Introduce students to terminology relating to the oil industry in Texas. Try using this activity as a hook for the Texas Oil Boom lesson plan.
The following activity assumes that students are familiar with oil.
Distribute the accompanying worksheet and ask students to take notes on the definitions included in the video.
Play the Visual Vocabulary: Oil Video while students take notes on definitions and the accompanying visuals. The vocabulary terms in order of appearance are Wildcatter, Black Gold, Gusher, Derrick, Refinery, Boomtown, and Spindletop.
Discuss each term as a class, comparing notes on the definitions drawn from the accompanying visuals. Example questions: What does <insert term> mean? What did you discover from the visuals that helped you understand the meaning of <term>?
Grade 4
5B – Explain the development and impact of the oil and gas industry upon industrialization and urbanization in Texas, including important places and people such as Spindletop and Pattillo Higgins.
8A – Identify and explain clusters and patterns of settlement in Texas during the oil boom.
Grade 7
12B – Trace the development of major industries that contributed to the urbanization of Texas such as transportation, oil and gas, and manufacturing.
13C – Analyze the impact of significant industries in Texas such as oil and gas, aerospace, medical, and computer technologies on local, national, and international markets.
20A – Compare types and uses of technology, past and present.