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INTEGRATED UNIT: TEXAS, OUR TEXAS

Rationale: Students will learn about

the culture of Texas by exploring the


meaning of Texas symbols, singing the
state song, investigating the needs of
bluebonnets, and interacting with
literature about the rich history of
Texas.
Materials/Equipment:
MUSIC

ELA

YouTube video to model and


practice Texas, Our Texas
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=i5uT3npcDmo). The song was
composed by William J. Marsh and
written by Marsh and Gladys
Yoakum Wright. A computer and
internet connection are needed.
Attached lyric, vocab, and facts
sheet for Texas, Our Texas
Exit slip for Texas, Our Texas
performance.

dePaola, T. (1983). The Legend of


the Bluebonnet. New York, NY:
Penguin Putnam Books for Young
Readers.
Chart paper or white-board
Paper and pencil for each student.
SOCIAL STUDIES

Crane, C. (2001). L is for Lonestar.


Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear
Press.
SCIENCE
Pictures of plant survival
components.
Paper and markers for students to
draw with.

Submitted by: Courtney Alexander and Desjanae Greer


MUS 305
Assignment # 4 for Grade Level(s) 4

Objectives:

TSW sing Texas, Our Texas on pitch and accurately, according to the melody.
TSW create and perform movements to a verse from Texas, Our Texas.
TSW identify the characteristics that make up a legend and write their own legend.
TSW identify different aspects of plants needed to grow and survive.
TSW identify patriotic symbols of Texas.

Lesson Plan:
Introduction:

The teacher will come out singing and dancing, while playing the YouTube video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGF4ibgcHQE ) of Deep in the Heart of Texas.
Then, the teacher will ask students to share descriptive words to describe Texas and ask
for a few experiences that students associate with the state.

Process:

MUSIC/MOVEMENT:

1.
2.
3.

TEKS Achieved:
MUSIC TEKS117.15- (b): (2A) Students sing
independently or in groups.
117.15- (b): (5C) Students perform music

4.

representative of American and Texas


heritage
ELA TEKS110.15-(b): (2B, E) Students will use the
context of a sentence and dictionaries to

5.

identify the meanings of unknown words.


110.15-(b): (6) Students understand about
the structure and elements of fiction and
provide evidence from text to support
their understanding.

6.

110.15-(b): (16A): Students write


imaginative stories detailing plot,
character, setting, and events.
SOCIAL STUDIES TEKS113.15 (b): (16A-B): Explain the meaning of
various patriotic symbols and sing or recite

Texas, Our Texas.


SCIENCE TEKS-

Students will listen to a YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?


v=i5uT3npcDmo), which models the proper singing of the state song: Texas,
Our Texas.
Students will be prompted to sing along to Texas, Our Texas as the YouTube
video plays for the second time. The teacher will pass out a lyric sheet to each
student as a reference.
Discuss:

The teacher will share the facts listed on the back of the lyrics
sheet with the class, detailing the history of how the song came
about.

Ask students: Are there any words that appear unfamiliar to you?

Go over the definitions of the vocab words students are confused


about from the song. Have students look up the unfamiliar words in a
dictionary as a class and share their findings.

How does the song make you feel when you hear it?

Why do you think this song was chosen to represent Texas?

Do you think this song is a good representation of the spirit of


Texas?
Add movement:

Divide students into three (preferably even) groups.

Assign each group a verse from Texas, Our Texas to create


motions/movement to, based on the wording of the verse.

Give each group three to four minutes to create the motions for their
verse of the song.
Perform:

As the teacher plays the YouTube video again, students will sing
Texas, Our Texas.

During each verse, students will also perform the movements they
created with their group.
Have students evaluate their own performances, using an exit slip:

Did the class sing together, on pitch?

Did the members of your group remember the movements to your


verse and perform them correctly?

ELA and SOCIAL STUDIES:


1.

Teacher reads The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola and L is for
Lone Star by Carol Crane.

2.

Discuss:

As a class, discuss
what characteristics
make a story a
legend.

Discuss different patriotic


symbols learned in each book and the
symbols relevance to Texas.

Have students take turns


picking a letter of the alphabet and see
if they can remember its Texas
patriotic symbol. (Ex. B is for
Bluebonnet, Texas state flower.)

Create an idea web on some


chart paper or a white board that shows
what the characteristics of a legend
are.

Draw a large circle, with the


word legend written in the middle.

Draw branches off of the


circle. On each branch of the web, label
the characteristics of legends (Ex. Tells
about something important to people of
a region, happened a long time ago, has a
hero or heroine, has been handed down
through the years by a group of people,
and solves a problem in an unusual way).

Have students provide


examples from the text that show
evidence of each of these
characteristics.
3. Have students write their
own legends about how something in
Texas came to be. They can select their
own topic, incorporating one of more of
the Texas patriotic symbols learned (or
the teacher can have a bowl for
students to draw one from). Students
will use graphic organizers to structure
their story, before they begin crafting
their legend.
4. Students will share their legends
with the class.
SCIENCE:
1.
The teacher will discuss the
Texas State flower and components.
2.
The teacher will go through
main characteristics a plant needs to
grow and survive.
3.
Discuss why plants need
sunlight: for photosynthesis and to
create glucose (sugar.)
4.
Discuss why plants need
water: to create their food, water is a
critical part of photosynthesis.
5.
Discuss why plants need
carbon dioxide to grow: needed for
photosynthesis to create sugar and
oxygen.

6.
Discus how all these characteristics use energy to create food they
need
to survive, grow and retain energy.
7.
Act out each main characteristic plants need to grow: sunlight, water, and
carbon dioxide.
8.
After they have acted out the components, students will draw their own
picture of a bluebonnet.
Accommodations:
1. For a child with a visual disability, give the student a seat near the front of the class
and print lyrics or other important information in large print.
2. For a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, dim the lights, use lots of visual aids, and
provide them with headphones to regulate the noise level in the room.
3. For students with physical disabilities, the class can draw pictures of main components
plants need to grow and survive instead of acting them out.
4. For ELL students, use pictures to enhance understanding of vocabulary, assign them a
partner to help them through activities, speak slowly, and write clearly.
Assessment/Evaluation:
1.
MUSIC- The singing and movement performances will be assessed by the
teacher listening closely to each student. If a student is struggling to match the pitch or
melody of the song, the teacher will lead the class in singing the song again, for further
modeling of the correct singing. Movement will be assessed by close observation.
Comments the teacher has about the singing and movement performances will be
documented through anecdotal records.
2.
ELA- Student knowledge of the characteristics of a legend will be assessed by
the web the class creates and discussion about those characteristics. Student writing of
their own legends will be assessed by their graphic organizer and a teacher-created
checklist, noting the above mentioned components of legends. If each component is
present in the students writing, then they have met the objective.
3.
SOCIAL STUDIES - Social Studies will be assessed by recognizing Texas
patriotic symbols and its important to Texas, which will be incorporated in their legends.
Students will be able to demonstrate this knowledge by the story they tell.
4.
SCIENCE- Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the state flower by
drawing a picture of it (bluebonnet). Drawing the picture will incorporate what plants
need to survive and grow. The class will discuss and act out the main characteristics a
plant needs to survive and grow, while assessing their knowledge of these main
characteristics.

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