A+Line+in+the+Sand

A Line in the Sand-Time Capsule Project In the novel, "A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence", the main character, Lucinda, writes to her diary about the events of the Texas Revolution. Your assignment is to become a Historian and create a Time Capsule for others to find in the future that details these same events that took place during the Texas Revolution from 1835-1836. In addition to using the novel, your textbook and other resources from the Learning Commons to find out about "A Line in the Sand" and the events of the Texas Revolution, why not also use the power of the Internet? The links listed at Texas Research Resources will get you started.

Be sure to read the detailed instructions below for the items that must be included in your Time Capsule. What is a time capsule? A time capsule is a box for storing objects. These objects let the people in the future know what is going on in the present. You may use a shoe box, oatmeal canister, coffee can or any other type of small box or container for this assignment. Your Time Capsule MUST have a lid that closes properly. You may decorate the container in any way. However, there are several things that must be included in your Project:

On the outside of Time Capsule: (10 points) 1. Cover the outside of your container with colored paper 2. Title of the book 3. Author of the book 4. Decorate the outside with an appropriate hand drawn colored illustration that shows what the theme of the book is. (This will need to be done after the book is finished.)

On the inside of your Time Capsule: You will need to have 8 items in your Time Capsule. The items MUST include the following: 1. The “Come and Take It” Flag (12 points) - The citizens of Gonzales owned a cannon that ended up being the symbol on the first of many flags to fly over Texas during the Revolution. Why was this little cannon used as a symbol on a flag? Flags normally depict symbols that say something about the people who fly them. What did the cannon say about the people of Gonzales? For this Time Capsule item research the history of this flag and draw a picture of the "Come and Take It" flag. On the back, write a brief paragraph explaining why you think the people of Gonzales did not want to give up the canon and why the Mexican army wanted it back. You need to really think about the deeper meaning not just that the people wanted to keep it for protection. There is a bigger reason.

2. Battle Scene (12 points) - In the book, The Battle of the Alamo is discussed. This battle was very significant to the Texans who were fighting for their independence. For this item in your Time Capsule, research the Battle of the Alamo and write a brief description of why it was significant to the fight. Then answer the question: Do you think things would be different if the battle would have taken place today with all of our technology? Explain why. 3.-7. Roadmap to Freedom-(36 points) Create a poster with the shape of Texas drawn on a piece of construction paper. Then create road signs to symbolize the major events in the Texas Revolution that led to its independence. Events and road signs on the poster must be in chronological order. You must think of the historical significance of each event and how it could best be symbolized with a road sign. An example, might be a “Dead End” road sign on the poster which symbolizes the battle at the Alamo, using the inscription “Santa Ana defeated the Texans with no survivors.”

Events that must be included: 1st Battle at the Alamo Battle of Goliad Battle of Gonzales Runaway Scrape Battle of San Jacinto Treaty of Velasco Goliad Massacre Declaration Signed Battle of Concepcion Siege of Bexar Alamo Falls

6.–8. Three Artifacts that Relate to the Book (30 points) – In the book there are many items that would represent the characters, the time period they lived in, and their struggles. Choose 3 items (artifacts) that you feel would relate to the book or symbolize (represent) something in the book. This is your chance to be creative! These can be 3-D objects, models of the actual objects, pictures of the items, or illustrations of the items. You must also attach an explanation to each object that explains each artifact and tells why it was important to the book.

Remember, you want your Time Capsule to be creative and to represent this important period in Texas History. Good luck and have fun!