Social Studies Strands Mexico: 2nd grade Emily Marshall & Emily Cowell Dr. Helms ED 417

The Strands  American Heritage  People and Society  World Interactions  Decision Making and Resources  Democratic Process  Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities  Science and Technology

American Heritage Activities and Websites

American Heritage Activities  Have students create a timeline recording the important dates of Mexican history and American history.  Have students pick a significant date in Mexican history and write a paragraph about each.  After reading the books The Incas and The Aztecs, have the students compare between the two tribes.  Watch the video The Spanish Explorers of America. Have them write about their favorite explorer.  Have students participate in the Cinco de Mayo celebration, where they listen to Mexican music and eat Mexican food.

American Heritage Websites   ys.htm ys.htm   

People in Society Activities and Websites

People in Society Activities  Students use How Would You Survive CD-Rom about the Aztecs, to learn about their daily lives.  Students will make a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the Mexicans and Americans.  Using a map of Mexico, students will recognize where the most populated areas are presently and in the past.  Talk about the celebration of their Quinceras (15th birthday).  Students use How Would You Survive CD-Rom about the Incas, to learn about their daily lives.

People in Society Websites o/com/ o/com/ htmhttp:// htm exicanfood/libraryhttp://mexicanfood.about.com/food/m exicanfood/library

World Interactions Activities and Websites

World Interactions Activities  Students will create a map from clay showing the major mountain forms and water ways in Mexico.  Students will point out major Mexican cities on a map.  Students will name the states that border Mexico.  Students will collect news clippings (about U.S. problems) from the paper or magazines. The will then compare the clipping to Mexican problems.  Students will develop a map using cardinal directions, stats, and major highways to find a route from Ohio to Mexico.

World Interactions Websites ctur.inicio l/border/borderlands.html ions.html

Decision Making and Resources Activities and Websites

Decision Making/Resources Activities  Students will find goods we use in school and find out which are produced in Mexico.  Read the book Inventors and Inventions. Have students discuss the inventions of Mexican inventors and how we use them in our society.  Using their math skills, give the students an allowance that a child in Mexico may receive and see what they could buy in America.  Identify the kinds of currency used in Mexico.  Make a bar graph with the top five things produced in Mexico.

Decision Making/Resources Websites rces.html discovery/index.html - northam

Democratic Process Activities and Websites

Democratic Process Activities  Students will find in who is the president of Mexico and three other leaders and write at least one sentence on what their job is for their country.  Students will then compare and contrast the president of the U.S. and the president of Mexico. Then write a report on three differences or similarities.  Students will research the process of electing the President in Mexico and role-play an election in the classroom.

Democratic Process Activities continued……  Using newspaper clippings students will learn how the president of the U.S. and the president of Mexico, work together for the two countries.  Students will, as a class make a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the government of the U.S. and Mexico.

Democratic Process Websites  library.activedayton.com library.activedayton.com   0/index.asp 0/index.asp  

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Activities and Websites

Citizenship Rights/Responsibilities Activities  Watch the video Mexican-American Cultures. Have students discuss how their culture and the Mexican culture are alike and different.  Have students work in small groups to create a play depicting the life of a Mexican child.  Each small group will be given the task of building a Mayan temple. The group must work together to build their model.  Each student will write an evaluation of their group and how they worked together.  Each group will choose a leader, recorder, time keeper and supply manager, for their group.

Citizenship Rights/Responsibilities Websites     

Science and Technology Activities and Websites

Science and Technology Activities  Students will use the internet, with a given web site to find out what (if anything) happened on that date in Mexican history.  Students will use Babelfish web site to translate a story, written by them, from English to Spanish.  Students will use the weather web site to find out what the weather is like in Mexico and write a paragraph telling where they would rather be on that day.  In small groups students will find, on the internet, supervised by teacher, the lowest fares to a Mexican city of their choice.  Students will take a virtual tour of Mayan ruins on the internet.

Science and Technology Websites