Curated OER
Point of View to Ponder
Learners view (or read) The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty. They
discuss other literary pieces that include the misleading first person narrator. They
role play fictional characters from literature and present a short anecdote in a...
Curated OER
Bank Loans Money to Start Businesses
After locating Latin American countries on a world map, children read about how microbanks are loaning money to help start small businesses. Involving both current events and economics, the teacher introduces the article with a map...
Curated OER
The Revolt of Juan "Cheno" Cortina
Tenth graders examine the social and cultural impact of immigrant groups and the oppression of ethnic minorities with a focus on the role of Juan Cortina in Mexico. In small groups they discuss what a revolutionary is, read and discuss...
Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: California
It's time to hear about some adventures in travel! The Transcontinental Railroad changed life and travel in the United States during the 1800s. Practicing online research skills, pupils discover the features they would like to visit on...
Curated OER
Chiapas, Where Is It and Why Should We Care? And What Is the EZLN?
Students research and discuss the Zapatista National Liberation Army of Chiapas, Mexico. They role play the involved parties in the conflict and attempt to debate a peaceful solution.
Curated OER
Character and Class
Students connect photographic images with the literary texts of Eudora Welty and William Faulkner. They identify and distinguish narrators and protagonists of literary works. Students recognize patterns of social class as a literary...
Curated OER
The Founding of Los Angeles, California
Seventh graders examine the social and cultural impact of settler groups in California and the origins of the founding of Los Angeles, California. They read and discuss an informational handout, and discuss what it is and was like to...
Curated OER
Conquering North America
Young scholars create a study guide on colonization of North America. In this American Colonization activity, students complete a chart of explorers and their conquests. Young scholars complete a crossword puzzle using explorer facts....
Curated OER
An Excursion to Cities of Mysterious Pasts
Students use the encyclopedia sources on the computer or in the library to research the historic sites and history of Mexico City. They make notes of what they find to be the most interesting for their visit. They make a large map of...
Curated OER
Characterization in The Ponder Heart:A Collaborative Speaking Unit
Learners assess fellow student's oral narrative tales. They discuss the attributes that marked the "best" narratives. They compose their own narrative tales and interview family members. They make a final speaking presentation to the...
Curated OER
Where We Put Ourselves
Students examine the form and function of furniture in New Spain, explore the origins of marquetry, and discover the influences of other countries on marquetry in Puebla, Mexico.
Curated OER
Zip Codes
Students discover how a zip code is used. In this zip code lesson, students use the parts of a zip code to find where a letter is going, then find the first number of zip codes based on geographic regions.
Curated OER
Trading Off
Students explore how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has impacted the people and economies of North America and Mexico.
Curated OER
Hemispheric Harmony
Students express their opinion on issues related to Central America. After reading an article, they discuss the relations between the Presidents of Mexico and the United States. Using the internet, they research a part of the party...
Curated OER
The Urban Explosion
Students investigate the uncontrolled development of the world's major cities. They define key vocabulary terms, view and discuss video excerpts, and complete a project that involves drawing a "perfect city," developing a plan to...
Curated OER
The Final Countdown
Young scholars examine the United States electoral college system as it applies to the 2004 presidential election. They investigate the impact of the twelve battleground states in the 2004 election and develop informative pamphlets on...
Curated OER
The Four Corners Region of the United States Cultures, Ruins and Landmarks
Students who live in the inner city are introduced to the four corners region of the United States. In groups, they examine how the region differs compared to where they live and their culture. They develop maps of the area and locate...
Curated OER
U.S.A. State Capitols
In this state capitol worksheet, learners fill in the state capitol of given states. A reference web site is given for additional activities.
Curated OER
Developing a Gateway to the West
Students identify various topographical features that contribute to the growth of a city. They identify how military strategies contribute to the growth of a city.
Scholastic
Step-by-Step Strategies for Teaching Expository Writing
A carefully crafted, logically organized, 128-page packet is an excellent addition to your unit on expository writing.
Curated OER
The Conquest of the Aztec Civilization
High schoolers use the classroom atlases, the Internet or textbooks to draw a freehand map. They work in groups using the maps in the book The Broken Spears (Portilla) and The Conquest of New Spain (Diaz) to draw a freehand map...
Curated OER
Where is Mesoamerica?
Students create a map of Mesoamerica using construction paper, clay or by drawing it. In this World Geography activity, students determine the location of Mesoamerica, make a map, then present their map to their class.
Curated OER
'Magic' Pablo Lesson
Students examine what goes into hero worship and establishing unlikely friendships. They probe the deeper meanings in "'Magic' Pablo" through small group dialog and use a variety of ways to process the story's meaning. They see the...
Curated OER
Archaeology and Erosion
Sixth graders study how erosion affects archaeology sites. For this investigative lesson, 6th graders construct a model of a pyramid using sugar cubes. They will investigate in groups how water, wind, and sunlight affects their model...