Let’s fly right into 10 insect fun facts about Texas for kids and a cute and simple dragonfly craft made from just 2 art supplies to round out this little mini unit. Also, look at my Free Texas Homeschool Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas page.
And look at my Insect Unit Study page.
Because of its climate and habitats Texas is a very insect-friendly state.
It falls into spot # 3 for insect hospitality right after Florida and California.
Also, you know what they say…everything is bigger in Texas, including some of the insects.
Some are huge, some dangerous, some pretty like the Monarch that passes through.
Others do a lot of damage, and others can even mimic other creatures.
We are creating cute and simple dragonflies from beads and pipe cleaners.
These graceful flyers are so easy to identify as they dip and dart around with their two pairs of iridescent wings and a long and slender abdomen.
Books about the Great State of Texas for Kids
Next, look at these living books about Texas to add to your study.
In addition, I add reference books as necessary.
27 Books For Kids Who Love Reading And Being Read to About Texas
Forget a boring textbook and add some of these books about Texas to your unit study or add to your learning day.
Relates the experiences of the Texas woman who, along with her baby, survived the 1836 massacre at the Alamo.
The classic story of the siege of the Alamo, as told for young readers. Originally published in 1958, thousands of children each year enjoy this story from the unique point of view of twelve-year old Billy Campbell.
A biography of the legendary Comanche leader profiles the son of a white woman, who fiercely defended tribal lands against those who tried to seize them and who, after being moved with his people to a reservation, fought for the recognition and decent treatment of his tribe.
Searching for a better life, Mina, Papa, and Mama left their German fatherland aboard the brig Margaretha ,bound for Texas. They had been told it was the paradise of North America, but when Mina steps onto the desolate beach at Indian Point on a cold December day in 1845, she wants to go back to Germany and Opa's cozy house in the village of Wehrestedt. But go on they must. In spite of mama's tragic death, Mina and Papa push inland with the Kaufmann family to the Texas Hill Country. There Mina encounters an Indian chief and his young daughter, Amaya, whose help she needs when Papa falls ill. Based on her ancestors' immigration to Texas, Janice Shefelman tells of a journey into the wilderness that is filled with hardship, tragedy and adventure.
Lessons Taught In Story Form.
“Remember the Alamo!” That rallying cry has gone down in Texas history. But what, exactly, should we remember? Who were the ragtag group of adventurers behind the famous slogan, and how did they end up barricaded in a fort against a Mexican army Who survived, who died, and how. In the early 1800s, Native Americans, the Mexican government, and settlers from other areas of the United States were fighting over the territory that would become the Lone Star state. Here, vivid illustrations—rendered in black, white, and shades of gray, with tinges of yellow—and witty text tell the story, from Texas’s near wilderness beginnings to the Battle of the Alamo and General Sam Houston’s ultimate victory over General Antonio López de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto.
Briefly describes the environment, daily life, and customs of four Indian groups that lived in Texas--the farmers, the fishermen, the plant gatherers, and the hunters.
Colorful Sam Houston leaps to life in the pages of this fresh and funny biography, set against the story of Texas's fight for independence from Mexico.
I wanted to tell Austin's story so that boys and girls all over the United States would come to know him not as a stuffy figure in a history book but as a man who had a great dream for the welfare of his fellowmen, and in working to make that dream come true met adventure and danger, heartache and happiness.
In 1858 Texas, people are violently divided over a law that makes it a crime to help runaway slaves. Caleb isn't sure how he feels. When an escaped slave saves his life, Caleb knows he has a debt to repay. But should he break the law and risk his life to help two slaves escape?
A guide for teaching Texas History through literature. It is based on a 34-week timeframe and is useful for students in grades K-6/7.
In the early days of Texas history, ten-year-old Johann comes from Germany with his family to settle in this vast land and soon grows to love his new home.
I love this series of books and this one tends to be fairly accurate.
The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Miracle of Dunkirk tells the story of the Texans who fought Santa Anna’s troops at the Battle of the Alamo. Looking out over the walls of the whitewashed Alamo, sweltering in the intense sun of a February heat wave, Colonel William Travis knew his small garrison had little chance of holding back the Mexican army. Even after a call for reinforcements brought dozens of Texans determined to fight for their fledgling republic, the cause remained hopeless. Gunpowder was scarce, food was running out, and the compound was too large to easily defend with less than two hundred soldiers. Still, given the choice, only one man opted to surrender. The rest resolved to fight and die. After thirteen days, the Mexicans charged, and the Texans were slaughtered. In exquisite detail, Walter Lord recreates the fight to uphold the Texan flag. He sheds light not just on frontier celebrities like Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, but on the ordinary soldiers who died alongside them. Though the fight ended two centuries ago, the men of the Alamo will never be forgotten.
More than a century later, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 is still America's deadliest disaster. Lauren Tarshis's story of one child surviving the horrible event churns with page-turning action and bold hope.
The city of Galveston, Texas, was booming. Perched on an island off the southern coast of Texas, Galveston had been founded in the 1830s. By 1900, it was Texas's richest and most important city. Boats loaded up with American cotton and wheat steamed from Galveston to countries around the world. Arriving ships were crowded with immigrants. The streets, paved with crushed oyster shells, sparkled like they'd been sprinkled with diamonds.
When fourteen-year-old Abby Kate boards the train in Austin to spend three weeks with her grandmother in Galveston, she’s full of excitement—about the train ride and the prospect of days on the beach, exploring Galveston with her cousin Jane, family picnics, and her grandmother’s good food. But things go wrong even before she gets to her grandmother’s house. Abby Kate gets off the train briefly in Houston—and the train leaves without her. Stranded in the railroad station, she is befriended by a man traveling with his two sons and eventually reaches Galveston safely.
In the 1820s, the Texas frontier was a rugged, lawless place that needed defending. The men that banded together to protect the citizens of Texas from the threats of bandits and raiding native tribes were known as the Texas Rangers. Since bravery was never in short demand, any unmarried man with a good horse and a sharp shot could be selected to join the ranks. As they roamed the Texas frontier maintaining peace and order, the Rangers were present for many of the most famous moments in Texas's exciting history-they defended the Alamo alongside Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, spied on the Mexican army during the war for independence, and chased down outlaws in the booming oil towns of the Wild West.
The entire ranch is thirsty—will the rains ever come?
Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, turned out to be the blackest day in the war of independence between Texas and Mexico. Colonel James Walker Fannin Jr. and his men were ruthlessly slaughtered at the Presidio La Bahia near Goliad. The order was given directly by General Santa Anna. The author describes the background leading up to the start of hostilities in October 1835 and the two Mexican armies which threatened to overrun the Texans, with the massacre at the Alamo on March 2 and then the attack on the Presidio La Bahia, which Fannin called Fort Defiance. A description of garrison life and the men under Fannin's command precedes the battle of Coleto Plains, where Fannin's Texans, without an adequate water supply and defenses, were surrounded by General Urrea's army and forced to surrender. One of the more traumatic aspects of the battle and executions involved a group of young soldiers from Alabama, mainly from the same area, whose leader, Dr. Shackleford, was spared to minister to the sick and injured and was forced to witness the deaths of his protégées.
A biography of the brave wife of General James Long who was the first woman of English descent to enter Texas and bear a child there.
Story of a little known chapter in American military history; extensive illustrations throughout book by Joseph C. Camana.
Famous as a newspaperman and surveyor in Texas, Gail Borden was the discoverer of how to condense milk.
Picked up by a tornado and swept away from his family in nineteenth-century Texas, a dog has some exciting adventures in the frontier wilderness before making his way home again.
Miriam Ferguson was a quiet, private person who preferred to stay home in her big house in Temple, Texas, and take care of her husband, raise her two daughters, and tend to her flower garden. But in 1924 she was elected governor of Texas, the first woman governor elected in the United States.
Encapsulating the 500-year saga of the one-of-a-kind state of Texas, this interactive book takes readers from the founding of the Spanish Missions and the victory at San Jacinto to the Great Storm that destroyed Galveston and the establishment of NASA’s Mission Control in Houston while covering everything in between. Texas History for Kids includes 21 informative and fun activities to help readers better understand the state’s culture, politics, and geography. Kids will recreate one of the six national flags that have flown over the state, make castings of local wildlife tracks, design a ranch’s branding iron, celebrate Juneteenth by reciting General Order Number 3, build a miniature Battle of Flowers float, and more. This valuable resource also includes a timeline of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and web resources for further study.
Colorful Sam Houston leaps to life in the pages of this fresh and funny biography, set against the story of Texas's fight for independence from Mexico. Lively, readable, and solidly researched, this is the kind of biography every child needs. Booklist, starred review Jean Fritz has done it again. Her writing turns this larger-than-life character into a very real person.School Library Journal, starred review ?Young readers will find the book fast-paced and fact-packed. The New York Times Book Review Jean Fritz lives in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
The story of one of Texas's most famous cowboys is filled with cattle drives, stampedes, floods, droughts, freezing desert nights, raiders and bandits, and one man's endurance and love of life on the plains.
8 Insect Fun Facts About Texas For Kids
- Texas has one of the largest insects in North America, a stick insect called Megaphasma that can grow up to 7” long.
- The Monarch Butterfly was the Texas state insect in 1995. These beautiful orange and black butterflies pass through Texas twice a year during their migrations both north and south.
- Dog-Day Cicadas make their home in Texas, while each species of cicada has its own sound it is a very loud buzzing sound that is very distinctive, it might be a little annoying but to many, it’s like a soothing lullaby. Listen to these Texas Cicadas and see if it is a familiar sound to you.
- Some of the most dangerous bugs in Texas are (in no order) the Southern Black Widow, Brown Recluse, Striped Bark Scorpion, and Texas Red-Headed Centipede.
- According to Texas Parks and Wildlife 327 damselflies species have been documented in North America,. 160 of those being found in Texas and 70 that are native to Texas. All are found in or around watery environments.
- Texas has the most variety of insects of any of the states at over a whopping 37,000 different species.
- The Texas Redheaded Centipede can reach up to 8 inches in length. While a bite to a human causes sharp, local pain and swelling they are venomous but not deadly.
- While they look and act similar to hummingbirds, Sphinx Moths can be identified by their two long antennae on their heads and 6 legs rather than two. They are found throughout North America including Texas. These moths sip from a variety of nectar flowers and are quite large with wing spans up to 5”.
Next, look at more activities for kids about Texas.
More Texas History Crafts & Activities
- 25+ Texas History Books For Middle School For a Fun Unit Study
- Free Texas Homeschool Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
- Facts About Wildflowers And a Fun Felt Texas Bluebonnet Craft
- How Texas Cattle Drives Shaped Its History and Longhorn Craft
- History of the Texas Cowboy, Cattle Drives, and Chisholm Trail
- Texas Native American History Quick Unit Study (Middle School)
- How to Build the Alamo: Hands-on Learning (Free Texas Unit Study)
- Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study
- 22 Famous Texans Notebooking Pages (editable) For a Fun History Study
Finally, look how to make easy dragonfly crafts.
You will need:
First, thread 12-14 beads on one pipe cleaner, roll and twist up one end into a little knot to stop the beads from sliding off, and push the beads down to press against the knot.
On the end without beads, roll and form another knot into a head shape ½” above where the beads begin, you might use a bead or two at the center to help give it shape.
Gather two more pipe cleaners. Trim 1.5” off one pipe cleaner and then thread beads into whatever color or pattern you wish onto both leaving 1” of space on each.
Twist one of the wings around the body near the head, this is why we left a little space, if you need more unroll the head a bit.
Move down one bead and add the second set of wings.
To make your dragonfly look less like a butterfly you want to pull the wings out and elongate them rather than leaving them round, squeeze them close together where they’re almost touching along the line.
If you want more whimsical dragonflies, you can also glue Googly eyes to the head. We opted to leave ours at this stage.
