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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Mexican-American War, and supports the standard of analyzing the causes, course, and consequences of United States westward expansion. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.
Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Ask students:
- What do you already know about westward expansion in the U.S.?
Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE
- Read the description on the Mexican-American War topic page.
- Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding.
- Have students read one of the Related Reading articles. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.
Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS
Students take the Mexican-American War Quiz, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.
Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND
Students express what they learned about the Mexican-American War while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.
- Make-a-Movie: Produce a mini-documentary that explains how the Texas Revolution led to the Mexican-American War.
- Make-a-Map: Create a concept map identifying the causes and effects of the Mexican-American War.
- Creative Coding: Code a digital museum exhibit featuring artifacts and figures to represent the history and impact of the Mexican-American War.
More to Explore
Time Zone X: Mexican-American War: Place historical events in chronological order in this interactive timeline game.
Related BrainPOP Topics: Deepen understanding of history related to the Mexican-American War with these topics: Mexican Revolution, Texas Revolution, and Westward Expansion.
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