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Reporting on the 1920s
Use this roaring 1920s history lesson 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 and...
Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Honoring our Ancestors Through Community Celebration
Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...
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Ofelia Romero The Maya Culture and Civilization
Fifth graders investigate the Mayan culture, number system, alphabet, hieroglyphics, history, civilization, artistry, and sports in this series of lessons.
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Foods and Languages of the World
Young scholars review Mexico's location and language and learn to pronouns 10 new Spanish food words. Students listen as the book, Corn is Maize is read, touching and passing around an ear of Indian corn. Young scholars discuss the...
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Creating a Self Portrait painting With Decorative Frame
Sixth graders view a large image of a painting and discuss the history and its role in past and current culture in Mexico. Student list the symbols portrayed in the work and explain their significance. Students use elements of art to...
Smithsonian Institution
Latino Expression
How much of your daily life is influenced by Latin American music? Take a listen—the answer may surprise you! High schoolers keep a journal to note any instances they see Latino culture represented, including the media, their school, and...
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The Alamo
High schoolers 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. High schoolers analyze comment strands on...
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Book: Latino Economics in the United States: Job Diversity
Students, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "Latino Economics in the United States: Job Diversity," write an essay that compares the cultural as well as the historical factors (experiences with jobs, discrimination, education, etc.)...
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Operation Mexfly
Students research information about pesticides. Students discuss the history of the Mexican fruit fly. They experiment to discover malathion concentration levels in organisms. Students explore the effect of toxins at the top of the...
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The Adventure Begins: "Boys I Believe I Have Found a Gold Mine!"
Students view and discuss historical documents regarding Native Americans and Californians prior to the gold rush in the 1940's. They complete a variety of activities designed to show what they have learned from these sources and class...
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Days of '49: "I've Been Toiling Hard for the Last Two And a Half Years"
Students trace the stages of gold mining in California. They discuss the life of a gold miner and how the discovery of gold influenced towns and cities in California during the 1949 Gold Rush.
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Westward Expansion and the War with Mexico
Students evaluate primary sources to develop their own opinions about Westward Expansion. In this Manifest Destiny lesson, students examine and respond to questions about Gast's painting titled American Progress Students research how...
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New Movements For Social Justice: The Latino Struggle for Equal Rights
Students examine myths and stereotypes about Hispanic immigrant groups. They appreciate and share the strengths of their diversity and view films that challenge ideas about education and cultural values. They explore the Latino Rights...
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The Mayan Empire
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...
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Savvy in Sacramento
Young scholars take a field trip to the state capital, Sacramento. Using the Internet, they explain the physical and human geographic features of the area and discuss interactions between the people of California between the time of...
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Learning Landscapes
Fifth graders analyze a landscape depicting Yosemite during the time of the Wild West. They compare their perceptions of the West from film and television to this representation. They observe the use of scale and color to depict size and...
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Is the Media Part of the Story?
Young scholars discuss the role of the media in public opinion. They use the internet to research when the media has had an impact on war. They write an essay about their research and any conclusions they have made.
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Lorenzo de Zavala Online: Empresario, Statesman and Texas Revolutionary
Seventh graders study Lorenzo de Zavala's role in the Texas Revolution as politician and statesman. They determine his contributions to the establishment of a government as Texas fought for its independence. While completing research,...
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Coming to California
Fourth graders read excerpts from Juan Bautista de Anza's diaries. They analyze the impact of primary sources. They write journal entries for characters in stories they have read during the year.
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African Masks
Fourth graders create three-dimensional paper African masks. They analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of Africa. they discover that masks were worn for various ceremonies.
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Lone Stars and Gun Smoke
Seventh graders assess the significance of the Texas Ranger Frontier Battalion Company 'D' in maintaining law and order along the Texas-Mexico border. They study the importance of Ranger actions and utilize primary sources and maps to...
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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
Students use information from the U.S. Bureau of the Census to create a bar graph, a picture graph, or a circle graph showing the country of origin of U.S. Hispanics.
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A Child's Journey through Medicine
Students experience a variety of activities that relate to human physiology and their functions. They create graphs and charts after testing their heart rates and blood pressure They conduct a survey of the student body and create ...