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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Beginning of the War -- Two Views on Texas

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars discuss the factors that can lead to war, and the motivations of countries going into war. They research two viewpoints on Texas during the Mexican War and participate in a debate with their classmates.
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PPT
Curated OER

Manifest Destiny

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Complete with maps, photographs, and historical documents, this presentation would be a great resource throughout a unit about mid-19th century America. Manifest Destiny, Texas Independence, the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican War are all...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"I Hear America Singing": Controversy and Music in the Mexican War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the Mexican War and its outcome through music. In this primary source analysis instructional activity, 8th graders analyze the lyrics of selected songs to consider the 2 perspectives regarding U.S. involvement in...
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Mexicans in the United States in the 1920s

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore what life was like for Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in the 1920s.  In this American history lesson, students watch videos and refer to multiple documents to draw conclusions as to what life was like for Mexican workers...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating a Memorial

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine events that lead to the building of war memorials. They analyze the reasons why people build them and go to them. They create their own ideas for a memorial for the Mexican War.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln's Spot Resolutions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the controversy and varying points of view leading up to the 19th century Mexican War. They research examples of anti-war movements throughout history and write editorials about their findings.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Penny Press, Walt Whitman and the War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the Penny Press and how it began the era of mass circulated newspapers. They use the internet to research the writing style of the paper and write a short article using that style.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln, Patriotism and Protest

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore arguments surrounding Abraham Lincoln's opposition to the Mexican War. They compare the arguments surrounding Lincoln's opposition to war with those surrounding war protestors during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
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Activity
Library of Congress

Loc: Major Events in History: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

For Students 9th - 10th
A synopsis of the events preceding the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, plus great pictures and links to excellent maps of the area negotiated for and to the text of the actual document.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of American History: The Price of Freedom: Americans at War

For Students 9th - 10th
View comprehensive sets of artifacts that tell the story of America's wartime past and present. Artifacts from every major American military conflict, beginning with the American Revolution, can be closely examined. Full curatorial notes...
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Website
Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University: Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project

For Students 9th - 10th
Northern Illinois University provides audio, visual, and text documents about Abraham Lincoln's Illinois years. You can search historical themes that relate to Lincoln and a biography of Lincoln. The site offers both primary and...
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Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive exploration of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which was signed in 1848 and ended the Mexican-American War. Puts the treaty in context, makes reference to U.S. territorial gains, and includes links to larger images, a...
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

National Archives: Lesson Plans Congress, the President, and the War Powers

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Examine the power of Congress to make war by studying primary source documents from various wars throughout U.S. history. Students will analyze how the balance of authority between the legislative branch and executive branch has changed...
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Lesson Plan
US National Archives

National Archives: Congress Debates the Fate of the Nation

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will use a copy of the Wilmot Proviso and a map used by President Polk in an address to Congress to debate whether territory acquired through the Mexican War should be free or slave states. This debate in Congress served as a...
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Primary
Other

Monterey County Historical Society: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican War.
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Website
Other

Dmwv: The u.s. Mexican War: 1846 1848

For Students 9th - 10th
Dedicated to the memory of U.S. veterans who fought in the U.S.-Mexican War, this website provides documents, images, maps, and FAQs.
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Primary
Yale University

The Avalon Project: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

For Students 9th - 10th
The Avalon Project, at the Yale Law School, provides the actual text of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
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Website
Other

Kentucky Historical Society: Kentucky Military Treasures

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of personal stories, illustrated with artifacts, documents, and photographs, that exemplifies the military experiences of Kentuckians in America's wars, beginning with the War of 1812. Requires Adobe Flash.
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Website
University of Virginia

Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Zachary Taylor: A Life in Brief

For Students 9th - 10th
As part of the excellent site about Zachary Taylor and his life and presidency from the Miller Center, this article gives you a look at Taylor's life in brief, focusing on his military career, and the politics of slavery that affected...
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Graphic
University of Oregon

Mapping History: American History

For Students 9th - 10th
Interactive and animated maps and timelines of historical events and time periods in American history from pre-European times until post-World War II.
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Handout
US Department of State

Bureau of International Information Programs: History Outline: Sectionalism

For Students 9th - 10th
Article reviews several conditions of American society that sowed the seeds of civil war, particularly slavery and sectional conflict.
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Handout
US Army Center

U.s. Army Center of Military History: The Mexican War and After

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the U.S. Army's Center of Military History offers a detailed account of the Mexican War and its important battles as well as a description of what occurred after the war.
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Unit Plan
Department of Defense

Do Dea: Ap Us History: Unit 4: A House Divided

For Students 9th - 10th
This extensive learning module examines how the United States became more connected with the world as it pursued an expansionist foreign policy, became the destination for many new immigrants, and encouraged migration to the Pacific...
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Website
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Harcourt: Biographies: Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar

For Students 9th - 10th
Brief biography of Texas historical writer includes helpful information regarding Texas history of the 19th century.