the United States win control of Texas, Oregon, and the Southwest?
 
Expected Learning Outcomes:
Students will identify the reasons why people moved west.
Students will identify the causes of the Mexican War in a cause and effect format.
Students will identify the United States won control of Texas, manner in which the U.S. won control of Oregon, and the Southwest.
Students will label and color a map correctly identifying who controlled the territory prior to the Mexican War.
Students will label and color a map correctly identifying who controlled the territory after the Mexican War.
 
Assessments:
Time line of maps showing how the territories were claimed
Top 10 list of reasons people moved west
Cause and effect slideshow
Maps of territories

Key Concepts:
independence
migration
movement
changes
 
Essential Vocabulary:
Mexican War
republic
territories
Santa Ana
Sam Houston
Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo
citizens
property
conflict
requisites
fort

Primary Sources:
Any available pictures or illustrations of the battle of the Alamo, advertisements encouraging settlement in Texas.
 
Maps of territories showing ownership, evolution of maps showing when territories changed ownership

Visuals:
Map of Texas
Map of northwest U.S.
Pictures of Santa Ana and Sam Houston

Procedure

Motivation:

Imagine that you see and advertisement for a new school.  The school is newly built and offers many new opportunities.  The classrooms are all fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment like laptop computers with cable access to the World Wide Web.  The school grounds are beautifully landscaped and have a football field, a baseball diamond, an Olympic-sized pool, a skating rink, a bowling alley, and a gymnasium.  The advertisement guarantees that everyone attending would be a star.
 
Keep in mind that at your school, which is not quite as well equipped as the new school, not everyone is a star.  Imagine that at your current school you were just one of the many students.  You were being followed by the librarian who was strongly urging pay your fines, and your teachers wanted you to turn in your missing assignments.  This new school offers you the opportunity to go to a place where everyone is going to be successful.  In order to take advantage of this opportunity, there are only three requirements.  You must learn Spanish, must wear the school uniform, and you cannot talk to friends that do not attend the school.  You think it over for a while and decide to change schools.
 
Guided Instruction:
Part I:  New Opportunities
The school you were asked to imagine is not that different from the settlement of Texas in the 1820s.  You are now going to watch a slide show that shows the migration of people into Texas, which at that time belonged to Mexico.
 
Practice/Assessment Opportunity:
Students will use the information from the slideshow and do further research to create a cause and effect storyboard of the events that led to the Mexican War.
 
Part II:
The following is an example.  Students should include more details and finish with the Mexican Cession.
 
Cause	Effect	 
Mexico wins its independence from Spain	Texas is part of Mexico's territory	 
		
Mexico wants new settlers to settle in Texas	Americans move into Mexican territory looking for cheaper land and freedom	
		
Mexico sets conditions for settlers	Must learn Spanish, become Catholic	 
		 
Cannot bring slaves	Americans try to follow conditions-but many ignore them	 
 
This information can be used to create a multimedia presentation (Hyperstudio, PowerPoint, ClarisWorks slideshow) including graphics and sound that illustrate the knowledge the students have gained.
 
Use the book:  La Causa:  The Migrant Farmworkers' Story by Dana Catharine de Ruiz and Richard Larios.
 
Activity:
Students should read the story entitled Cheated to gain an understanding of the life of a farm worker, especially the life of César Chávez and how his trials and tribulations as a young farm worker instilled in him the desire to help others.

Part III: Organizing the Union
Setting the Context:
Have students recall that when the colonists were dissatisfied with Great Britain, they had to make a decision.  They had to decide to fight for their freedom or to always be ruled and dominated by Great Britain.  Even though they were unhappy, many colonists were afraid to fight against the Mother Country.  The same situation existed with the farm workers.  Many wanted better conditions, but were afraid to fight for what they deserved and wanted, which is freedom.
 
Vocabulary T-chart:
In groups, have students write or draw what they think freedom is.  This can be done on paper or using the computer.  Students should put the word freedom as the heading of the T-chart; one side should say Looks like and the other Is not:

Freedom
 
Looks like									Is not
 
Students can use words or a picture T-chart.
 
Students can then illustrate each side of the poem using the following frame:

Freedom is not Freedom is
 
Freedom is not
 
As Americans, we have the right to be free.
 
Introduce the slogan:  Viva la Causa, along with the translation.  Have students do a quick write on what they think it means and have a quick share of what they wrote.
 
Tell students that this was the slogan chosen by the farm workers to make their cause known to all.  Have students read Chapter 3 Viva la Causa!  in La Causa: The Migrant

Enrichment:
The Farmworkers' Story by Dana Catharine de Ruiz and Richard Larios.
 
Practice/Assessment Opportunity:
Create pamphlet that outlines the plight of the farm workers.  It should discuss the long hours, low wages, lack of water and bathrooms in the fields, the poor living conditions.  It should include information on the movement to unionize farm workers.
 
Students can add a section to their web page on farm workers that compares their situation to that of colonists prior to the Revolution.