UNIT PLAN: Latin American dictatorships
SKILLS AND
PERFORMANCE
CRITERIA TO BE
DEVELOPED
ASSESSMENT
ASSESSMENTCRITERIA
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
RESOURCES
INDICATORS
TECHNIQUES
AND
INSTRUMENTS

- Understands historical
continuity and change
related to a particular
development or theme
- Analyzes the influences
specific ideas and beliefs
had on a period of
history
- Knows how to perceive
past events with
historical empathy
- Understands how the
past affects our private
lives and society in
general.
- Understands the role of
political ideology,
religion, and ethnicity in
shaping modern
governments (e.g., how
successful democratic
reform governments
have been in challenging
authoritarian
governments in Latin
America)
Students stablish relation
between the cold war
ideologies and politics
with events occurred in
Latin America during the
XX century.
Students reflects about
the historical period from
the population
perspective
understanding what it
meant for them.
Students explain events
and actors of the
dictatorships identify
changes and differences
between them.
Students understands
how the past affects our
private lives and society
in general.
Students will listen to the song “Latinoamérica” Calle 13, in
groups they discuss the lyrics and write the references they
recognized. Can you explain the Latin American identity? (40
min)

Context: Students look at a time line of the dictatorships in
Latin America during the XX century and answer the questions:
Why do you think they happened at the same time? Do you
think it is a coincidence? What is behind these events and why?
Students then look at a map of the US interference in Latin
America and the dictatorships that governed in the XX century.
Discussion about the historical context of cold war and why
socialism was an alternative for the popular classes and the
concept of dictatorship. (40 min)

What is happening? Students read several primary sources that
will help them answer different questions about what meant to
life under a dictatorship regime in Chile, Argentina and Brazil
from the perspective of the people. They will have to choose
the questions they want to answer. Then they will have to
prepare a 2 min presentation answering the question: What is
happening? (3 class periods)

Biography of a dictatorship: students have to research about
some Latin-American dictatorships to make a biography of
them with the follow information: (2 class periods)

Birth (date, events and causes),

Life (main events, allies (plan condor, military schools,
media), enemies (who and how did they repress the
population),

Death (how was the return to democracy)

Students present their biographies and compare them. (40 min)

Concept: resistance. Case of study “Madres de Mayo”. In
groups students research:

Origin of the movement

“Madres” fight and history.

Sons movement

“Abuelas” movement

Students prepare an interview for the “Madres” with a review
and questions.
(Talk with a representative of the mothers movement) 
Song:
Latinoamerica, Calle
13.
https://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=D
kFJE8ZdeG8
Dictatorships map
and time line:
https://elordenmundi
al.com/mapas/interv
encionismoestadounidenselatinoamerica/
Padlet with primary
sources. (songs,
newspaper articles,
testimonies, etc)
Worksheet with
questions.
Worksheet
biography
Sources of the
mothers’
movement.
Locates the Latin
American dictatorship
in time and space with
the main actors.
Understands
the
relation between the
cold war and the
establishment of the
dictatorships in Latin
America.
Explains life in a
dictator regime from
the perspective of the
people.
Questions
Rubric
presentation.
of
Rubric of biography
Explains the main
events and actors of
the dictatorships from
the perspective of the
regime.
Graphic
organizer
comparison
biographies
Is empathic with a
social struggle.
Rubric interview
Understands
the
effects
of
the
dictatorship period in
today´s Latin American
societies.