Mexico Unit Study
Mexico Unit Study has free and low-cost activities, lesson plans, worksheets, study guides, and more.The unit is suitable for grades K–12, with flexibility to adapt based on your learners’ ages and abilities. Please preview links and activities to ensure they are appropriate for your family. New resources will be added as time allows.
Many of the links below lead to printable resources that can be added to a notebook or lapbook for this study.
Learning Objectives
Many parents and teachers will need to create their own goals. You can compare the goals at these sites to create your own goals depending on how stringent your requirements need to be. All links have several suggested activities for different ages.
Suggested Curriculum Standards:
- World Book Scope Basic Course structure https://www.worldbook.com/free-educational-resources#tcos
- Michigan Department of Education https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/academic-standards
- Maine as an example of state level requirements https://www.maine.gov/doe/ela/standards/index.html
- California state level requirements https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
- McREL Compendium National Level https://www2.mcrel.org/compendium/
- Ontario Canada K-8 Expectations https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum#elementary
- Abeka Scope and Sequence https://www.abeka.com/HomeSchool/ScopeAndSequence.aspx
- The series of books called “What your nth Grader needs to know” May also be helpful nth representing the grade your child is in. This series only Goes to grade 8
Bible References
Look up and compare scriptures at the sites below. In your journal note how the different translations and versions help you to have a fuller understanding of the text.
Bible Tools:
- American Standard Version https://ebible.org/asv/
- King James Bible in Mp3 https://www.audiotreasure.com/indexKJV.htm
- World English Bible in Mp3 https://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm
- World Wide Study Bible https://www.ccel.org/wwsb
- E-Sword Bible Software. Free software that will allow you to compare many translations at the same time https://www.e-sword.net/
- New World Translation https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/
MATTHEW 28:19-20 discuss the spread of Christianity into Mexico.
Vocabulary
|
Indigenous Peoples |
Canyon |
Volcano |
|
Cinco de Mayo |
Mariachi |
Conquistador |
|
Border |
Coast |
Hurricane |
Online Dictionary https://dictionary.reference.com
Free downloadable software to look up words https://wordweb.info/free/
Vocab flashcards https://quizlet.com/506821/world-religions-vocabulary-flash-cards/
Vocab flashcards https://quizlet.com/131493176/mexico-vocab-flash-cards/
Book Resources
- Thomas Lewis’ Hill of Fire
- Teacher Created Mexico Explore Mexico’s climate, plants, and animals. Look at how the country’s rich history and diverse geography have shaped its language, legends, celebrations, foods, arts, and music. Book Costs $17.00 and is Downloadable.
- Grades 6-12+ Building Ocean Science Partnerships: The United States and Mexico Working Together (1999)
- https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/4937/chapter/1 Grades 6-12+ Mexico City’s Water Supply: Improving the Outlook for Sustainability (1995)
- Life in Mexico by Frances Calderón de la Barca https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9364
- Tramping Through Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras — Being the Random Notes of an Incurable Vagabond https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7072
- The Young Engineers in Mexico Or, Fighting the Mine Swindlers https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12778
- Maximilian in Mexico https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5997
Video and Software Resources
- https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/alamo/ Mexico and Texas are neighbors, what effects one effects both!
- Annenberg Learner Mexico Video resources viewable online
Games
- Create your own Geosafari Cards to Match the Units! https://donnayoung.org/homeschooling/games/geocards.htm
Worksheets
Make your own worksheets with these worksheet creation tools:
- SchoolHouseTech https://www.schoolhousetech.com/ This company gives away two free software worksheet factories one for Basic math and one for wordsearch utility that will make wonderful complements to this unit when you include the clipart listed in the clipart section.
- Start Write – This program makes nice reports and handwriting worksheets for the unit. https://www.startwrite.com/
- TeachNology has several online worksheet makers and a ton of Rubric makers. Rubrics work great with Homeschool Tracker because they give you total points and you count up exactly how many points your child gets. https://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/
- Online Crossword Puzzle Maker to use with your vocabulary words or locations or even dates from the timeline. https://www.happychild.org.uk/wks/english/ssm/crosswords01.htm
Recipes
- Mexican Recipes – Homeschooling on a Shoestring
- https://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/mexican-recipes/
- https://www.puertomorelosvillas.com/secret-beach-villas-recipes.html
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/mexican-food-4162509
Activities and Lesson Plans
- https://web.archive.org/web/20070107214604/http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/education/volcano/volcano_cmod.pdf Create a Model of a Volcano. List volcanoes found in Mexico.
- https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/mexico/mexico-city Planets Visible in the Night Sky in Mexico City
- https://earthbeat.sk.ca/pdf/lessonplan/2018/03/Permaculture-Lesson-Plan-9-v2018.pdf If young people in Mexico City are trying to use permaculture techniques to transform their immediate environment, even in small ways, what can we do in the US? In this lesson, students will investigate how different aspects of your school, such as its energy consumption or food production, could be transformed into a permaculture environment.
- https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/migration/index.shtml Monarch Butterfly Migration and Overwintering
- https://www.frommers.com/destinations/mexico/planning-a-trip/sustainable-travel–ecotourism Ecotourism is one of several ways that Mexico is trying to gain both money for environmental issues and increased awareness on the part of visitors. What is ecotourism and how does it work? Create your own ecotourist destinations and find out!
- https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/search/?q=mexico
PBS Learning Mexico - http://pbskids.org/buster/parentsteachers/pdf/Buster_Lessons_7-8.pdf Buster on PBS visits Texas.
- http://pbskids.org/buster/parentsteachers/pdf/Buster_Lessons_23-24.pdf Buster Visits Mexico.
- http://pbskids.org/buster/parentsteachers/pdf/Buster_Lessons_35-36.pdf Buster Visits New Mexico
- http://www.pbs.org/opb/conquistadors/teachers/teachers.htm Conquistadors Teachers Guide.
- http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/educators/economics_guatemala.mexico.html Need Coffee yet?
- http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20050831wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons Hurricanes affect Mexico.
- http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20050811thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons In this lesson, students learn about how the United States government is using biometrics to secure American borders.
- http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20050527friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
- http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20050316wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
- https://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/teacherCenter/lessonPlans/pdfs/9-12_SocialStudies_CortesAndTheAztecsALessonInLeadership.pdf Assignment Discovery Lesson Plan Conquistadors: Hernán Cortés
- http://education.nationalgeographic.com/archive/xpeditions/lessons/13/g912/usmexico.html?ar_a=1
- http://education.nationalgeographic.com/archive/xpeditions/lessons/13/g35/boundary.html?ar_a=1
- https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/lessons-and-activities/lessons/9-12/five-artists-of-the-mexican-revolution/
- http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=567&type=educator
- http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/cuesheets/single_cuesheet.cfm?asset_id=54377
- Sones de Mexico Fiesta Mexicana Mexican folk music. Includes study guides.
- EDSITEment The Aztecs: Mighty Warriors of Mexico
https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/aztecs-mighty-warriors-mexico - abcteach Mexican Flag to color https://www.abcteach.com/resource/clip-art-flags-mexico-bw/
- Enchanted Learning has many printable pages on Mexico. Some may require membership. https://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/Mexico/
- See information Section to find More Lessons and activities.
Geography Ideas
- National Geographic Map Maker make an outline map of Mexico
- Create a salt dough relief map.
- Map economic crops.
- https://creativepark.canon/en/contents/CNT-0011150/index.html Create the Temple of the Inscriptions
Art and Craft Ideas
- Create a Travel Brochure
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/lessons-plans/ancient-maya-knowledge-through-art-2/
- https://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/guides/teachers_culture.html
Information:
- https://countrystudies.us/mexico/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico
- Search Term Mexico for 10 pages of lessons at https://blog.discoveryeducation.com/
- https://www.abcteach.com/search/Mexico+ ABC-Teach site. I believe this site will require membership for most materials.
Evaluation Ideas
Assemble a three ring binder and please include:
- A copy of this unit
- Course Description (Highschool Students)
- Write a summary about books read for the unit
- Write an essay on the various topics discussed
- Your Lapbook created for the unit (K-8 Students)
- Any worksheets or activity books created with SchoolhouseTech Software https://www.schoolhousetech.com/
- Your journal and its contents
- Your Log of activities from Homeschool Tracker https://www.homeschooltracker.com/free-homeschool-tracker-basic-edition Its Free!
- Your Timeline