Elementary Programs Chapters
By Bonnie Langan and Anne Neidinger
The Heart of Texans
- Books to Share
- Riddles and Jokes
- Reader’s Theatre Script
- Crafts
- Games and Activities
- Guest Speakers
- Books to Display or Booktalk
- Web Sites
- Professional Resources
Books to Share
Bluebonnet at the East Texas Oil Museum by Mary Brooke Casad and Benjamin Vincent.
Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly by Anne Bustard.
Hold Up the Sky: And Other Native American Tales from Texas and the Southern Plains by Jane Louise Curry.
Juneteenth by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Drew Nelson.
Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America by Kathi Appelt and Joy Fisher Hein.
Texas Rangers, Legendary Lawmen by Michael Spradlin.
Riddles and Jokes
Pull Texas riddles from Geogra-Fleas! Riddles All Over the Map by Joan Holub.
Reader's Theatre Script
Perform “Pecos Bill (A Really True Story Told by Four Honest Texans)” from Silly Salamanders and Other Slightly Stupid Stuff for Readers Theatre by Anthony D. Fredericks.
Crafts
Ranch Brands
Materials- Rope or yarn
- Construction paper
- Glue
Give the children a 2-foot length rope or yarn, and a sheet of construction paper, and let them create brands for a ranch based on their last names and family history. Examples of brands may be found in the “Brand Match Game Sheet” in Read Across Texas, the 2002 Texas Reading Club manual, at http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/trc/2002/manual/elementary/brandmatch.html.
Additional brands are available at the Cowboy Showcase web site at http://www.cowboyshowcase.com/brands.htm and on page 177 of Once Upon a Planet: Program Guide for the Texas Reading Club, 1995 by Gayle A. Travis.
Games and Activities
Family Tree
Enchanted Learning at www.enchantedlearning.comcrafts/familytree/tree/ features a simple crafts that allows children to record several generations. Tell the children about genealogy and family history. Then, show them the web site, or print information from it, and allow them to build a simple family tree. Let the children browse through library books on family history and genealogy.
Knot Tying Demonstration
Demonstrate how to tie a variety of knots. Directions are provided in a Boy Scout or Girl Scout Handbook or in most comprehensive camping books. Give each child two 10-inch pieces of rope and a stick and let them learn the knots as directed. Some basic knots are below. Illustrations of how to tie an overhand knot, a figure eight knot, a square knot, a clove hitch knot, a bowline knot, and a sheep shank knot are available in Read Across Texas, the 2002 Texas Reading Club manual, at http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/trc/2002/manual/elementary/texascowboys.html - game.
Texas Symbols
Prepare a matching sheet of Texas State Symbols and give a copy to each child. Some symbols are listed below, and more are listed on the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s About Texas web site at http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/symbols.html.
Texas State Bird: Mockingbird
Texas State Dish: Chili
Texas State Flower: Bluebonnet
Texas State Gem: Texas Blue Topaz
Texas State Insect: Monarch Butterfly
Texas State Small Mammal: Armadillo
Texas State Large Mammal: Longhorn
Texas State Motto: “Friendship”
Texas State Plant: Prickly Pear Cactus
Texas State Reptile: Texas Horned Lizard
Texas State Snack: Tortilla Chips and Salsa
Texas State Song: “Texas, Our Texas”
Texas State Tree: Pecan
Who Am I?
Select famous Texans and write their names on index cards. As each child arrives, tape a card on his or her back. Begin the game by inviting the children to pretend that they are at a party of famous people. As they mingle, the children ask each other questions that help them guess the name on the index card on their backs. After a period of time, 10 minutes for example, ask the children who they are. A list of notable Texans is on the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s About Texas web site at http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/index.html - notables.
Cowboy Sayings
Teach the children some of the cowboy sayings below or create a handout and let them match the phrases with their meaning.
Mad as a peeled rattler (Very angry)
All horns and rattles (Very angry)
Barkin’ at a knot (Wasting your time, trying to do something useless)
Doesn’t use up all his kindlin’ to make a fire (Someone who doesn’t waste words on small talk)
Don’t go wakin’ snakes (Don’t start trouble)
Above my huckleberry (Too hard for me to do)
Choker holes (Doughnuts)
Father the herd (To bed down for the night)
Grabbin’ the apple (Holding on to the saddle horn on a bucking horse)
Hit the rail (To travel or to leave)
Kissed the ground (Thrown from a horse)
Load of hay on his skull (Man with long hair)
Pack the mail (To ride fast)
Rustler’s pneumonia (Cold feet, cowardly)
Snorter (Excitable horse)
Talk like a Texan (To boast of one’s work or accomplishments)
Wild willow West (Dude ranch)
Well, I swan! (Exclamation of wonder)
Guest Speakers
Invite speakers from local organizations such as museums and parks to talk about Texas and local history.
Invite long-standing members of your community to talk about local growth and change through the years.
Books to Display or Booktalk
John Barclay Armstrong: Texas Ranger by Judy Alter.
The Great Storm: The Hurricane Diary of J.T. King, Galveston, Texas, 1900 by Lisa Waller Rogers.
A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence, Gonzales, Texas 1836 by Sherry Garland.
Raising La Belle by Mark Mitchell.
Survival in the Storm: The Dust Bowl Diary of Grace Edwards, Dalhart, Texas 1935 by Katelan Janke.
Web Sites
Ancestry.com
http://www.ancestry.com/
This is a searchable web site for researching ancestors and building a family tree.
Heritage Quest
http://www.heritagequest.com/
A searchable web site for tracing family roots.
The White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/presidents/
This web site keeps children posted on all the happenings at the White House and includes videos of events that have occurred there. At http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/index.html, children can learn about first ladies and their accomplishments.
Professional Resources
About Texas
http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/symbols.html
This Texas State Library and Archives Commission web site includes a list of Texas State Symbols that may be used to prepare a matching sheet. A list of notable Texans is available at http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/index.html - notables.
Enchanted Learning
www.enchantedlearning.comcrafts/familytree/tree/
This site features simple crafts, including a family tree craft.
Geogra-Fleas! Riddles All Over the Map by Joan Holub.
Silly Salamanders and Other Slightly Stupid Stuff for Readers Theatre by Anthony D. Fredericks.
Junior Texas Rangers
http://www.texasranger.org/jrRangers/jrRangers.htm
This web site allows children to join the Texas Junior Rangers.
Library of Congress Kids and Families
http://www.loc.gov/families/
This web site allows kids access to the Library of Congress and offers projects and news about many of its events.
StoryCorps
http://www.storycorps.net/your-community
At StoryCorps, children may listen to or record stories, including stories about family and local history.
Texas Historical Commission Fundamentals of Oral History
http://www.thc.state.tx.us/publications/guidelines/OralHistory.pdf
Texas Historical Commission web site includes many resources, including information on how to record local history.
Texas Ranger Research Center
http://www.texasranger.org/ReCenter/popular.htm
Explore the history of the Texas Rangers with this historical research web site.
Texas State Historical Association Speakers Bureau
http://www.tshaonline.org/
Librarians may use this database to locate speakers for library programs.