The authors describe a month-long unit on Afro-Latin@ identity in which third grade students began with a discussion of complex questions with which many historians, anthropologists, and scholars struggle to make sense. The goal of this month-long unit was to have students adopt the lens of cultural anthropologists as they explored the historical…

This article proposes ways to authentically amplify writer's workshop for emergent bilinguals. Through the study of one bilingual teacher's mediation in teaching, we examined the affordances that translanguaging and transmodal practices have for emergent bilingual students' writing processes. In this case study, we focused on a writing sequence…

Creative classroom constructions imbued with arts integration, a transmediational multimodal pedagogy, are examined in exploratory action research in three bilingual elementary classroom learning experiences. In each of the lessons, there was a whole-group introduction and small-group hands-on arts-based activities inclusive of peer dialoguing,…

These lessons on Mexico have been taught in an integrated fashion within a sixth grade language arts and social studies classroom. Lessons are intended to be easy to pick up and use by any teacher. The material includes: (1) Rationale; (2) "Lesson 1 - I'll Bet You Can Map the Western Hemisphere in a Minute!"; (3) "Lesson 2 -…

Self-contained activities that will help social studies or Spanish foreign language students in grades 6-8 learn about the history and culture of Latin America are provided. Following an introductory unit, the activities, ranging from easy to complex, are organized by the following countries and areas: Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean,…

This book was prepared to enable schools to incorporate material on the Caribbean into existing curricula. Four aims guided the editors in their selection and presentation of materials: (1) to show Caribbean history and contemporary realities through the eyes of ordinary people, both real and fictional; (2) to promote critical thinking rather than…

Over 2,000 research resources, most of which were published during the 1960's and 1970's, are listed in this annotated bibliography for students, teachers, librarians, researchers, and others interested in interdisciplinary resources on Latin America. Although there is a section listing materials for teaching children and young adults, the bulk of…

High school teachers of social studies and Latin can use the lessons in this guide to convey to students a deeper appreciation of the U.S. Constitution and simultaneously restore an awareness of the relevance of the classics to most human and political questions. Each adaptable plan is intended to supplement or complement a course in social…

It can be a challenge to introduce students to a world region with the cultural diversity and rich history of Latin America. In this article, the author suggests four thematic units that enable teachers to identify both general trends and important differences in the region: (1) race/ethnicity; (2) progress and civilization; (3) conflict and…

Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes encountered the Aztecs in 1519 and conquered them in 1521, claiming their empire for Spain. He then destroyed the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan and rebuilt a Spanish city in its ruins. In this lesson plan, it is the year 1527 and an Independent Counsel has been chosen by the College of Cardinals of the Catholic…

This teaching guide is comprised of four interdisciplinary units dealing with the expeditions of conquistadors in the New World: (1) "Cortes and the Aztecs: Different Views of the World"; (2) "Pizarro and the Incas: The 'What Ifs?' of History"; (3) "Orellana and the Amazon: Human and Environmental Issues"; and (4)…

This curriculum guide is designed to provide high school teachers of English, social studies, and Latin with the necessary background and investigative methods for teaching Roman culture through Roman literature and teaching Roman literature in its cultural context. The family is used as the focus of the guide because it is believed that an…

This presentation features materials for teaching about the Mexican Revolution: 1910-1940. The presentation is divided into four broad sections. The first section, "Why Teach the Mexican Revolution?" furnishes a rationale for teaching a course about a revolution that took place much closer to home than the Russian or Chinese Revolutions.…

If a civilization as powerful and technologically advanced during its time as the Maya could disappear, can the same tragic outcome befall the United States? In this lesson, students work in teams to research the ancient Mayan civilization, specifically the circumstances of its demise. Student teams prepare a report of their findings and recommend…

This resource guide, designed for elementary level students, presents activities focusing on the language and customs of Mexico. The material is organized in 12 chapters that correspond with the curriculum calendar. Whenever possible, the thematic topic presented in each chapter refers to calendar appropriate festivals or events. Following an…