FOURTH GRADE LITERARY ESSAY WRITING UNIT



5th Grade Social Studies

Unit 8: Mexico | |

|SHORT TERM GOALS |LONG-TERM GOALS |

|Mexico is a land of three cultures including that of the Indian, the Spanish and the Mexican people today |To identify people and events important to Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain. |

|Locate Mexico on a map |To identify the three landforms (mountains, plains and plateaus) that are found in Mexico |

|Learn about the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the fight for independence |To familiarize themselves with the culture of Mexico from ancient times to modern day. |

|To understand how specialization helped develop advanced societies in Mexico |To identify reasons why reform was needed in Mexico in the 1800s. |

|To explain the role of the Roman Catholic Church and the social pyramid as support of Spain’s rule in |To identify the causes and reasons of the Mexican revolution of 1910. |

|Mexico. | |

|Mexico is a nation rich in cultures and traditions. Today Mexicans are shaping a new modern culture that | |

|blends the past with the future. | |

|DRIVING QUESTION W/REAL-WORLD RELEVANCE: |WEEKLY BENCHMARKS |

|What did the Spanish conquerors learn from the Indians of Mexico? |America’s first Indians built great civilizations in Mexico |

|What did the Indians learn from the Spanish? |Mexicans fought to free themselves from Spain so that they could develop their country in their way and |

|Why was it difficult for the people of Mexico to establish a strong, central government? |for their own benefit. |

|How did strict Spanish rule lead to the revolution in Mexico? |Mexico has a wealth of natural resources which has helped develop a strong economy and rebuild as a nation|

|Compare and contrast Mexico’s economy, government and culture with the United States. |The Mexican people have a rich and proud heritage that springs from Indian, Spanish and Mestizo heritage. |

|LANGUAGE: VOCABULARY and STRUCTURES |REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCES |

|Key people: Cortes, Moctezuma, Santa Anna |Museum of Natural History, movie: Mexico then and now, Interview with Mexicans, Mexican feast |

|Key places: Teotihuacan, Valley of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, Veracruz, Rio Grande | |

|Other terms: specialize, stela, chinampa, conquistador, encomienda, mestizo, hacienda | |

|CULMINATING PROJECTS AND PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF LEARNING |INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS: |

|Mexican luncheon with classroom presentation |Quizzes, social studies notebook review |

|RESOURCES: Internet websites: National Geographic for kids, |

|Anthology: United States and its neighbors |

| |

|Date | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY |

|WEEK 1: |T. P. Mexico is the country located | |T. P. Spanish influence in Mexico | | |

| |below the United States and contains | |greatly changed the way of life of the | | |

| |various landforms affecting the life | |Indian civilization there. | | |

| |of the Mexican people. | | | | |

|WEEK 2: |T. P. Strict Spanish rule and the | |T. P. The causes and reasons of the | | |

| |Roman Catholic church impacted their | |Mexican revolution of 1910 include: the| | |

| |lives. | |Spanish control of land and wealth, | | |

| | | |Santa Anna’s role and forcing Indians | | |

| | | |to farm land with little or no pay. | | |

|WEEK 3: |T. P. There are differences and | | | | |

| |similarities (government, culture and| | | | |

| |economy) between Mexico and the | | | | |

| |United States. | | | | |

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