Social Studies TEKS

§113.23. Social Studies, Grade 7.

(a) Introduction.

(1) In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present. Content is presented with more depth and breadth than in Grade 4. Students examine the full scope of Texas history, including the cultures of Native Americans living in Texas prior to European exploration and the eras of mission-building, colonization, revolution, republic, and statehood. The focus in each era is on key individuals, events, and issues and their impact. Students identify regions of Texas and the distribution of population within and among the regions and explain the factors that caused Texas to change from an agrarian to an urban society. Students describe the structure and functions of municipal, county, and state governments, explain the influence of the U.S. Constitution on the Texas Constitution, and examine the rights and responsibilities of Texas citizens. Students use primary and secondary sources to examine the rich and diverse cultural background of Texas as they identify the different racial and ethnic groups that settled in Texas to build a republic and then a state. Students analyze the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations such as barbed wire and the oil and gas industries on the development of Texas. Students use primary and secondary sources to acquire information about Texas.

(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as biographies and autobiographies; novels; speeches, letters, and diaries; and poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Selections may include a biography of Barbara Jordan or Lorenzo de Zavala and William B. Travis' letter "To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World." Motivating resources are also available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.

(3) The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are intended to be integrated for instructional purposes with the history and geography strands establishing a sense of time and a sense of place. Skills listed in the geography and social studies skills strands in subsection (b) of this section should be incorporated into the teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and critical-thinking skills are taught together.

(4) Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced in the Texas Education Code, §28.002(h).

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(7.1) History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in Texas history. The student is expected to:

(A) identify the major eras in Texas history and describe their defining characteristics;

(B) apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant individuals, events, and time periods; and

(7.2) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues prior to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to:

(A) compare the cultures of Native Americans in Texas prior to European colonization;

(B) identify important individuals, events, and issues related to European exploration and colonization of Texas, including the establishment of Catholic missions;

(C) identify the contributions of significant individuals including Moses Austin, Stephen F. Austin, and Juan Seguín during the colonization of Texas;

(D) identify the impact of the Mexican federal Constitution of 1824 on events in Texas;

(E) trace the development of events that led to the Texas Revolution, including the Law of April 6, 1830, the Turtle Bayou Resolutions, and the arrest of Stephen F. Austin; and

(F) contrast Spanish and Anglo purposes for and methods of settlement in Texas.

(7.3) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues related to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to:

(A) explain the roles played by significant individuals during the Texas Revolution, including George Childress, Lorenzo de Zavala, James Fannin, Sam Houston, Antonio López de Santa Anna, and William B. Travis; and

(B) explain the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas Revolution, including the battle of Gonzales, the siege of the Alamo, the convention of 1836, Fannin's surrender at Goliad, and the battle of San Jacinto.

(7.4) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of the Republic of Texas and early Texas statehood. The student is expected to:

(A) identify individuals, events, and issues during the Republic of Texas and early Texas statehood, including annexation, Sam Houston, Anson Jones, Mirabeau B. Lamar, problems of the Republic of Texas, the Texas Rangers, the Mexican War, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo; and

(B) analyze the causes of and events leading to Texas statehood.

(7.5) History. The student understands how events and issues shaped the history of Texas during the Civil War and Reconstruction. The student is expected to:

(A) explain reasons for the involvement of Texas in the Civil War; and

(B) analyze the political, economic, and social effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction in Texas.

(7.6) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of Texas from Reconstruction through the beginning of the 20th century. The student is expected to:

(A) identify significant individuals, events, and issues from Reconstruction through the beginning of the 20th century, including the factors leading to the expansion of the Texas frontier, the effects of westward expansion on Native Americans, the development of the cattle industry from its Spanish beginnings, the myth and realities of the cowboy way of life, the effects of the growth of railroads, the buffalo soldiers, James Hogg, Cynthia Parker, and Spindletop; and

(B) explain the political, economic, and social impact of the cattle and oil industries and the development of West Texas resulting from the close of the frontier.

(7.7) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues shaped the history of Texas during the 20th century. The student is expected to:

(A) define the impact of "boom and bust" and trace the boom-and-bust cycle of leading Texas industries throughout the 20th century, including farming, oil and gas, cotton, cattle ranching, real estate, and banking;

(B) evaluate the Progressive and other reform movements in Texas in the 19th and 20th centuries;

(C) trace the civil rights and equal rights movements of various groups in Texas in the 20th century and identify key leaders in these movements, including James Farmer, Hector P. García, Oveta Culp Hobby, and Lyndon B. Johnson;

(D) analyze the political, economic, and social impact of major wars, including World War I and World War II, on the history of Texas;

(E) trace the emergence of the two-party system in Texas during the second half of the 20th century.

(7.8) Geography. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data. The student is expected to:

(A) create thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases representing various aspects of Texas during the 19th and 20th centuries; and

(B) pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns in Texas during the 19th and 20th centuries.

(7.9) Geography. The student understands the location and characteristics of places and regions of Texas. The student is expected to:

(A) locate places and regions of importance in Texas during the 19th and 20th centuries;

(B) compare places and regions of Texas in terms of physical and human characteristics; and

(C) analyze the effects of physical and human factors such as climate, weather, landforms, irrigation, transportation, and communication on major events in Texas.

(7.10) Geography. The student understands the effects of the interaction between humans and the environment in Texas during the 19th and 20th centuries. The student is expected to:

(A) identify ways in which Texans have adapted to and modified the environment and analyze the consequences of the modifications; and

(B) explain ways in which geographic factors have affected the political, economic, and social development of Texas.

(7.11) Geography. The student understands the characteristics, distribution, and migration of population in Texas in the 19th and 20th centuries. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze why immigrant groups came to Texas and where they settled;

(B) analyze how immigration and migration to Texas in the 19th and 20th centuries have influenced Texas;

(D) describe the structure of the population of Texas using demographic concepts such as growth rate and age distribution.

(7.12) Economics. The student understands the factors that caused Texas to change from an agrarian to an urban society. The student is expected to:

(A) explain economic factors that led to the urbanization of Texas;

(B) trace the development of major industries that contributed to the urbanization of Texas; and

(7.13) Economics. The student understands the interdependence of the Texas economy with the United States and the world. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze the impact of national and international markets and events on the production of goods and services in Texas;

(B) analyze the impact of economic phenomena within the free enterprise system such as supply and demand, profit, government regulation, and world competition on the economy of Texas; and

(C) analyze the impact of significant industries in Texas such as oil and gas, aerospace, and medical technology on local, national, and international markets.

(7.14) Government. The student understands the basic principles reflected in the Texas Constitution. The student is expected to:

(A) identify how the Texas Constitution reflects the principles of limited government, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights; and

(B) identify the influence of ideas from the U.S. Constitution on the Texas Constitution.

(7.15) Government. The student understands the structure and functions of government created by the Texas Constitution. The student is expected to:

(A) describe the structure and functions of government at municipal, county, and state levels;

(B) identify major sources of revenue for state and local governments; and

(7.16) Citizenship. The student understands the rights and responsibilities of Texas citizens. The student is expected to:

(A) summarize the rights guaranteed in the Texas Bill of Rights; and

(B) identify civic responsibilities of Texas citizens.

(7.17) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of the expression of different points of view in a democratic society. The student is expected to:

(A) identify different points of view of political parties and interest groups on important Texas issues;

(B) describe the importance of free speech and press in a democratic society; and

(7.18) Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a democratic society. The student is expected to:

(A) identify the leadership qualities of elected and appointed leaders of Texas, past and present, including Texans who have been President of the United States; and

(B) analyze the contributions of Texas leaders such as Henry B. González, Phil Gramm, Barbara Jordan, and Sam Rayburn.

(7.19) Culture. The student understands the concept of diversity within unity in Texas. The student is expected to:

(A) explain how the diversity of Texas is reflected in a variety of cultural activities, celebrations, and performances;

(B) describe how people from selected racial, ethnic, and religious groups attempt to maintain their cultural heritage while adapting to the larger Texas culture; and

(C) identify examples of Spanish influence on place names such as Amarillo and Río Grande and on vocabulary in Texas, including words that originated from the Spanish cattle industry.

(7.20) Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on the political, economic, and social development of Texas. The student is expected to:

(A) compare types and uses of technology, past and present;

(B) identify Texas leaders in science and technology such as Roy Bedichek, Walter Cunningham, Michael DeBakey, and C.M. "Dad" Joiner;

(C) analyze the effects of scientific discoveries and technological innovations, such as barbed wire, the windmill, and oil, gas, and aerospace industries, on the developments of Texas;

(D) evaluate the effects of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on the use of resources such as fossil fuels, water, and land;

(E) analyze how scientific discoveries and technological innovations have resulted in an interdependence among Texas, the United States, and the world; and

(F) make predictions about economic, social, and environmental consequences that may result from future scientific discoveries and technological innovations.

(7.21) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:

(A) differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about Texas;

(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;

(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps;

(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference that influenced the participants;

(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or event;

(F) identify bias in written, oral, and visual material;

(G) evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author; and

(H) use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs.

(7.22) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:

(A) use social studies terminology correctly;

(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation;

(C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using computer software as appropriate; and

(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.

(7.23) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:

(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution; and

(B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.

Source: The provisions of this §113.23 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7684.