The Mexican American War

Compelling Question:
Was the United States justified in crossing the Nueces River in 1846, which started the Mexican American
War?

Context:
Prior to this lesson, students have learned about the Louisiana Purchase, Texas Independence from Mexico,
and Texas annexation to the United States of America.
Students also have knowledge of the border dispute between Mexico and The United States.
Students have also worked with analyzing documents in previous lessons.

Supporting Question:
What is the medias impact on shaping public opinion during times of war?
Why do military conflicts often times become controversial issues?
How can peoples experiences and opinions provide different viewpoints of the same event?

Objectives:
Students will be able to analyze sources to determine if the United States made the best decision to cross the
Nueces River in 1846
Students will understand how wars can be controversial
Students will identify the impact the media plays on shaping public opinion during war

Resources:
A Mexican Viewpoint Document
President Polks address to Congress asking for a declaration of war on Mexico
Document analysis worksheet

Introduction: (15 minutes total)

Brief review about the border dispute between Texas and Mexico
Student volunteers will share their recruiting posters with the class (no more than 4, try to do 2 for the U.S.
and 2 for Mexico)
Set up debate
o Students will be divide into two groups. The groups will be determined by the teacher prior to
class.
o Students will receive either an opinion from a Mexican viewpoint, or President Polks address to
Congress asking for a declaration of war.
o Students will receive a document analysis worksheet.
o Students will read their assigned documents and complete their analysis worksheet.

Body of the Lesson: (30 minutes total)

After reading the documents, everybody who read the Mexican viewpoint will be on one side of the room,
and everybody who read President Polks address to Congress will be on the other side.
Students will be facing each other.
The class will have a mini, structured debate about whether Congress should grant President Polk a
declaration of war.
o Each side will have a few minutes to nominate someone to present the closing arguments. This
person should take notes based on what they classmates say, and at the end of the debate, this
student will sum up their sides argument.
o After each team has decided who will present the closing arguments, each team will take turns
trying to convince Congress (the teacher) to either grant, or not to grant, President Polk a
 declaration of war.
o Students will take turns presenting an argument in favor or against war.
The teacher will play the role of Congress, and will either grant the declaration of war, or refuse it based on
the class debate (the declaration of war being granted or not, may vary depending on the class period, and
which side makes the better argument.
After the debate is over, the student presenting the closing arguments, will have the last attempt to convince
the teacher either to grant, or not grant a declaration of war.

Conclusion: (10 minutes total)

The teacher will announce whether Congress will grant a declaration of war.
Students will then write a newspaper article about the Mexican American War.
The article will be structured based on the decision made by Congress to either go to war or not.
Each student will write the article from the viewpoint of their side (Mexico or U.S)
If the declaration of war is granted, the U.S. will write an article from an excited viewpoint explaining why
the U.S. should go to war with Mexico, and Mexico will write an article from an upset viewpoint
explaining why the U.S. was wrong for crossing the Nueces River
If the declaration of war is not granted, the U.S. will write an article from an upset viewpoint explaining why
a declaration of war should have been granted, and Mexico will write an article from a victorious
standpoint explaining why a declaration of war not being granted is a good thing because the U.S. was in
the wrong, and a war between Mexico and the U.S. was avoided.
If the students do not finish, the assignment will be homework
Newspaper article either from Mexican or U.S. viewpoint

Evaluation:
Students will be informally assessed through the debate.
Students will be formally assessed through their newspaper articles (see Conclusion for more explanation)

Differentiated Instruction:
Instruction will be varied based on students IEPs
Students evaluation of the text will be scaffolded through the document analysis worksheet
Students will be encouraged to speak, but will not be required if they have a learning disability
English language learners may work with a classmate to complete the document analysis worksheet
Lower level learners will benefit from this lesson, because even if they are below grade level reading, they
will still be able to listen to other students talk, and hopefully learn information.

Alabama Course of Study standards addressed:

ALCOS 10:7 Describe causes, courses, and consequences of United States' expansionism prior to the Civil War,
including the Treaty of Paris of 1783, the Northwest Ordinance of 1785, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the
Louisiana Purchase, the Indian Removal Act, the Trail of Tears, Manifest Destiny, the Mexican War and Cession,
Texas Independence, the acquisition of Oregon, the California Gold Rush, and the Western Trails.

Day, or lesson within the unit:

Second day of teaching the Mexican American War

Class time (period or block):

55-minute class period

Name: Allison Rohrer