AUSTIN — Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is calling for entries students in the Kingsville- Bishop area in the 2010 Save Texas History Texas Travels Essay Contest.

Last year’s contest was such a success, Patterson opened the competition up to students in both the fourthgrade and seventh-grade.

“I was overwhelmed with both the quality and the quantity of essays we received last year,” Patterson said.

“The idea behind this contest was to inspire Texas school kids to take pride in our heritage as Texans, and from what I saw, it worked.”

Seventh graders are asked to write the story of their favorite Texas city, big or small.

The length of the essays should be 500 to 700 words, typed.

Students are asked to write about the historical significance of the place they choose and give reasons why they think the community was important to the development of Texas.

Ariel McFalls, a seventhgrader at Westbrook Intermediate School in Friendswood, won top honors in last year’s contest.

Her essay on the Caddoan Mounds detailed the rapid decline of the once prosperous Caddos, who built the mounds and flourished in Texas before the arrival of Europeans.

Fourth graders are asked to write from the perspective of a well-known explorer.

Looking through the eyes of Cabeza de Vaca, Francisco Coronado, de la Salle or any other explorer who charted what is now Texas, fourth graders must explain why they are exploring Texas and what they see as they travel.

The winning entry will explain the explorers’ plans to settle the new land and what they have accomplished through their journey.

The contest fulfills the educational mission of the Save Texas History program to promote the study of Texas history and to serve as a teaching resource.

While all Texas fourthand seventh-grade students study Texas history, Patterson hopes that asking students to write about the history of places close to their hearts will help make their stories come alive.

All essays must be postmarked by Jan. 30, 2010.

All public, private and home-schooled students of appropriate age for the fourth-grade or seventhgrade are eligible to participate.

Essays will be judged on originality of idea, cohesiveness of thought and organization.

Proper grammar, spelling and punctuation counts.

One grand prize winner per grade will receive roundtrip airline tickets for four to San Antonio from any Southwest Airlines destination in Texas, hotel accommodations for two nights, a tour of the Alamo and tickets for additional attractions.

Ten finalists will win Save Texas History backpacks, a Certificate of Appreciation signed by Commissioner Patterson and a historic map replica from the Land Office Archives Collection.