The struggles of Sam McCulloch, a free black man, to be recognized as a citizen entitled to own land in Texas are the focus of research project that ask groups to examine a series of primary source documents and piece together...

Americans wanted to fulfill Manifest Destiny, and this pattern continued with the Mexican War. The resource specifically teaches about the Mexican War through a variety of exercises including a research project, group work, brainstorming...

Young scholars discuss the factors that can lead to war, and the motivations of countries going into war. They research two viewpoints on Texas during the Mexican War and participate in a debate with their classmates.

Eighth graders create a propaganda poster. In this US history instructional activity students research the various sides during the Mexican-American War. They present their poster and their position for or against the war.

Seventh graders study the national effect that the annexation of Texas had on the 1844 Presidential election using primary source documents which they access through web based sources. They examine slavery in Texas during the 1840's and...

Middle schoolers examine the Texas Revolution. In groups, they use the internet to research who the Texans really were and the reasons behind the revolution. They discuss the need to discover the world outside of school and work with...

Students take a closer look at historical relations between the United States and Mexico. In this Texas annexation lesson, students examine primary documents authored by Zachary Taylor, James Polk, and Abraham Lincoln to consider why the...

Students examine five president's reasons for entering into a war. Using the text, they answer questions and discuss their answers with the class. They also examine President Bush's reasons for going to war in Iraq and how that...

Seventh graders continue their examination of World War I. In groups, they read a copy of the famous Zimmerman telegram and discuss its effect on Americans. To end the lesson, they discuss how public opinion changed after it became...

Young scholars study the Battle of the Alamo in depth. In this research skills lesson, students visit the Alamo de Parras website to examine issues related to the battle that took place in 1836. Young scholars analyze comment strands on...

Students will analyze four historical events: The Annexation of U.S. Southwest, The Mexican Revolution, The Great Depression, and World War II. They determine how each event affected immigration to the U.S. from Mexico and Central...

The third in a series of lessons introduced by “A Fence Away From Freedom,” uses the Smithsonian website, “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution” and focuses on the section of the presentation devoted to the...

Students study the territorial status of Texas in 1830, 1840, and 1846 and interpret an historical timeline. They develop a general statement of Mexican and American views of Texas.

Students discern a map of Texas and it's forts in the early to mid-1800's. From this map they analyze movement from the moment Texas became a state to its involvement in the Civil War.

Seventh graders practice reading maps and locating the forts stationed in Texas. Using the internet, they analyze westward movements from statehood to the Civil War. In groups, they complete a worksheet about the forts and share their...

What does it mean to be an American citizen? Lieutenant Colonel Commander William Barret Travis believed that it meant honor to country first—even above one's own life. Middle and high schoolers read his final letters from the Alamo that...

Students identify three celebration activities participated in Cinco de Mayo and explain their significance.

Students interpret historical maps and locate territories annexed by the United States in the 1840. In groups, they research the war with Mexico over Texas from both perspectives and answer on a worksheet about expansion.

Students explore the meaning behind Mexican corridos. For this Mexican Revolution lesson, students discover details about the war and its leaders as they read, analyze, and write their own corridos.

A three-part lesson gives light to the Unites States expansion from the view of Texans, New Mexicans, and Californians. Through videos and written activities, scholars work collaboratively to research specific individuals and their...

Seventh graders comprehend the importance of the Regulator-Moderator War through John W. Middleton's memoir. They comprehend how the different motivations held by each faction began the conflict. Students are shown the map of Shelby...

Students explore the American cattle industry history. In this United States history and reading comprehension cross curriculum lesson, students read an article about the history of longhorn cattle, then answer comprehension questions on...

Students explore the Underground Railroad routes. In this map skills and Civil War lesson, students use map and globe reading vocabulary and skills to track the routes the slaves followed from the Bahamas to the United States and from...

This lesson can be used in American history, social studies, and geography courses in units on westward expansion and the Civil War.