Students create a timeline on the development of the Pajaro Valley Area. In this social science lesson plan, students discuss the changes that took place in the area over the past 300 years. They draw a pictures of how the area has...

Fifth graders view skeleton images used in the Dia de los Muertos festival and hear the Mexican tale "Sister Death and the Healer." They identify the view of death held by the Mexican people.

Students recognize historical and cultural influences in art and appreciate art as a vehicle for public expression of ideas. They develop group skills, working together to produce a single mural or several related murals.

Students explore a facet of  Mexican culture. In this music lesson, students discuss how Christmas is celebrated in Mexico and listen to a traditional posada song.

Take your art class back centuries to the art of metal tooling. This is an art technique also referred to as embossing, or repajado in Mexico and South America. This is a fun project to introduce a new technique and new materials. This...

Fourth graders are presented with a wedding song and dance of another culture. They also make a connection between the beat of a song with various dance movements.

Third graders explore the Mexican sauce Mole and the culture of Mexico.  In this Mexican culture lesson, 3rd graders find Mexico on the map and access prior knowledge about the country.  Students discuss Mexican foods....

Investigate life along the Old Spanish Trail! They visit websites and identify the history and environment. They create journals, dramatic enactments, and maps to discover the role individuals played in society. They also explore the...

Get readers thinking about the major themes in Victor Martinez's award-winning novel, Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida by asking them to agree or disagree with the prompts on an anticipation guide and to discuss...

Students create skeletons to celebrate the Day of the Dead. In this visual arts lesson, students explore the importance of the Day of the Dead celebrations in the Mexican culture. They create skeletons and decorate them with paint,...

Students create their own drinking vessel from papier-m??ch??. They experiment with different shapes for drinking vessels and different patterns for them.

Students explore world history by illustrating an image. In this Mexican culture instructional activity, students identify the history of the holiday Cinco De Mayo and discuss the challenges the Mexican army faced. Students illustrate a...

Students examine the concept of Manifest Destiny and the United States. They analyze the Mexican War from the perspective of the Mexicans and the Indians. They write an essay about these different perspectives.

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...

Fifth graders describe the characteristics of a piece of "papel picado", or Mexican cut paper, which is seen in the Dia de los Muertos festival. They predict what medium was used in the papel picado art. They explain how the scene in the...

Fourth graders examine the effects of Mexican-American ranching on life today.

Art is a wonderful way to teach historical or cultural concepts. Here, learners view a series of coil pots that have been created throughout history by a variety of civilizations. They then create and decorate a pot of their own that...

Use this roaring 1920s history lesson plan to have young writers research primary and secondary sources. They use their research to examine the events or famous public figures of the time period. Next, they imagine they're in the 1920s...

Middle schoolers create a personal painting of thanks, explain importance of devotional art in Mexico, and critically view art work from another culture. Next, students evaluate self and peer work.

Students are introduced to the foods and traditions of the Caribbean. In groups, they brainstorm their own definition of culture and review the physical and political geography of the Caribbean. They spend time sampling different foods...

To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...

Students study vocabulary associated with the Mayan Empire; its art, daily life, inventions, and religious beliefs. They examine why the Mayan culture is considered to be one of the most advanced of the ancient civilizations by...