Where is that West Texas Town of El Paso?

Concept

Use Marty Robbins' popular song, "El Paso" ("Out in the West Texas Town of El Paso") to compare and contrast the image of the area as depicted by the writer with the students’ ideas of the region at the present time or at another time in history.

Goals

Students will gain a new appreciation for the area in which they live. They will learn how the El Paso region differs from other places and will take pride in the things that make their home unique. They will learn about specific people, events, dates, and places important to the Pass of the North. They will learn about contributions of the people of our region.

Objectives

1. Students will be able to identify at least three features of the El Paso area that:
1. Can be identified in the popular song.
2. Reflects the El Paso of today.
3. Illustrates another time in history.
2. Students will be able to create detailed geographical, political and every day life lists concerning today’s El Paso Region and another selected time in history.
3. Students will be able to name people who have made or are making history.

Steps

1. Introduction and discussion
1. Play the popular song and give students copy of words
2. Lead students in making a Features List from the song on the chalkboard.
3. Make a Features List for Today’s El Paso
4. Make a Features List for another time in history.
5. Have students record lists (notebooks or computer)
6. Set up writing task for groups: verses written to the tune of the popular song that use some of the concepts developed in the lists. Assign Features List topics to each group.

2. Research and writing activity
1. Refer students to Pass of the North booklet or website for the historical perspectives.
2. Provide current maps of El Paso Region
3. Provide appropriate books from school library
4. Discuss research and verification of facts to be used in lyrics

3. Lyrics Publication and Performance
1. Have groups share the new verses with whole class
2. Pass out lyrics so that the whole class can sing them or create a performance event.
3. Lead discussion as to how the new verses tell the intended story.

Evaluation

1. Examine lyrics for "facts" versus fiction. This can be done as a class activity in which statements may be challenged and defended.
2. Have students create "true and false questions" for a review quiz. Then actually give the quiz so they can see how they did. This can give teacher information as to the level of learning.

Resources

• Recording of El Paso.
• Kingston, M. 1998. A Concise History of Texas. Houston: Gulf Publishing Company, 240 pp.
• Martinez, O. 1999. The Pass of the North and the Creation of the U.S.-Mexico Border. El Paso: El Paso Community Foundation, 23 pp.
• Metz, L. C. 1993. El Paso Chronicles: A Record of Historical Events in El Paso, Texas. El Paso: Mangan Books, 308 pp.
• Website: http://museum.utep.edu/allpass/pass00.htm
• The Handbook of Texas Online: http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/
• Books from school library

Supplies Needed

• Pencils and paper

Extensions

1. Use lists to have students write 12 diary entries that would take place over a year for present-day El Paso or a time in history.
2. Use lists to create classroom murals.
3. Rework Features List to compare and contrast lists for different time periods
4. Continue the list making exercise as class discusses various time periods in history. Have students step back in time and make journal entries for each time period.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: This lesson plan can be flexible and used to introduce subject, review, or as extra credit activity.

For Texas Teachers

TEKS for Middle School

6^th Grade

• Explain the significance of individual and group contributions from selected societies; describe their influence.
• Explain characteristics and locations of societies including factors responsible for patterns of population, influences of human migration, and geographic factors responsible for the location of economic activities.
• Analyze similarities and differences within and among cultures; define culture and culture region; describe traits that define cultures; identify examples of conflict and cooperation between and among societies.
• Use social studies terminology correctly; incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication; express ideas orally; create written and visual materials; use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.

7^th Grade

• Apply absolute and relative chronology; identify major eras, significant individuals, and events; describe their characteristics; explain significance of important dates.
• Locate and compare places and regions in Texas; analyze the effects of physical and human factors.
• Analyze ways in which Texans and the environment interact.
• Explain the concept of diversity within the unity of Texas; explain how groups maintain their cultural heritage; identify Spanish influence on place names.
• Use social studies terms correctly; use standard grammar; transfer information from one medium to another; communicate social studies information in oral, written, and visual forms.

8^th Grade

• Locate and analyze the impact of physical and human geographic factors on historical and contemporary events in the United States.
• Apply absolute and relative chronology to explain major eras and dates in U. S. history through 1877.
• Locate and analyze the impact of physical and human geographic factors on historical and contemporary events in the United States.
• Analyze the impact of human adaptations and modifications on the environment.
• Identify diverse groups that settled in the United States; track the contributions and conflicts these groups experienced.
• Use social studies terms correctly; use standard grammar; transfer information from one medium to another; communicate social studies information in oral, written, and visual forms.