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Lesson Plans

TAMI has created downloadable lesson plans for several of its most remarkable films. Use or modify these lesson plans to explore Texas history and other topics using moving images in the classroom.

Times are A-Changin’: Development of the Two-Party System in Texas

Film: LBJ and JFK Campaign Advertisement
For Texas, the 20th Century was a period of great political and social change. Although traditionally Texans’ votes were largely Democratic, during the 1960s the political spectrum in Texas began to reveal an interest in the platforms of Republican candidates as well as the more traditional Democratic candidates. Through the use of student prior knowledge, archival footage of campaigns, and analysis of the events that led to the development of the two-party system, this lesson plan encourages students to contemplate the significance of these events and their long-term impact on the Texas political scene. The lesson targets TEKS in Social Studies for grade 7.

Download Lesson Plans:
Grade Level 7 (pdf)

A Booming Industry: Oil in Texas

Film: Ray Jelinek Collection, no. 11 – Oil Drilling Operation
When Spindletop erupted on January 10, 1901, Texas was no stranger to change. In the last few decades of the 19th century, the Texas economy and landscape had already faced dramatic changes due to the coming of the railroad. Farmers and ranchers, who had traditionally relied on man-power to move their goods and cattle to the markets, began to take advantage of the speedy and more cost-effective transportation provided by the railroad. Just as the lives of Texans had been drastically altered upon the arrival of the railroad, so too would their lives, culture, and businesses be profoundly changed by the discovery of oil in Texas. Using archival film taken from oil fields, this lesson plan explores Texas History and culture, technological innovations related to the oil business, and the impact of the oil industry on Texas. The lesson targets TEKS in Social Studies for grade 7.

Download Lesson Plans:
Grade Level 4 (pdf)
Grade Level 7 (pdf)

Civilian Internment in Crystal City, Texas

Film: Alien Enemy Detention Facility, Crystal City, Texas
During World War II thousands of American citizens of Japanese, German, and Italian descent were forcibly relocated into internment camps. Using the government film Alien Enemy Detention Facility, Crystal City, Texas, these lesson plans explore the internment of American citizens and the use of propaganda during World War II. The plans correlate with TEKS curriculum objectives in Social Studies for grades four through eight, and high school classes US History Since Reconstruction, World History Studies, World Geography Studies, United States Government, Psychology, and Sociology.

Download Lesson Plans:
Grade Levels 4-6 (pdf)
Grade Levels 7-8 (pdf)
Grade Levels 9-12 (pdf)

Winds of Change: The Galveston Hurricane of 1900

Download Lesson Plans:
Grade Levels K-3 (pdf)
Grade Levels 4-8 (pdf)
Grade Levels 9-12 (pdf)

Film: Panorama of East Galveston
In 1900, Galveston was a booming center of trade and the largest city in the state of Texas. On September 8, 1900, the Galveston Hurricane destroyed the city claiming the lives of approximately 8,000 people. A new technology, moving images on film, captured the damage caused by the storm. Using the films taken of the wreckage, including Panorama of East Galveston, this lesson plan explores geography, Texas History and culture, and technological innovations. The lessons target TEKS curriculum objectives in Social Studies for grades Kindergarten through eight, and high school classes US History Studies Since Reconstruction, World History Studies, and World Geography Studies.

The Fury of Nature: Hurricanes and the Gulf Coast

Download Lesson Plans:
Grade Levels 9-12 (pdf)

Film: Angry Waters: Worst Flood in Texas History
Hurricane Beulah blew through south Texas and northeastern Mexico in September of 1967. Although 95 tornadoes touched down throughout the area, the heavy rainfall that accompanied Beulah inflicted the storm’s worst damage. At the time, it caused the worst flood damage in Texas state history, costing $200 million, roughly equal to $1.5 billion in today’s dollars. Using the newsreel Angry Waters: Worst Flood in Texas History, this lesson plan explores the disaster and suggests points of comparison with the more recent Hurricane Katrina. The lesson targets TEKS objectives in high school courses United States History Studies Since Reconstruction, World Geography Studies, United States Government, and Environmental Systems.

8,000 Miles From Home: A Texas Perspective on the Vietnam War Era

Download Lesson Plans:
Grade Levels 7 and 9 (pdf)

Film Collection: Texas and Texans During the Vietnam War Years
Home movies provide a different kind of moving image history of the first “television war,” than that found in Hollywood features and documentaries. Using TAMI’s curated collection Texas and Texans During the Vietnam War Years, students will explore the Vietnam War and its relationship to Texas by viewing both news footage and home movies and presenting the materials to their classmates in the form of a newscast. This lesson targets TEKS curriculum objectives in 7th Grade Social Studies and US History Since Reconstruction.

Have you used the TAMI online library in your classroom? If so, please let us know. We would love to hear your ideas for activities and lesson plans that use Texas-related films and videos. Send us an email at education@texasarchive.org. Send an email with “List” in the subject line to the same address to join TAMI’s education mailing list and receive updates of new film postings, activities, and lesson plans.

A Project of the Texas Moving Image Archive Program

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