Galveston 1900. 1900. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014699678/.
Before beginning a lesson on the geographic and economic impact of hurricanes, ask students where in Texas this picture could have been taken. Then, ask students what kind of situation they are reminded of when they look at this. Students who live in coastal areas should be able to identify the situation (hurricane or tornado). In many regions of Texas, students would have some association with bad weather events.
In 1900, a tropical cyclone (hurricane) hit Galveston, Texas. At the time it struck the Gulf Coast, Galveston was on track to become the economic epicenter of both Texas and the Gulf.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Galveston-hurricane-of-1900
- How can destruction like this affect the economy of a coastal town?
- How does a hurricane affect families?
- How does a hurricane affect businesses?
- What do you think it takes to rebuild a city after a destructive weather event?
- What do you think happened to Galveston after this event?
- How can communities prepare better for weather events in today’s society?
ELA Standard
4.7(A). Describe personal connections to a variety of sources, including self-selected texts
Social Studies Standard
4.6(B). Compare the physical regions of Texas (Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, Coastal Plains).
Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- After the instructional questions, pass out maps of different regions of Texas: Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, and Coastal Plains) and discuss the different weather experienced in all regions.
- Have students use resources to add the primary type of economy of each region in 1900.
- Have students create a chart about weather in the different regions of Texas.
- Have students write a quick response to the following: How do you know this photograph was from the Coastal Plains? Use evidence from the photograph to support your response.
- Create three separate groups to work on different complementary aspects of this piece of Texas history. Have students present their findings.
- The American Society of Civil Engineers has a descriptive page about how the seawall was constructed after the 1900 hurricane. After reading that page, what can students tell a partner about the seawall, the economy of Galveston, and the social structure of Galveston?
- The Galveston and Texas History Center also has information. After skimming both pages, ask students to explain how the two sites differ. Use a Venn diagram to show both similarities and differences. This site also has more primary sources. How are they similar to/different from the Library of Congress photograph?
- Texas Parks and Wildlife also has a short video about how the wall was constructed.
Galveston 1900 — 18th and N Sts. 1900. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014699675/.