University of South Florida



Title

“The Ongoing Revolution: A comparison between Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez”

Concept/Main Idea of Lesson

This lesson will introduce students to Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. The students will be made aware of the similarities between the two leaders. We will also analyze the political dynamics of each leader and ultimately on how each impacts the U.S.

Intended Grade Level

9-12

Infusion/Subject Area(s)

Latin American History, World History, U.S. History, Government

National Curriculum Standards

NCSS Standards:

--IX: Global Connections: “Social studies programs should include

experiences that provide for the study of global connections and interdependence.”

--VI: Power, Authority, & Governance: “Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance.

I. Instructional Objective

The students will:

--identify the characteristics of each of these leaders in Latin America

--analyze the similarities between each of these leaders

--analyze the relationship between these leaders and the U.S.

II. Learning Activities Sequence

a. Set Induction/Lesson Initiating Behavior: Have the students watch the scene from Austin Powers where Dr. Evil and Mini Me are singing their own version of the song, “Just the Two of Us”. After the clip, briefly discuss the relationship between Dr. Evil and Mini Me; have the students provide some reasons as to why the two were so close.

Explain to the class that the reason that we saw this clip was because we will be learning about two leaders in Latin America today who are very closely connected, and over the years, the U.S. government has not typically been on good terms with each of their respective nations.

Prior to informing the class as to which countries we will be studying, show them the picture of Fidel Castro (Dr. Evil) and Hugo Chavez (Mini Me) (Overhead #1). Discuss with them why someone would create a picture that associates each leader with these specific film characters. After discussing, explain that many in the U.S. believe when Fidel Castro passes on, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez will become the “new” Castro due to the many similarities that the two leaders share in terms of their governing styles and political beliefs. In other words, there is the chance that this could be the dawn of a new era for the U.S. and Venezuela (and a continuation of the Castro era) mainly due to the unrelenting problems between Cuba and the U.S. since Castro took power of the island in 1959.

b. Learning Activities: Have the students fill in the chart “Fidel and Hugo” (Handout #1). Drawing from a previous lesson dealing with Cuba and Fidel Castro, have the students identify under the picture of Fidel (a) how did this leader come to power, (b) what type of government does this leader advocate, (c) what are the problems between this leader and the U.S.?. After discussing their responses, the teacher should guide the class through these same scenarios for Hugo Chavez. The responses will vary, but the teacher should focus on the similarities between the two leaders.

After their charts are completed, show them the overhead of the political cartoon comparing Chavez and Castro (Overhead #2) and discuss. After this, ask the class what they think the U.S. response could be if Chavez does “succeed” Castro. Show them the corresponding political cartoon (Overhead 3). Discuss with the class how similar U.S. interventions in Latin America have taken place in the region throughout the last century. Discuss with the class if they believe a U.S. response is likely or unlikely, and have them explain their opinions on this.

Chances are that many students may already have a better understanding of Fidel Castro than they do of Hugo Chavez. So, to ensure that the students are made aware of who Hugo Chavez is and how he has impacted Venezuela, have the class take part in a web quest. Have the class go to the PBS website “Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela”

The students will be finding information on the following topics from the site: “Hugo Chavez”, “The Opposition to Chavez”, “The Troubled Media”, and “Chavez’s U.S. Foreign Policy”. As they are going to each of these sections, they will be filling in the corresponding chart (Handout 2). Once this is completed, the teacher should review the material with the students.

c. Closure: Review the material with the students and check to see that the students understand the similarities between the two leaders, asking for volunteers to explain in their own words.

III. Evaluation

To wrap-up the lesson, the students will write a journal entry from the point of view of a man/woman living in Venezuela and explain how Chavez has impacted the nation. The journal responses should also address the question of why many claim that Chavez will become the “new Castro” in terms of dealing with countries like the U.S. in the future.

IV. Materials and Resources

Video Clip: “Austin Powers: Goldmember”. (Scene of Dr. Evil/Mini Me singing “Just the two of us”).

Overhead 1: Dr. Evil/Mini Me (Castro/Chavez comparison)



Overhead 2: Castro/Chavez comparison Political Cartoon



Overhead 3: U.S. response to Chavez Political Cartoon



Handout 1: Fidel and Hugo

Handout 2: Hugo Chavez Web Quest Chart

IV. Internet Links



V. References

“Austin Powers: Goldmember”. (2002). New Line Home Entertainment









“Venezuela: Revolution in Progress”. Discovery Times Channel. (2005).

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