Texas Women: Marching with Ann Richards (Gr K

Texas Women: Marching with Ann Richards (Gr K–5)

DOWNLOAD the new Lesson Plan here.

Topics:

Grades:

About the Lesson

Videos

Prior Knowledge

Hook

Lesson

Resources

TEKS

Worksheets

Texas Women: Marching with Ann Richards
Social Studies, Grades K–5

By watching and analyzing primary source video, students will learn about notable Texas women, including Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan, Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, and Liz Carpenter. Students will analyze speeches and actions in the films to achieve a better understanding of government terminology and civic engagement.

Students should be aware of the three branches of government, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Texas Constitution.

Students should be aware of basic government principles including democracy, republic, free elections, individual rights, freedom of speech, and the role of elected representatives such as legislators, governors, and judges.

Students should have a working knowledge of human rights and the privileges of citizenship.

Students should also have some knowledge of notable Texas women politicians.

Naming Political Leaders

Divide the board into four columns.

Ask the students to name political leaders from the past or present, and write those in the first column on the board.

Ask students to name political leaders in Texas from the past or present, and write those names in the next column.

Ask students to name female politicians from the past and present, and write those in the third column.

Finally, ask students to name female politicians in or from Texas.

Ask the students if they notice any differences in the number of people named in each column.

Ask them why they think fewer women are elected to office than men if women are over half of the population.

Ask them what historical obstacles from the past prevented women from running for office.

Ask them what current obstacles may prevent women from running for office.

Use the Texas Women: Dilemmas for Women Seeking Elected Office Fact Sheet (see Worksheets) to enhance this discussion. Click on the source links to show different statistics regarding men and women officeholders. Ask the students about gender stereotyping dilemmas for women.

Ask the students to think about how far women have come. Ask them to think about historical achievements by women in the 20th and 21st centuries. Visit the Milestones for Women in Politics section of the Center for American Women and Politics website (https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/milestones-for-women) and scroll down the updated list to examine women’s key achievements.

Examine the number of women elected to office (state legislators, governor, or Congress) state by state by viewing the chart and playing with the drop down menu on the Center for American Women and Politics website ( https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/milestones-for-women)

Have the students read short biographies on the two female Texas governors, Miriam “Ma” Ferguson and Ann Richards, from The Handbook of Texas.

Miriam “Ma” Ferguson’s Bio
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ffe06

Ann Richards’ Bio
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fri62

Watch “Austin at Issue” (see Videos) a primary source video featuring Cactus Pryor, Liz Carpenter, and John Henry Faulk discussing women in Texas. These Texas legends compare Miriam “Ma” Ferguson to Ann Richardson at the request of a caller.

Students will use the biographies and this video to answer the first two questions on their corresponding worksheet (see Worksheets).

Now, show the primary source video “The 1991 Texas Inauguration of Governor Ann Richards.” Use the segmented clips below, and pause from time to time to assist students with key concepts and vocabulary based on the worksheet.

Click on the link and press play. Use the Educator Links below the video player to skip to each section.

Ask the students to volunteer the democratic principles they value most, and write the key terms on the board. Give students time to reflect and write a thoughtful short essay in the last section of the worksheet.

Organize a March on the Classroom

Ask students to create posters using keywords and terms that reflect the principles they value most. Teachers can create a classroom banner with the school, town, and or county’s name on it to lead the march.

When students finish writing and decorating their signs, then have them line up to march around the classroom in order. Have each student stop by your desk and interview them about what their posters mean.

The Center for American Women and Politics “Firsts for Women in Politics” timeline
https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/milestones-for-women

The Center for American Women and Politics “The Current Number of Women Office Holders”
https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/milestones-for-women

Miriam “Ma” Ferguson’s biography from The Handbook of Texas
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ffe06

Ann Richards’ biography from The Handbook of Texas
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fri62

Video (audio and transcript) of Ann Richards’ Democratic National Convention Keynote Address (1988)
https://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/annrichards1988dnc.htm

“What Ann Richards Taught Me About Politics” article by Kari Eisenhower on WashingtonPost.com (September 14, 2006)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/14/AR2006091401148.html

Social Studies, Kindergarten

2B - Identify contributions of patriots and good citizens who have shaped the community

8A - Identify purposes for having rules

9A - Identify authority figures in the home, school, and community

9B - Explain how authority figures make and enforce rules

14B - Obtain information about a topic using a variety of valid visual sources such as pictures, symbols, electronic media, print material, and artifacts

15B - Create and interpret visuals, including pictures and maps

Social Studies, Grade 1

2C - Compare the similarities and differences among the lives and activities of historical figures and other individuals who have influenced the community, state, and nation

11A - Explain the purpose for rules and laws in the home, school, and community

12A - Identify the responsibilities of authority figures in the home, school, and community

12C - Identify and describe the role of a good citizen in maintaining a constitutional republic

13A - Identify characteristics of good citizenship, including truthfulness, justice, equality, respect for oneself and others, responsibility in daily life, and participation in government by educating oneself about the issues, respectfully holding public officials to their word, and voting

13C - Identify other individuals who exemplify good citizenship

14C - Identify anthems and mottoes of Texas and the United States

14D - Explain and practice voting as a way of making choices and decisions

18A - Express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences

18B - Create and interpret visual and written material

Social Studies, Grade 2

11A - Identify functions of governments such as establishing order, providing security, and managing conflict

11B - Identify governmental services in the community such as police and fire protection, libraries, schools, and parks and explain their value to the community

12A - Name current public officials, including mayor, governor, and president

12B - Compare the roles of public officials, including mayor, governor, and president

12D - Identify how citizens participate in their own governance through staying informed of what public officials are doing, providing input to them, and volunteering to participate in government functions

14C - Identify selected symbols such as state and national birds and flowers and patriotic symbols such as the U.S. and Texas flags and Uncle Sam

18B - Obtain information about a topic using a variety of valid visual sources such as pictures, maps, electronic sources, literature, reference sources, and artifacts

19A - Express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences

19B - Create written and visual material such as stories, poems, maps, and graphic organizers to express ideas

Social Studies, Grade 3

9A - Describe the basic structure of government in the local community, state, and nation

9B - Identify local, state, and national government officials and explain how they are chosen

9C - Identify services commonly provided by local, state, and national governments

9D - Explain how local, state, and national government services are financed

10B - Describe and explain the importance of the concept of "consent of the governed" as it relates to the functions of local, state, and national government

11A - Identify characteristics of good citizenship, including truthfulness, justice, equality, respect for oneself and others, responsibility in daily life, and participation in government by educating oneself about the issues, respectfully holding public officials to their word and voting

11C - Identify and explain the importance of individual acts of civic responsibility, including obeying laws, serving the community, serving on a jury, and voting

12B - Identify examples of actions individuals and groups can take to improve the community

17C - Interpret oral, visual, and print material by identifying the main idea, distinguishing between fact and opinion, identifying cause and effect, and comparing and contrasting

17E - Interpret and create visuals, including graphs, charts, tables, timelines, illustrations, and maps

18A - Express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences

18C - Use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation

Social Studies, Grade 4

5C - Identify the accomplishments of notable individuals in Texas

8B - Describe and explain the location and distribution of various towns and cities in Texas and explain their distribution, past and present

15B - Identify and explain the basic functions of the three branches of state government according to the Texas Constitution

15C - Identify the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights (Celebrate Freedom Week)

17A - Identify important individuals who have participated voluntarily in civic affairs at state and local levels

17B - Explain how individuals can participate voluntarily in civic affairs at state and local levels through activities such as holding public officials to their word, writing letters, and participating in historic preservation and service projects

17C - Explain the duty of the individual in state and local elections such as being informed and voting

17D - Identify the importance of historical figures such as Sam Houston, Barbara Jordan, and Lorenzo de Zavala and important individuals who modeled active participation in the democratic process such as Sam Houston, Barbara Jordan, Lorenzo de Zavala, Ann Richards, Sam Rayburn, Henry B. González, James A. Baker III, Wallace Jefferson, and other local individuals

17E - Explain how to contact elected and appointed leaders in state and local governments

18A - Identify leaders in state, local, and national governments, including the governor, selected local members of the Texas Legislature, the local mayor, U.S. senators, local U.S. representatives, and Texans who have been president of the United States, and their political parties

18B - Identify leadership qualities of state and local leaders, past and present

19A - Identify the similarities and differences within and among various racial, ethnic, and religious groups in Texas

21A - Differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; documents; and artifacts to acquire information about the United States and Texas

22B - Incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication

22C - Express ideas orally based on research and experiences

22D - Create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies

22E - Use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation

Social Studies, Grade 5

16A - Identify and explain the basic functions of the three branches of government

16C - Distinguish between national and state governments and compare their responsibilities in the U.S. federal system

18A - Explain the duty individuals have to participate in civic affairs at the local, state, and national levels

18B - Explain how to contact elected and appointed leaders in local, state, and national governments

22C - Summarize the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to our national identity

24A - Differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; documents; and artifacts to acquire information about the United States

24D - Identify different points of view about an issue, topic, or current event

24E - Identify the historical context of an event

25A - Use social studies terminology correctly

25B - Incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication

25C - Express ideas orally based on research and experiences

25D - Create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies

25E - Use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation

Texas Women Worksheet (Grade K-3)
https://texasarchive.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/Worksheet%20-%20Texas%20Women%20-%20Grades%20K-3.pdf

Texas Women Worksheet (Grade 4-5)
https://texasarchive.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/Worksheet%20-%20Texas%20Women%20-%20Grades%204-5.pdf

Fact Sheet - Texas Women: Dilemmas for Women Seeking Elected Officehttps://texasarchive.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Texas%20Women%20Dilemmas%20for%20Women%20Seeking%20Elected%20Office_1.pdf

Browse by Topic

Activities and Projects