Episode 81 - Why Is the Texas State Mammal… an Armadillo?!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. This week, we’re investigating a very curious creature—one that wears armor, digs like a champ, and somehow waddled its way into Texas history books. Yep, we’re talking about the nine-banded armadillo—the official state mammal of Texas!Zoe's got questions (like… why not a horse or cow?!), and we’ve got answers. Discover how this tough little underdog became a Texas icon, learn about armadillo races (yes, really!), and find out what makes this armored oddball so special.Music/Sounds by PixabayStarting Jingle Sound Effect by Shiden Beats Music from Pixabay- Jingle Slide GuitarMischief and Mayhem by Music by Echo-Media from PixabaySupport the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. We’re talking about the history of Texas immigration, the power of protest, and a lesson from history that still echoes today.👉Click here to sign up for the "How to Change the Rules" series today. ReferencesCurtis Bishop, “Law of April 6, 1830,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed June 14, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/law-of-april-6-1830.Published by the Texas State Historical Association.Music/Sounds by PixabayStarting Jingle Sound Effect by Shiden Beats Music from Pixabay- Jingle Slide GuitarSound Effect by ALEXIS_GAMING_CAM from PixabaySupport the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. Today, we’re heading to the coast  where one little boy grew up to shock the world.👊 His fists were fast. 🎩 His fashion was fierce. 💥 And his story? Full of fights, freedom, and fame.Today, we uncover the wild, true story of Jack Johnson—the first African American heavyweight boxing champion in the world.Referenceshttps://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/jack-johnson-heavyweight-boxer-defied-americahttps://www.biography.com/athletes/jack-johnsonMusic/Sounds by PixabayStarting Jingle Sound Effect by Shiden Beats Music from Pixabay- Jingle Slide GuitarSchool Bell Sound Effect by Emg5991 from PixabayPolice Whistle: Sound Effect by kakaist from PixabaySupport the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. Today on Texas History for Kids, we explore the legacy of a man who didn’t set out to be a hero—but inherited it…sort of.  A man who didn’t seek power—but helped build a nation. His name is Stephen F Austin and he was in charge of starting a new country, called the Republic of Texas, and making all the rules for it. Music/Sounds by PixabayStarting Jingle Sound Effect by Shiden Beats Music from Pixabay- Jingle Slide GuitarMusic by Kellie_with_an_ie from Pixabay - AI Piano InstrumentalReferenceshttps://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/giants/austin/austin-01Portrait of Stephen F. Austin, photograph, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth55631/: accessed May 31, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.Support the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. Anthropologists tell us that long before the Comanches thundered across Texas, they were mountain people—part of the Northern Shoshone of the Great Basin. They hunted, gathered, and traveled on foot.But sometime in the late 1600s, everything changed. Referenceshttps://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/comanche-indiansEshet, D. (2020, December). Teaching American Indian History with Primary Sources. The Organization of American Historians/National Park Service.La Vere, D. (2004). The Texas Indians (Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students, Texas a & M University). Texas A&M University Press.Music/Sounds by PixabayStarting Jingle Sound Effect by Shiden Beats Music from Pixabay- Jingle Slide Guitar  Support the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. Long before Texas had towns or highways, a group of people lived by the rhythm of the land. Not by fences or warranty deeds. Not by kings and courts.They were called the Apache—though that’s not the name they gave themselves. In fact, the word “Apache” came from outside groups and might mean “enemy” in Zuni or Spanish.ReferencesEshet, D. (2020, December). Teaching American Indian History with Primary Sources. The Organization of American Historians/National Park Service.La Vere, D. (2004). The Texas Indians (Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students, Texas a & M University). Texas A&M University Press.Music/Sounds by PixabayStarting Jingle Sound Effect by Shiden Beats Music from Pixabay- Jingle Slide GuitarThunder Sound Effect by Universfield from PixabayDreamewalker’s Path Music by Captain Sleepy from PixabaySupport the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. The Karankawa were not one single tribe, but several bands that lived along the Texas Gulf Coast, from Galveston to Corpus Christi, who shared similar language and culture. They lived along the Texas coast for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Take a listen as we go back to the 1500s. References/Music/Sounds by PixabayStarting Jingle Sound Effect by Shiden Beats Music from Pixabay- Jingle Slide GuitarMusic by Captain Sleepy from Pixabay - Silent Waters Ambient Native MusicSound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay - F-Phrase on American BeatLa Vere, D. (2004). The Texas Indians (Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students, Texas a & M University). Texas A&M University Press.Carol A. Lipscomb Revised by Tim Seiter, “Karankawa Indians,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed May 09, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/karankawa-indians.Published by the Texas State Historical Association.Wikipedia contributors. (2025, May 9). Karankawa people. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:24, May 9, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karankawa_people&oldid=1289607566Support the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. Today, we’re uncovering the story of the Caddo—the mound builders, farmers, and friends of East Texas.Wikipedia contributors. (2025, April 10). Caddo. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:17, May 2, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caddo&oldid=1284985302https://thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/caddo-moundshttps://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/caddo/mounds.htmlSupport the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. This is the real story of 16 brave families from a very tiny group of Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, who left everything behind in 1731 to come to a place called… San Antonio de Béxar.SourcesOur History - CIDA. (n.d.). Canary Islands Descendants Association. Retrieved January 25, 2025, from https://cida-sa.org/our-history/Anonymous, “Canary Islanders,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed January 25, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/canary-islanders.Published by the Texas State Historical Association.https://cida-sa.org/MusicSound Effect by [email protected] from Pixabay - SFX Thriller ImpactSound Effect by solarmusic from Pixabay Ocean WavesSupport the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!

Let me know what you thought of this podcast! Send a text. Today, we're diving into a world filled with hidden fossils, historic battlefields, prehistoric creatures… all of which  tell the story of  Texas’s past.FREE RESOURCEReferenceshttps://www.national-park.com/list-of-national-parks-in-texas/Music/Sounds by PixabayStarting Jingle Sound Effect by Shiden Beats Music from Pixabay- Jingle Slide GuitarSupport the show 🎉 Y’all, it’s freebie time! Snag your Texas Flag Reading Packet—perfect for grades 4–7! Plus, join the email list for more Texas-sized learning fun each week. 👉 Claim your freebie now!