Texas TEKS 7.20

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

• 7.20.A

  differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire in...

• 7.20.B

  analyze information by applying absolute and relative chronology through sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contra...

• 7.20.C

  organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps

• 7.20.D

  identify bias and points of view from the historical context surrounding an event that influenced the participants

• 7.20.E

  formulate and communicate visually, orally, or in writing a claim supported by evidence and reasoning related to a social studies topic

• 7.20.F

  evaluate a variety of historical and contemporary sources for validity, credibility, bias, and accuracy.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students find and distinguish trustworthy primary and secondary sources about Texas. They organize information using timelines, maps, charts, and categories. They identify bias, explain cause and effect, and support a claim with evidence and reasoning.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Students can select credible sources and explain why each source is useful or limited. They can sequence events with exact dates and relative terms, then compare accounts from different viewpoints. Their claims use accurate evidence and clear reasoning.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may think every old source is primary or every recent source is secondary. They often treat bias as proof that a source is useless. They may confuse correlation with cause or make claims without linking evidence to reasoning.

04

How to Assess It

Give students a short Texas history source, timeline, and chart. Ask them to classify the source, identify one bias, and write a claim supported by two details.

1. 01

   Give pairs six printed Texas source cards to sort as primary or secondary, then rank by credibility and annotate one reason.

2. 02

   Ask students to write: How did historical context shape two accounts of the same Texas event?

3. 03

   Run a chronology relay where teams sequence event cards, label dates as absolute or relative, and match causes to effects.

4. 04

   Compare a local news report with a government data chart, then decide which claim each source can support.

• 4.19

  Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technolo...

• 8.29

  The 8th Grade version of this standard.

• 2.15

  Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technolo...

• K.13

  Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technolo...