Mexican-American War Lesson Plan
Mexican-American War Lesson Plan
Mexican-American War Lesson Plan
Unit Essential Question: How did Westward Expansion affect American, Native American, and
Mexican societies?
Lesson Topic: Mexican-American War
Democracy and
21st Century Skills:
Discern bias, pose questions,
marshal evidence, and
present solutions.
Democracy and
21st Century Skills:
SWBAT analyze sources to
discern bias, pose questions,
marshal evidence, and
present solutions for the
OBJECTIVES
Content:
SWBAT evaluate primary
sources and develop an
opinion defended by evidence
by formulating an essay on if
the Mexican-American War
by writing an essay on
whether or not the MexicanAmerican War was a just war.
ASSESSMENTS What is your evidence of achieving each objective? How will students know
and demonstrate what they have learned in each of the areas, all of the objectives?
Content:
Students will:
1. Participate in a discussion
on questions posed from
sources.
2. Submit an essay as to why
they think the war was
just or unjust.
Democracy and
21st Century Skills:
1. Students will read sources
with different
perspectives, formulate
and pose questions on the
sources, and submit an
essay as to why they think
the war was just or unjust.
Democracy and
21st Century Skills
Well-informed opinion
KEY VOCABULARY
Content
Manifest Destiny
Santa Anna
Westward Expansion
Democracy and
21st Century Skills
How does reading primary
sources from multiple
perspectives create a wellinformed opinion?
LESSON FLOW
This is the actual planning of the lesson activities.
Time
Time
Pre-Assessment
Ask students if they are familiar with the Alamo to determine background
knowledge of tensions between U.S. and Mexico.
Time
Building Background
Link to Experience: Students have been going over the Westward Expansion of
the U.S. and the idea of Manifest Destiny.
Time
Link to Learning: Students this week will learn about the events leading up to the
Mexican-American War, the War itself, and its legacy.
Activity Name
Interpreting Our Past through Art
Anticipatory Set
Have students interpret John Gasts American Progress painting by dividing it up
into four quadrants and interpreting each quadrant.
Time
Instructional Input
Input:
Students will receive a brief lecture and PPT where they will be asked to take
notes. Students will be given the website address to read four primary documents
on the Mexican-American War.
Modeling:
I will model the Anticipatory Set by giving a couple of observations on the
painting American Progress. I
Checking for Understanding:
I will check for understanding by asking Quick Assess questions during the
lecture, as well as reading their essay as to whether they think the MexicanAmerican War was just or unjust to check for understanding of the lesson overall.
Models of Teaching:
Inquiry, Direct Instruction, and Discussion
SIOP Techniques:
Time
The essay will allow them to ascertain biases and gather evidence to formulate a
well-informed opinion.
Time
Closure
With about ten minutes remaining, I will poll the class to determine who thought
it was just and who thought it was unjust. I will cold call to find out whey they
chose what they chose.
Time
Next Step
Continue the unit on Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny.