From City to City

Books to Share

Alamo Across Texas by Jill Stover.
The Armadillo from Amarillo by Lynne Cherry.
T is for Texas by Anne Bustard.
Texas Alphabet by Laurie Parker.
Texas Alphabet by James Rice.
Tumbleweed Tom on the Texas Trail by Jackie Hopkins.

Books to Display and Booktalk

Amarillo: the Yellow Rose of Texas by Sarah Heinze Williamson.
Bluebonnet at the Texas State Capitol by Mary Brooke Casad.
Going West by Jean VanLeeuwen.
Hog Music by M.C. Helldorfer.
Texas Jack at the Alamo by James Rice.

Display

Take a Texas Trip

Collect postcards from various Texas towns and put them on the end panels of the bookshelves.

Fingerplay

Texas is a Great Big State

(By Tina Hager)

(Hold up one finger for each city)

Texas is a great big state,
Let's name ten cities that are great.
One! Dallas, sometimes called "Big D,"
Two! Galveston is by the sea.
Three! The Alamo as we all know may be found in San Antonio.
Four! Austin is our capitol.
Five! Corpus Christi has seagulls.
Six! Fort Worth is sometimes called "Cowtown,"
Seven! Amarillo has Cadillac Ranch around.
Eight! El Paso is close to New Mexico.
Nine! Tyler has beautiful roses.
Finally to finish our ten, Is the University town, Denton!

Flannel Board Story

Going to Round Rock

Tell "Going to Round Rock."

Craft

Jackrabbit Stick Puppets

Materials

Copies of the jack rabbit pattern
Scissors
Colors
Popsicle sticks or craft sticks

Directions

Copy the jackrabbit pattern. Cut one out for each child. The children color them and glue them onto craft sticks to make stick puppets.

Games and Activities

Texas Alphabet Comes Alive

Use a jackrabbit puppet while reading the story Texas Alphabet. Have the children hold up their jackrabbit stick puppets when the jackrabbit speaks in the story.

Texas Symbols Matching Game

Discuss the flags and symbols of Texas and create a matching game for the children to play, or create a work sheet. For example, let them match the following Texas state symbols with pictures:

State Flower - Bluebonnet
State Gemstone - Blue Topaz
State Insect - Monarch Butterfly
State Flag
State Musical Instrument - Guitar
State Pepper - Jalepeño
State Plant - Prickly Pear Cactus
State Small Mammal - Armadillo
State Tree - Pecan

Look Where I Have Been!

Hang up a large map of Texas and ask the children for names of places they have lived or visited. Place foil stars on each location.

Traffic Light Game

The children stand side by side and pretend that they are cars travelling through Texas cities. One child stands far in front and is the traffic light. She/he holds up red and green signs. When the sign is green, the cars go and when the sign is red, the cars stop. The first car to reach the traffic light becomes the next traffic light. If more than one child reaches the light at the same time, choose the winner by having them call out a Texas city and pick the one who names a city closest to the beginning of the alphabet. Play until everyone gets a turn as the traffic light.

Where is Texas Maze

Copy and distribute the "Where is Texas?" maze pattern for the children.

Video

Texas Symbols for Little Texans. (15 minutes)

Web Sites

Texas-Gals Clip Art: www.geocities.com/heartland/Ranch/9477/clipart.html; Texas clip art, backgrounds, and animations without copyright restrictions.
Texas Symbols: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/edu/texas/txsymbl.htm; Texas symbols with pictures and illustrations on Texas Parks and Wildlife web site.

Professional Resource

Texas Facts and Symbols by Emily McAuliffe.

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