Last updated: September 11, 2024
Lesson Plan
The Sights, Sounds, Smells, Tastes, and Feelings at the Battle of Palo Alto
The prairie of Palo Alto was filled with sights and sounds of battle on May 8, 1846.
Library of Congress (no known restrictions)
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Math,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 4.MD.1, 4.RI.7, 4.RL.1, 4.RL.2
- State Standards:
- State: TX
Grade Level: High School
Subjects: Math, English Language Arts & Reading, Social Studies
State Standards: Math 4.8(A), 4.8(B), ELAR 4.1(C), 4.10(D), Social Studies 4.3(E) - Thinking Skills:
- Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts. Creating: Bring together parts (elements, compounds) of knowledge to form a whole and build relationships for NEW situations.
Essential Question
Every day you use your five senses. Think about what you’ve seen, heard, smelled, tasted and touched today. Soldiers fighting a battle experience a variety of senses. What do you think they see, hear, smell, taste and touch?
Objective
To identify relative sizes of measurement units within the customary and metric systems. To convert measurements from a larger unit into a smaller unit when given other equivalent measures represented in a table. To read and understand the main idea in a primary document. To present their findings to the class and participate in a class discussion.
Background
Cannon Power in the Battle of Palo Alto
The Battle of Palo Alto, site of the first battle of the U.S.-Mexican War, was a flat coastal prairie covered in tall, sharp cordgrass.
On May 8, 1846, Mexican General Mariano Arista set up the Mexican Army on this field to stop the U.S. Army from bringing supplies to their fort on the Rio Grande. He blocked the road with cannon and placed a mile-long line of infantry, cannon, and calvary across the prairie.
When U.S. General Taylor arrived at Palo Alto, U.S. soldiers set up their cannon, infantry, and cavalry within 700 yards of the Mexican army. The stage was set for battle.
When the Mexican cannon began firing, U.S. infantry and cavalry stayed back to protect their supply wagons. The cannon were rolled forward to attack.
Taylor’s 18-pound siege cannons, originally intended to use at the U.S. fort, tore at the Mexican lines, causing numerous casualties. In contrast, Mexican cannon were less effective, and their cannonballs frequently fell before reaching the U.S. troops.
Twice Arista sent Mexican lancers to counter the devastating effects of the U.S. artillery. The lancers became bogged down by the uneven muddy ground, which slowed the charge and gave time for the U.S. lightweight 6-pounder “flying” artillery moved forward to assist the infantry fight against the charge.
U.S. cannon sparks ignited the prairie grass. The fire quickly spread across the field, separating the two armies by a wall of flames.
When the smoke cleared, the U.S. cannon resumed its devastating attack. Mexican cannon shot directly at the U.S. artillery, doing little damage. Ironically, one ball mortally wounded Captain Samuel Ringgold, the mastermind of the U.S. light artillery.
U.S. cannon moved quickly, preventing a series of attacks on the supply wagons. Meanwhile, Captain James Duncan's advanced his cannon toward the Mexican lines. However, the Mexican cavalry halted his push forward.
The fierce, four-hour cannon fight ended at sunset. Mexican forces had depleted their ammunition and General Taylor concentrated on protecting his supply wagons. Both armies set-up camp, cared for the wounded and buried the dead.
The Mexican Army was able to delay the U.S. supply run. However, the constant pounding from the U.S. 18-pounder cannon and rapid attacks of U.S. “flying” artillery devastated their troops. Arista's army suffered 102 killed, 129 wounded, and 26 missing. U.S. casualties numbered only 9 killed, 44 wounded, and 2 missing.
Preparation
Review the activity.
Get a cannonball or model of a cannonball. Cannonballs can be borrowed from Palo Alto. However, due to shipping costs, the park is limited to loaning cannonballs to teachers able to pick up and drop off in person.
There are several items that are a similar weight and shape of a cannonball, such as a shot-put ball, medicine ball and kettle bell.
Print one copy of the Palo Alto Cannon image.
Print a copy of the Battle of Palo Alto worksheet, graphic organizer, Math Reference Sheet, and Cannonball Weight worksheet for each student.
Materials
Show the images in the lesson hook.
Students read primary and secondary quotes and use them to fill out a graphic organizer.
Download Battle of Palo Alto worksheet
Students determine which of the five senses is described in primary and secondary quotes.
Students use this sheet to convert weights on the Cannonball Weight worksheet.
Students use the Math Reference sheet to convert the weight of cannonballs from pounds to ounces. Then, students use the cannonball weights and information in their Graphic Organizer to answer two questions about the Battle of Palo Alto.
Download Cannonball Weight worksheet
Lesson Hook/Preview
Show students a cannon ball or model and ask what they think it is. Tell them they may guess anything because there are no wrong answers. Show students an image of a U.S.-Mexican War cannon. Explain that this is a cannon which was used in the Battle of Palo Alto, the first battle of the U.S.-Mexican War. Hold up the cannon ball and tell students this is a cannon ball (example of a cannon ball) which were shot of cannon like the one in the picture.
Ask students what they think they would hear, see, and smell if they were a soldier in a battle fought by cannon. Remind them there are no right or wrong answers.
Procedure
Step One: Use the lesson hook to introduce the lesson.
Step Two: Review the vocabulary as a class. Focus on the difference between primary and secondary sources.
Step Three: Put students into pairs.
Step Four: Give each student the Battle of Palo Alto worksheet and graphic organizer. Tell students to use the primary and secondary quotes to fill out the graphic organizer.
Step Five: Have a class discussion of how they filled out their graphic organizer. Ask them to justify their answers.
Step Six: Give each student the Cannonball Weight worksheet and Math Reference sheet. Tell students to use the Math reference sheet to convert weight on the Cannonball Weight worksheet. After converting the weight, tell students to answer the two questions on the Cannonball weight worksheet.
Step Five: Have a class discussion of how they filled out their graphic organizer. Ask them to justify their answer.
Vocabulary
Artillery: Large weapon that uses gunpowder to fire shots, such as cannon
Assurance: Being sure or confident
Bear upon: To go in the intended direction
Constancy: Strength of mind that lets a person meet danger, pain, or hardship with courage
Convert: To change from one form to another
Dispatch: Message
Ounce: A unit of weight
Pound: A unit of weight
Primary source: First-hand account made by people who saw or were part of an event
Rank: A line of soldiers standing side by side
Ranks plural: The group of enlisted persons in an army
Ravage: Destructive action or effect
Secondary source: Record of an event written by someone who did not see or was not part of an event
Squadron: A group of soldiers moving and working together
Assessment Materials
Assess the student's performance by:
Answers on the graphic organizer and the Cannonball Weight worksheet.
Participation in class discussions.
Have students draw and write a caption of what they think the soldiers experienced based on what they learned.
Rubric/Answer Key
Use the Answer Sheet: Multi-sensory Experiences in the Battle of Palo Alto to assess the student’s performance and understanding on the graphic organizer and Cannonball Weight worksheet.
Use the Answer Sheet: Multi-sensory Experiences in the Battle of Palo Alto to assess the student’s performance and understanding on the graphic organizer and Cannonball Weight worksheet.
Multi-sensory Experience Answer Sheet
Supports for Struggling Learners
- Create mixed-ability groups.
- Highlight and annotate the document(s) assigned for struggling readers.
- Read text out loud prior to answering questions.
Enrichment Activities
Create a poster or pamphlet with information containing other contributing factors which influenced the outcome of the Battle of Palo Alto.
Contact Information
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Tags: us-mexican war artillery