Curated OER
Mexican Masks
Students explore the Mexican mask-making tradition and create maks that tell stories. They desribe how art tells stories and examine early Mexican culture in California.
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Let's Go To Mexico
Students are able to use the Internet to conduct research. They research Mexican culture and traditions. Students compare and contrast Mexican and U.S. food and clothing. They convert United States currency to Mexican pesos. Students...
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Mexican Independence Day
Students realize that countries have celebrations unique to them and demonstrate their understanding of the concept of tradition. They identify a family tradition that is important to each of them and demonstrate their understanding of...
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Literature: Esperanza Rising
Students read and discuss the book, Esperanza Rising. After analyzing and identifying the novel's structural elements, they examine working conditions for migrant workers in the 1930s. As part of the lesson plan, students in groups...
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Traveling Through Time, Wetland Style
Learners create a timeline on the development of the Pajaro Valley Area. In this social science lesson, students discuss the changes that took place in the area over the past 300 years. They draw a pictures of how the area has changed...
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The U. S. at War
Students examine reasons for going to war. For this foreign policy lesson, students analyze the reasons the U.S. entered the the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the...
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Revolutions Around the World
Revolutions are an interesting and informative way to study world history.
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Latin American Art
Latin American art lessons can provide a way to explore different cultures, the lives of famous artists, and much more.
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Notable "Texans" of the Texas Revolution
Students investigate why and how certain historical figures became famous in relation to the Texas Revolution. They view and discuss a variety of images, then in small groups record the names of individuals involved in the Texas...
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Lucha Music
Middle schoolers listen to four styles of Mexican music, and create percussion instruments which they use to play each style. Additionally, learners create Lucha Libre masks which are also a part of the colorful culture of Mexico. These...
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Unit of Study Mural
Students make a mural after reading about the art of Diego Rivera. In this mural lesson plan, students read a book about Diego Rivera, discuss him and his artwork, and make their own class mural.
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From Missions to Ranchos
Fourth graders examine the conversion of the California missions into ranchos. They develop a pros and cons chart, write a first person narrative describing the changing life from the missions to the ranchos, and create a poster of...
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A Sculpted Fiesta Feast
Fifth graders study the Mexican History. In this World History lesson, 5th graders create a traditional Mexican feast using sculpting clay and paint.
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The Industrial Revolution
Eighth graders examine the time period of the Industrial revolution in American history. In this American History lesson, 8th graders read the chapter on this time period. Students create a presentation on this time period to...
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Friday and Friends: A Prospectus of the Mexican Family through Children's Literature
Students use literature to examine how the structure of families in Mexico has changed over time. In groups, they examine how their life now relates to their ancestors and the Spanish conquest of the area. As a class, they are read...
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Abolitionists in U.S. History
Students read and discuss excerpts from the writings of Henry David Thoreau, Frederick Douglass and Sarah Parker Redmond. They compare and contrast the views of the three abolitionists concentrating on the experiences and reasons for...
Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Honoring our Ancestors Through Community Celebration
Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...
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Cuisine Art
Students explore the history of the foods of different ethnic groups and the significance of these foods in perpetuating culture.
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Ofelia Romero The Maya Culture and Civilization
Fifth graders investigate the Mayan culture, number system, alphabet, hieroglyphics, history, civilization, artistry, and sports in this series of lessons.
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Comparing Cultural Holidays
Third graders explore art that reflects their cultural background. In this writing and research lesson students compare and contrast the Halloween with El Dia de los Muertos. Students study the visual art of these holidays. Then students...
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A Child's Journey Through Medicine
Fifth graders identify the symptoms of asthma. In this biology instructional activity, 5th graders draw and label models of heart and lungs. They conduct a survey on asthma and construct graphs based on result.
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Soldados: Soldiers' Stories
This lesson plan will help students practice conducting an oral history interview, increase knowledge about what it is like to be a soldier, gain knowledge about the Vietnam War and gain knowledge about the Chicano experience in the U.S.
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Fabric Poncho
Students create a fabric poncho to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. They sample food and drink from Mexico and follow instructions to make the ponhco. They also discover the history of the holiday.
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What's Your Brand?
Students explore the history of branding livestock and discover it began as early as 2000 BC. They discuss reasons for branding and then design their own brand from pipe cleaners. Students dip their brand into paint and print it on...