Texas TEKS 7.18

Social Studies7th GradeCulture

TEKS Knowledge Statement (Expectation Cluster)

Culture. The student understands the concept of diversity within unity in Texas. The student is expected to: explain how the diversity of Texas is reflected in a variety of cultural activities and celebrations; describe how people from various racial, ethnic, and religious groups attempt to maintain their cultural heritage while adapting to the larger Texas culture; identify examples of Spanish influence and the influence of other cultures on Texas such as place names, vocabulary, religion, architecture, food, and the arts; and identify contributions to the arts by Texans such as Roy Bedichek, Diane Gonzales Bertrand, J. Frank Dobie, Scott Joplin, Elisabet Ney, Amado Peña Jr., Walter Prescott Webb, and Horton Foote.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies

Cluster contents

Student Expectations in This Statement

7.18 is a TEKS knowledge and skills statement. These are the student expectations under it.

Teacher's field guide

What This Cluster Means

What Students Need to Do

Students connect Texas celebrations, language, religion, architecture, food, and art to the cultures that shaped them. They explain how groups preserve traditions while adapting to shared life in Texas. They also identify selected Texas artists and writers and describe their contributions.

What Mastery Looks Like

Given a Texas custom or artifact, students name its cultural influence and cite visible or factual evidence. They explain both cultural preservation and adaptation in a specific example. They accurately match notable Texans with their fields and contributions.

Common Misconceptions

Students may treat Spanish influence as only Mexican influence or assume every Texas tradition has one cultural source. They may think adaptation means abandoning cultural heritage, or that unity requires sameness. They also confuse contributors' names, fields, and works.

How to Assess It

Give an exit ticket showing a San Antonio mission, a Juneteenth poster, a bilingual festival flyer, and Scott Joplin's name. Students identify each influence or contribution and explain one example of heritage preservation and adaptation.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

  1. Give pairs cards showing Texas foods, buildings, words, music, and celebrations to sort by cultural influence, then require evidence for each choice.

  2. Use the prompt, “How can Texans share one state identity while keeping distinct traditions?” Students answer with two specific examples.

  3. Play a matching game connecting Bedichek, Bertrand, Dobie, Joplin, Ney, Peña, Webb, and Foote to their fields and contributions.

  4. Have students photograph or sketch a local place name, building, menu item, artwork, or celebration and trace its cultural influence.

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Printable 7.18 Worksheet

Preview of the 7.18 printable worksheet

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 7.18, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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