Past Institutes

Texas as a Borderland, 1820–1835 (2020 Online Institute)

From July 6–10, 2020, Humanities Texas held an online professional development institute for Texas teachers covering Texas history during the 1820s and early 1830s.

Curriculum

The institute curriculum aligned with TEKS standards for the state's, emphasizing the perspectives of different groups—Native Americans, Tejanos, Mexicans outside of Texas, and Anglo-Americans—on the developments in Texas during this era.

Each faculty member led a two-hour session that included a lecture, Q&A, and a seminar on teaching with primary sources. Faculty addressed the following topics: Native Americans in Texas; Tejanos in Texas; Mexico and Texas; Anglo-Americans and Texas; and the Road to Revolution.

Like all Humanities Texas programs, the institute was content-based and teacher-centered, with an emphasis on teaching with primary sources and developing effective pedagogical strategies.

Faculty

The program faculty included Gregg Cantrell (Texas Christian University), Jesús F. de la Teja (former Texas State Historian), Will Fowler (University of St Andrews), and F. Todd Smith and Andrew Torget, both of the University of North Texas.

Schedule

The schedule for the "Texas as a Borderland" online institute can be viewed here.

Sponsors

The institute was made possible with major funding from the State of Texas, with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.