LESSON 8.17 Mexicano Contributions to the Southwest
Learning targets
(clear, understandable versions of
standards in student friendly language)
 Evaluate effects of 19th century
westward migration, particularly on
native populations.
 Describe important Mexicano
contributions to the economy and
culture of the Southwest.
Language objectives
(identified cognitive functions correlated to
the learning targets, such as sequence,
compare/contrast, cause/effect, infer, and
argue, as well as the signal words to be
deliberately taught/used in discussion and
writing; sentence frames in support section)
Students will use cause and effect
terms, orally and in writing, to explain
both the adaptions made to the
Mexicano lifestyle due to the
surroundings and the contributions
Mexicanos made to the American
culture
History Alive! Preview activity
Visual Discovery
The student looks at the transparency
and determines what the Mexicano is
teaching the Anglo. TCI gives a script
to read about mule packing.
Pre-assessment
activities/documents
(serves as self-assessment for students;
informs instruction for teachers; charts or
documents may be used as a place to
gather concepts/information throughout
lesson through debriefing; may include
visuals, lesson questions, lesson
vocabulary, language objectives, and/or
learning targets)
SWYAK & WIIFM
Lesson questions
(drive instruction; may create links to
previous learning; may be included in preassessment)
 What were the important Mexicano

contributions to the culture and
economy of the Southwest?
How were the Mexicano
contributions adapted into the
American culture?
Modified from History Alive! June 29, 2010
SUMMARY OVERVIEW
History Alive! lesson plan
Students will develop background knowledge about
contributions Mexicanos made to the culture of the
United States. They will not develop in-depth
knowledge about all eight contributions. This lesson
may be done quickly. Use the Processing Assignment
as an assessment instead of the test.
Skill Builder: Arrange placards around room. Partner
students in mixed ability pairs. Have students go to a
placard, discuss image and questions at the bottom,
and return to seats. They then need locate section in
text and read. Complete Reading Notes in ISN that
correspond to placard. Use discussion support listed
below as needed.
Then complete a class review of the contributions by
placing students in groups of 4 (2 partner groups
together) and jig-sawing the placards. This will allow
students to learn all the information even if they aren’t
finished the reading.
Students arrange themselves in a human spectrum to
show where their placards demonstrate contribution –
from greatly affects daily life to no effect on daily life.
Suggested changes for lesson plan
Students may stay in seats and pass around the
placards while working in pairs. You’ll need to make 2
copies of the placards. Then rotate the placards
around the room. Use these instead of the originals
so that you’ll not have battles over them.
Teacher check is important after 2 or 3 placards are
complete. Column most important to check is the
“Placard Letter”, column 2. It’s a quick and easy
checkpoint to make sure students are on the right
path. Have a copy of key; a few of the pictures could
represent different placards. Another important item
to have students include is where the contribution
took place. If possible to name a location in their
notes. It will assist them greatly for their Processing!
Also, you may want to skip the human spectrum if
running out of class time.
Recommend Processing in ISN for the assessment.
It asks students the exact information they learned in
their lesson. Stress the importance of well
Jennifer Bennett
1
Additional background building
(streaming video segments, DVD, map
review, read aloud of a related piece of
fiction, etc.)
constructed sentences. Coloring the icons elicits more
care.
Flexible grouping pattern of the lesson
Whole class: direct teaching of the introduction/read
aloud, the preview, and the Jigsaw of the last 2 or 3 of
the contributions (Skill Builder)
Partners: WRAPP reading, ISN reading notes,
reading of the chapter
Independent: Processing
Key content vocabulary (assessed)
adapt
tradition
heritage
irrigation
adobe
READING SUPPORT
Lesson-specific instructional supports http://groups.teachtci.com/
* see Enrichment Plan for Compacting/Extensions
Suggested Turn and Talks
Focus pages/paragraphs for
Cross-content vocabulary
for Introduction
teacher guided
for ELLs/students who
Interactive Read-Aloud
reading group
could benefit
After the second paragraph,
have students talk about how
the Mexicanos’ citizenship,
property and language aren’t
protected.
Under each section read the
first paragraph or two; this will
support the ISN work for the
fourth column, “Why
Contributions Were Used”.
WRITING SUPPORT
Lesson-specific instructional supports http://groups.teachtci.com/
* see Enrichment Plan for Compacting/Extensions
Sentence frames
for parts of the lesson
Use the terms:
 One reason for
 Due to
DISCUSSION SUPPORT
Lesson-specific instructional supports http://groups.teachtci.com/
* see Enrichment Plan for Compacting/Extensions
As students read and process
the contributions of the
Mexicanos, they can use
cause and effect terms.
Example:
One reason for the
development of irrigation in
the West is that it was dry for
six months of the year.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT (for student and teacher use)
“Check for understanding”
Checkpoints in Student
Questions for
points during activities
Interactive Notebook
exit and entrance slips
Modified from History Alive! June 29, 2010
Jennifer Bennett
2
Processing Assignment
After students have completed Exit slip: What two
2 to 3 placards check to make contributions did the
sure the notes are accurate.
Mexicanos make to American
culture?
Entrance slip: How do
Mexicano contributions affect
your daily life?
REVIEW
Games
Other
(also serves as a formative
assessment)
Processing ties into the skill
builder and reinforces
learning. High learners may
become more concerned
about the location aspect for
some of the icons; if they have
time, encourage them to
research it.
LESSON ASSESSMENT
Processing Assignment
Modified from History Alive! June 29, 2010
Jennifer Bennett
3