This curriculum unit helps teachers and students explore important murals by Mexican American artists in Los Angeles (California), examine murals from the past, and work together to make their own murals. The unit suggests questions to be considered in the classroom: Why do people make murals? Why does Los Angeles have more murals than any other U.S. city? How can artworks express a sense of belonging? and How do contemporary artists build on the work of earlier artists? The unit consists of four lessons, each of which can stand alone or be used in conjunction with the others. The unit opens with a reading, "About Mexican American Murals," that defines the conceptual framework. Seven key artworks provide the curriculum unit's foundation. Extensive questions and answers given for each of the seven murals allow teachers and students to explore the artworks in depth. The unit's four lessons are: (1) "My Place" (introduces students to the theme of place and to the format artists choose for their artworks; students make a collage that expresses their own place in the world); (2) "Influences from the Past" (introduces influences of earlier art on later art; students consider how earlier murals may have influenced contemporary Chicano murals in Los Angeles); (3) "Themes and Interpretation" (helps students evaluate interpretations of artworks; students use the theme of place to help them interpret contemporary Chicano murals); and (4) "A Mural with a Theme" (students analyze how Chicano and other mural painters have arranged parts within their murals; students plan and execute their own murals expressing the theme of place). Includes extensive resources. (BT)