Begin with the map of Texas and the globe. Show them the map of Texas and tell them that Texas is a big place - the second biggest state in America. Ask them how big they think Texas is. Then, use the globe to show where Texas is compare it to the rest of the world. Ask them to find other states and countries that are larger and smaller than Texas. This stage will teach kids that Texas is not just a big state - it's even bigger than many countries.
Explain to your students that people have lived in Texas for a very long time. There were native Americans living there first, and then people left countries like Spain and England to come and live in Texas. Ask the children what Texas has that might inspire people to leave there homes and travel there. Don't worry about getting the "right" answer from your kids - just encourage them to consider all the aspects about Texas which might have been attractive to settlers.
Compare the flag of the United States with the flag of Texas. Ask them why the United States flag has so many stars and what the stars mean. Some children might be aware that the stars are a reference to the 50 states. Then ask them why the Texas flag has one star. Explain to them that Texas was an independent Republic, it's own country, before it joined the United States. American settlers lived there when it was part of Mexico, but then they decided to become part of the United States. Ask the children what other reason Texans might have had for wanting to be part of the United States, rather than their own independent country, Again, there's no right or wrong answer. The aim is to get kids thinking.
Pass the lump of cotton around and ask the children what they think it is. Explain to them that it's used to make cloth, like the clothes they're wearing. Explain to the children that Texas grew a lot of cotton and people from all over the world bought it because they could make clothes from it. This made Texas very rich.
Display the picture of long horn cattle or a cowboy to illustrate the next chapter of Texas history. Explain that people across America wanted to eat beef, but cows were only found in the southern states like Texas. Cowboys used to have to "drive" cows up to cattle towns in states like Kansas, riding alongside them with horses for weeks at a time. Point out the different parts of a cowboy's outfit, including the wide-brimmed hat, the spurs and the gun. Ask the children what those might have been for.
Show the picture of the railroad train to explain how the railroad eventually came to Texas and eliminated then need for the cowboy. Ask the children what difference they think a railroad might have made to towns in Texas you used to have to ride horses to get to.
Display the oil-fueled lantern or burner and talk about what new discovery helped boost the Texas economy - oil. Talk to the kids about how oil is used. Demonstrate how it burns with the oil-fueled lantern. Kids normally respond very well to candles, lanterns and the such. Ask them what oil is used for. Even at an early age, most kids make the connection between oil, gasoline and cars.