The Mexican American War PDF - Denver Public Schools
The Mexican American War PDF - Denver Public Schools
The Mexican American War PDF - Denver Public Schools
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Mexican</strong>-<strong>American</strong> <strong>War</strong><br />
PRELIMINARY LESSON PREPARATION<br />
Make copies of the vocabulary worksheet (or copy the words onto a transparency or a paper<br />
chart so students can write them down). Copy current United States and Mexico maps and a<br />
map of the area before the war onto overhead transparencies. Make copies of the map<br />
requirements for students to use while they are completing their maps. A classroom roller-type<br />
map of the <strong>Mexican</strong> territory prior to 1836 is important to have for this lesson as well.<br />
ACTIVITIES<br />
Introduce the <strong>Mexican</strong>-<strong>American</strong> <strong>War</strong> by reading aloud the brief introduction included in this<br />
section. Emphasize the importance of knowing the geography involved in the unit because of<br />
the vast amount of land that changed sides. Pass out the geography vocabulary worksheet (or<br />
put the words on the overhead or on butcher paper for students to copy). Place students in<br />
groups of three or four students (depending on the size of class). Using the classroom social<br />
studies text, dictionaries, atlases, or other resources, the groups will come up with a definition<br />
for each word. Allow students approximately 20 to 25 minutes to complete the activity. Next,<br />
they will illustrate the vocabulary terms on butcher paper. Allow the students time to be<br />
creative. Each group will present their illustrations to the class for fun. When these activities are<br />
completed, use the Teacher’s Copy of the vocabulary worksheet and give the students the<br />
actual definitions for the words. Students will copy them down.<br />
<strong>The</strong> second part of this lesson involves maps of the territories involved in the war. On the<br />
overhead, show the current political maps of Mexico and the United States as well as the<br />
territories in 1846. <strong>The</strong>n, hand out copies of the maps, instructing the students to use classroom<br />
resources to label them. <strong>The</strong> students must include every state, state capital, major body of<br />
water, and geographic feature included on the lists in this lesson. <strong>The</strong> third map should be<br />
color-coded to distinguish the different areas and the land lost and won in the war. <strong>The</strong> teacher<br />
may want to make copies of the requirements and pass them out to the students.<br />
Geography/Vocabulary Race: Have one student from each team go to the chalkboard. <strong>The</strong><br />
teacher reads a definition. <strong>The</strong> first person to write the vocabulary word, spelled correctly,<br />
receives a point for his or her team. <strong>The</strong> teacher can also use the map transparencies to chose an<br />
area of a state and the first student to correctly identify the state and spell it correctly on the<br />
chalkboard receives a point for his or her team. Following two or three rounds, the team with<br />
the most points can be declared the winners (see next page for possible rubric point structure).<br />
VOCABULARY<br />
<strong>The</strong> words on the Vocabulary Worksheet should be used for this unit. However, the teacher can<br />
use discretion in adding or removing words.<br />
RESOURCES/MATERIALS<br />
Butcher or construction paper<br />
Colored pencils<br />
Rulers<br />
Class social studies text<br />
Classroom atlases<br />
Classroom maps of Mexico and the United States<br />
Maps of the United States, Mexico, and the territories of Mexico and the United States in 1846<br />
Transparencies of maps of United States, Mexico, and territories of Mexico and the<br />
United States in 1846<br />
Copies (or transparencies) of three map requirement lists to be included in class map activities<br />
El Alma de la Raza Series. © 2000 <strong>Denver</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> 6