Pedagogical Exercises

The students will be conducting a gallery walk around the room, where each map from this small group exhibit is blown up and posted on the wall. (The maps can also be provided to the students digitally.) The students will take notes about key words and themes that they found while examining/analyzing the maps. Once the students have examined all of the maps, they will be split up into groups, each group being provided with a piece of large Post-It Poster (a piece of butcher paper that sticks to the wall like a Post-It Note). Each poster will display the title of each map (in a circular formation) and within the circle of maps names, key words and themes will be listed. The task: the students in each group will discuss the themes they believe each map relates to and draw a line connecting each keyword/theme to its respective map title. The line should be drawn in a black or blue marker or pen.

Group Members: Group Members: Sarah Boatwright, Caroline Narro, Amanda Torres, Dean Taylor, Kayleigh Berger


Assign teams of four students. First, students will read an article/short reading on the US-Mexican War for context and background information. Then, each student will read one of the four letters and write an analysis in response. In their analysis, each student needs to answer how they think the letter relates to the U.S. - Mexican War and what kind of bias the author brings to the conversation. After each student writes down their response, they have time to discuss their findings with their team members, and together present to the class their analysis of the U.S.-Mexican war in light of these sources.

Group Members: Daniel Brown, Coral Enriquez and Diana Landa


This exercise focuses only in the sources of our group. It examines the regions in Latin America and the Caribbean that were influenced by foreign actors and what the domestic and international consequences had on those regions. In this map exercise, students learn about the international conflicts that shape the social and political spectrums within Latin America and the Caribbean. Students will study the connection between the region as it pertains to social and political notions. By the end of the activity, students will be able to have a geographic sense of the places on our sources, know the origins of different actors and their international role, and the dynamics of international relations and actors in 19th century Latin America and the Caribbean.DURING THE EXERCISE THE STUDENT IS EXPECTED TO:1. Select the countries from where the primary sources were made;2. Identify the countries the primary sources talk about, compared to the regions the sources were made in;3. Based on the primary sources in the presentation, identify the foreign actors involved in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean and their impact on society in that period;4.Identify the major events that occurred in both Latin America and the Caribbean in the 19th century based on the primary sources in the presentation; 5. Explain how the imperial powers named in the presentation affected Latin America and the Caribbean and give examples of which primary sources are best able to answer why the region was the focus of multiple countries;6. Based on our presentation, which primary sources reveal interactions that included women concerning the power struggles in both Latin America and the Caribbean, and how they shaped views of women in the period;7. Describe the changing relationship Latin America and the Caribbean had with Europe and the United States as a result of the conflicts seen in the journal entry and cartoon.

Group Members: Francisco Zorrilla, Leonardo Bonaventura, Spencer Forbes, Juan Avila, Regina Mondragon, Daniel Tobias


Students will explore how Mexican identity was formulated in separate time periods.The document from 1838 would be contextually linked to Mexican independence, andhow the event from 20 years before was memorialized and created what a Mexican was. The documents from 1910 would show how independence from Spain and the origin of Cinco de Mayo was used decades later to create a different identity than 1838. Comparing and contrasting these two ideas of identity helps show differences over time (a key aspect of high school history). Students would prepare for the exhibit by reviewing a timeline of Mexican history in the 19th century. They would see when the primary source documents fall in Mexican history along with the different key events contextualizing our exhibit. The timeline would begin with Mexican independence, move to the 1838 document, the presidency of Benito Juarez and subsequent French invasion, the battle of Puebla and Porfirio Diaz’s rise to fame, Diaz’s presidency, and finally the election of 1910 between Madero and Diaz. A timeline will aid in differentiating the key events of Mexican history as well as imagining Mexican identity developing over time. A discussion around Diaz’s actions as a freedom fighter during the French incursion and as president would satisfy part (B) of the TEK, and a discussion centered around Hidalgo would provide context for the 1832 document and his importance to independence.

Group Members: Christian Amodio, Will Anderson and Elizabeth Contreras


Students will examine these primary sources in light of their own education. It can be difficult to relate to historical actors, especially everyday people. In this exercise, students will step back and forth between the past and present, analyzing the ways in which education was and still is used to propagate certain ideologies. Pulling from each of the primary sources, identify the ways in which government officials attempted touse education to reinforce certain ideas with respect to:Gender equalityHistory (Latin American democracy vs. European monarchy)ReligionGovernmentYou may make either a list or a chart to organize these thoughts as you read over the documents.Why do you think that these ideas were enshrined in education? What about these specific ideologies that helped government officials attain stability/support?In light of your conclusions from Parts 1 and 2, reflect on your own education. Are there any ways in which your education has taught you to view historical events differently? What biases can you identify? How are these important to keep in mind when analyzing historical events? Relevant to this time period, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills curriculum mentions México once:History. The student understands developments related to Mexican independence and Mexico's relationship with the United States from 1800-1930. The student is expected to:(A) explain the significance of the following events as turning points relevant to Mexican American history: the Grito de Dolores, Mexico's acquisition of independence, Texas's declaration of independence from Mexico, Mexican-American War, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexican Revolution, creation of the U.S. Border Patrol, and Mexican repatriation of the 1930s.Examine how this contemporary curriculum is asking you as a student to view Mexico.With what lens ar you studying the time period? How might the objectives in this curriculum promote a U.S.-centric mindset? Think about how the well-documented and unique advancement of Western democracy in Latin American contrasts with present-day misconceptions of the region and the U.S. as the pinnacle of democratic ideals. Discuss in groups how using different perspectives, like those provided in primary source materials, yields a better understanding of a historical setting.

Group Members: Nicholas García, Zackary Lucio and David Scherer


The objects in this exhibit reflect new technologies that were created during the long 19th century in Latin America. Divide into groups based on each object and first make a list of the technology related to each source. Then, identify the places the primary sources were made and further research the specific origins of the technology. Afterwards, plot these different locations on a map and connect locations that you believe were linked in some way in the creation of these new technologies.

Group Members: Hayley Rozencwaig, Lauren Garcia, Adam Zambie, Pranav Injeti, Sara Greenman