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Austin Facts & Worksheets

Austin, the capital city of the state of Texas in the United States, is the southernmost state capital in the country and is home to nearly 1 million people.

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Austin, the capital city of the state of Texas in the United States, is the southernmost state capital in the country and is home to nearly 1 million people. It was settled in 1835 and incorporated on December 27th, 1839.

See the fact file below for more information on the Austin or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Austin worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY OF AUSTIN

  • Austin’s recorded history began in the 1830s after the arrival of Anglo-American settlers.
  • The two oldest archaeological sites in Texas are the Levi Rock Shelter and Smith Rock Shelter, and can be traced back over 10,000 years ago.
  • Prior to European arrival, the area was inhabited by different nomadic Native American tribes.
  • At the time of permanent settlement, the Tonkawa tribe was the most common in the area; they fished and hunted along the creeks and interacted with the Comanches and Lipan Apaches tribes who frequented the area as well.
  • In July 1730, a group of Spanish friars arrived from East Texas and established three missions near the Colorado River.
  • Following Mexico’s independence from Spain, more settlers began coming to the area, and by the 1830s, significant numbers of Anglo-Americans were in the area; by 1836, the Republic of Texas was independent as a result of the Texas Revolution.
  • As a result of its location and proximity away from potential threats from neighboring Mexico, Austin was deemed the capital of Texas in 1839.
  • Austin was named after Stephen F. Austin, known as the “father of Texas.”
  • Despite flourishing for several years, by 1842 Austin was threatened
    by a Mexican invasion that resulted in the government moving to Houston, but leaving the town’s citizens to fend off the invasion.
  • Upon the return of the government in 1845, Texas was admitted to the United States.
  • The city flourished as a trading center for ranchers and farmers, and by the early 20th century, industry began to develop.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE OF AUSTIN

  • Austin is situated on the Colorado River and contains three artificial lakes as well as a mix of flat, heavy soils in the east and rolling hills in the west that are prone to flash floods from the runoff caused by thunderstorms.
  • Austin’s location sits at the crossroads of four major ecological regions, so it has a highly variable climate with characteristics of a desert, the tropics, and heavy precipitation.
  • Summers are hot, winters are mild, and most of the city’s precipitation falls in late spring and early fall.
  • As a result of this ecological mix, several different species of plants, flowers, and animals can be found in the city including bluebonnets, Spanish oak trees, white-tailed deer, armadillos, and oak-juniper woodlands.

ECONOMY OF AUSTIN

  • Austin is considered to be a major center for business, research and development, and technology.
  • Several high-tech companies operate out of Austin, including Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Intel, Samsung, and Xerox.
  • The city is also emerging as a hub for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
  • The University of Texas, which has its main campus in Austin, has contributed to the growth of the city as well.

CULTURE OF AUSTIN

  • Austin is known for having a vibrant music scene, with a combination of genres including rock, folk, jazz, and Latino music as well as slivers of country and blues music from decades past.
  • In March, the famous South by Southwest Conference is held in Austin; the city is also famous for being a popular movie making location as well as being a part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (under the Media Arts category).
  • Each year, Austin sees many annual festivals, parades, and events for a variety of purposes.
  • The food in Austin, particularly its barbeque and Tex-Mex cuisine,
    is extremely popular – foods such as breakfast tacos, queso,
    kolaches, fried chicken, and ice cream are all staples in the city
    and can be found in many of the 1,256 food trucks that operate there.
  • Austin’s slogan is The Live Music Capital of the World.
  • The city has a strong theater culture and is home to the fourth largest ballet academy in the country, “Ballet Austin.”
  • Austin is also home to several libraries, including the Austin Public Library system, and museums, including the Texas Memorial Museum, The Mexic-Arte Museum, and the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture.
  • Popular sports in Austin include football, basketball, and soccer.
  • Several swimming holes, greenbelts, parks, camping sites, forests, and cliffs provide citizens ample opportunities to get outside and enjoy the scenery of the city.

Austin Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Austin across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Austin worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Austin, the capital city of the state of Texas in the United States, which is the southernmost state capital in the country and is home to nearly 1 million people. It was settled in 1835 and incorporated on December 27th, 1839.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Austin Facts
  • The Texas Revolution
  • Spotlight on: Stephen F. Austin
  • Austin Wordsearch
  • The Silicon Hills of Austin
  • “Keep Austin Weird”
  • Austin Crossword
  • Design a Food Truck
  • Austin Acrostic
  • Opinion Piece
  • Austin Throughout History

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Link will appear as Austin Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 19, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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