Smithsonian Institution
Borders with the World: Mexican-American War and U.S. Southern Borderlands
The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...
Annenberg Foundation
Exploring Borderlands
What motivated Europeans to explore the New World, and what effects did their exploration have on Native American populations? The second installment of a 16-part American Passages series prompts pupils to watch a video and read several...
Curated OER
Border Poetry/Writing Workshop
Students analyze a poem set in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands and defend their own interpretations of the work. They demonstrate understanding of poetic technique by writing their own poems of living on the border.
Curated OER
Minorities in a Cross-Cultural Perspective Debate Simulation Case Study: China's Borderlands
Twelfth graders investigate if minority status is synonymous with powerlessness in China. They examine if minority and majority groups interact with equity and justice in China. Students present their findings in a debate-simulation format.
Curated OER
Mapping the Border
Learners create maps of the borderland region. They decorate their maps with colors, pictures, icons, scenes, words that reflect their understanding of the character and history of the borderland.
Curated OER
Border Math
Learners examine and interpret data relating to U.S.-Mexico borderland realities, and consider such aspects of social science as the study of population, crime, government spending, pollution, health, and economics.
Curated OER
Crossing the Border: Practicalities
High schoolers plan a trip for a citizen of Mexico to travel within various regions of the US. Another group plans a trip for a citizen of the US to travel to a non-tourist area of Mexico.
Smithsonian Institution
Borders within the United States: Indian Boarding Schools and Assimilation
Native American Nations ... sovereign entities or removable tribes? A thought-provoking lesson explores the relationship between Native American tribes and the United States, including forced assimilation and removal from their ancestral...
Smithsonian Institution
Borders and Community: Early 20th Century Chicago Neighborhoods and Ethnic Enclaves
Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The lesson explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...
Curated OER
Discovering Ourselves in Literature and Life
Students read literature and view other media to discover how print and non-print texts answer the thematic question: Who am I? students compare the ways ideas are presented, and create their own portfolios or personal Web pages...
Curated OER
Bilinguilism and Spanglish: A Way of Speaking, a Way of Thinking
Students compare the differences between bilingualism and registers of discourse. They investigate how economic, historical and interpersonal relationships affect language and relationships.
Curated OER
Border Legends, Myth, & Folklore
Students examine the narrative forms and tales unique to the U.S.-Mexico border. They discuss the possible sociological meanings of these stories, and then write their own versions to demonstrate that they explain the forms.
Curated OER
The Border Goes to Hollywood
Students view a movie or tv show, or listen to music to analyze the ways border life is depicted in arts and entertainment.
Curated OER
Conquering North America
Students create a study guide on colonization of North America. In this American Colonization lesson plan, students complete a chart of explorers and their conquests. Students complete a crossword puzzle using explorer facts. Students...
Curated OER
Investigating Jack London's White Fang: Nature and Culture Detectives
Students explore images of the Klondike and read Jack London's White Fang to become culture and nature detectives. In this novel analysis lesson, students analyze the setting of the novel and the ways London portrays nature and culture....
Curated OER
Conjunto Music from South Texas
Students listen to conjunto music and identify the instrumentation. After discussing the the history of South Texas, they examine lyrics of several songs and interpret them. As extensions, students can learn to partner dance to the...