West is Best!: Local Community History 1850-2015 [Teacher's Guide] Page: 2 of 96

                                
Welcome to West Community History
s oThe City of West
ocal CommunBity History
1850 -2015
Note to Teachers: The following pages contain a compiled collection of historical moments in our
town's past geared for West's elementary age students. The highlights of our local history are presented
with factual details, photographs, and graphics to help the students visualize how West began and
progressed since its first settlers arrived in 1850.
" Several project-based activities are included to enhance understanding. If you feel a project can
be modified for your students' learning style, by all means, "tweak" it! You know what's best for
West! Share your successes with other teachers!
" West's history has a few events not reported in this version (such as the Prohibition Era and the
fertilizer plant disaster of 4/17/2013*). Although "The Crash at Crush" is not discussed within the
history, students can view a short narrative video on You Tube if you decide your students would
enjoy learning about this grand, yet tragic staged event sponsored by the MKT Railroad in 1896. See
Activities for several exciting visual treats!
" The WISD administrators back this project 1oo% and hope teachers will follow up West's history
lessons with an extra field trip to the History of West Museum. See Activities~
" Suggested target dates are flexible. If your students are STAAR testing in the spring, teachers may
wait for the last 6 weeks to teach West history. Your lesson plans are done!
" While most of the compiled information addresses TEKS Social Studies objectives, Reading and
Language Arts enrichment skills are included, especially with the descriptive narrative poetry
selections. Some ideas are included with the selections. See TEKS correlations section-
"  Permission is granted to West ISD & St. Mary's educators only for photocopying activities for
classroom instruction. Visual presentation is permitted, of course! These pages look great on a large
screen, and the print size is large. Students will find West history easy to read.
- Enjoy teaching these moments of West's history. Your students will discover the journey has not
been easy, but that our town's glorious past remains alive today~ not only from the outpouring of
love by its citizens, but also from the surrounding communities and the entire world! v

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*The West Fertilizer disaster is stillfresh on the minds of the community, and the time is not ye
right to explain this tragedy. It's not exactly history yet. A supplemental section or children's
book may be added later to discuss what happened and how the best of West kept us strong.v