Instructional Video

War and Nation Building in Latin America: Crash Course World History 225

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Does war hinder the growth of nation-states, or does it facilitate development? A video from Crash Course World History examines this question in the context of Latin America, particularly how the lack of international war in Central and South America may have contributed to a lower level of nationalism there than in other regions of the world.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Connect to a larger unit on Latin America and early European explorers
  • Assign one Latin American country to each small group in your class, and have them research and present on the political history of their country
  • Have class members read Miguel Angel Centeno's Blood and Debt: War and the Nation-State in Latin America (4:18 in the video) for extra credit
  • Prompt learners to write an argument paper about nationalism throughout world history, including whether or not the thesis from the video about the difference in Latin American nationalism holds up in comparison to other countries
Classroom Considerations
  • Contains some good-hearted jokes about Canada
  • Comment section is full of opinions and potentially offensive language
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Provides a closer look at a political history that standard textbooks may only address briefly
  • Narration is engaging, which is helpful in a video that covers a complex topic
Cons
  • None