This unit is guided by the question "How is history constructed?" In this unit, middle to secondary school students explore a variety of accounts of the clash of cultures that occurred between the Spanish and the Aztecs. Students examine a variety of primary sources and analyze the various perspectives presented. The six activities…

One of a series, this booklet on world issues explains why Brazil has become important for the United States. Brazil's rise from a sleeping giant to continental leader is investigated. Brazil's impressive economic growth from the mid-1960s through the 1970s is explored. An analysis of Brazil's economic crisis of the 1980s is also explained.…

This curricular unit is intended for use at the secondary level. The understandings in Topic I are organized under four main heaings: The Indigenous Population or the pre-Columbian civilizations; The Immigrants from Europe and West Africa; Slavery In Latin America during the pre-colonial and colonial periods and, Race mixture including racial…

Summarizes the sometimes confusing and contradictory efforts of the John F. Kennedy administration to encourage the development of democratic political processes in Latin America. Although sincere, Kennedy's efforts often were stymied by resistance from the local power structure and his own Central Intelligence Agency. Eventually, anti-communist…

Discussion about a simulation of the political system of Argentina designed and participated in by students in a Latin American politics course at the University of Delaware. (Author/ND)

These two self-contained units of study will help community college students learn about the history of Latin America. Each unit contains notes to the teachers and student readings. Students are expected to read and discuss the reading selections. In the first unit students are engaged in a comparative historical study of slavery in Brazil and in…

The Mexican American War is frequently a footnote in the study of U.S. expansion. The conflict is often portrayed solely from the U.S. perspective. This paper suggests that supplementing a U.S. history curriculum with an inclusive look at this conflict teaches students about the complexity of the relationship between the United States and Mexico.…

This unit examines the economic and military concerns that have linked the Caribbean and Central America to the United States. The first section of the first booklet reviews the history of U.S. involvement in the region from the mid-1800s to the early 1960s. Part 2 focuses on the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and presents a day-by-day account of…

These three self-contained units of study will help community college students learn about the economics, international relations, and politics of Latin America. Each unit can be used independently and contains introductory notes for instructors, student materials, and a bibliography. Students are expected to read and discuss the reading…

Reviews United States-Latin America diplomatic and trade relations from early days of the Republic to contemporary times. Contends that Monroe Doctrine was a way of eliminating European competition for economic and political control of Latin America. Argues that the end of the Cold War may bring a more equal relationship between the United States…

Dialogue and illustrations trace the history of the first peoples of South, Central, and North America and encourage students to look at past and present patterns of colonialism and to view colonialism from the perspective of the colonized. Chapter 1 critiques Columbus 500 years after founding the first colony in the Americas. Chapter 2 presents…

This program examines the 50-year practice of the U.S. training of Latin American soldiers at the School of the Americas. Originally designed as a jungle warfare training center in the 1950s, the program evolved into a Cold War program to promote stability and democracy in Latin America. Human rights abuses have been charged against these elite…

Centering around case studies of American military intervention (1898 to 1933) in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua, this unit invites the student to compare the results of such intervention with the foreign policy goals and ideals the interventions were intended to implement. It confronts him with the dilemma of power in international…

This study addresses the basic question: What are the factors that influence the academic experience of Mexican children, and, to what extent do these factors result in deficits in student learning and achievement? The study was conducted over the course of 5 weeks throughout Mexico in the regions of Juarez, Chihuahua, Michoacan, Mexico, D.F.,…

This teaching resource presents multiple perspectives of U.S. history by introducing the voices of peoples who may feel disconnected from the American Dream. Secondary level students are encouraged to understand how the vision of history is shaped according to who is looking and who is being seen. Organized in seven chapters, the document opens…