TAH Lesson Plan: War with Mexico
1. Ch. 12: Manifest Destiny (Westward Expansion)
2. Sunshine State Standards:
 Standard 1: The student understands historical chronology and the
historical perspective.
 Standard 2: The student understands U.S. history to 1880.
 Course question: What are the reasons and consequences of
conflict and how has conflict affected the growth and development
of the United States?
3. Self Test Questions:
 Why did the U.S. war with Mexico begin?
 Could the war with Mexico have been avoided? Why or why not?
 What were the results of the Mexican war?
 Was the Mexican war justified? (or see DBQ, Debating the Documents,
The War with Mexico, p. 22)
4. Targeted group: 8th grade U.S. history students
5. Vocabulary: cede, annex, expanionists
6. Required materials: Textbooks or create class notes on Polk and Mexican War;
Debating the Documents, The War with Mexico;. Poster paper; OREO
assignment (see attachment 1).
7. References:
 The American Journey: Ch. 12, sect. 3
 Debating the Documents, The War with Mexico (published by
Mindsparks, ISBN 10 1-56472-718-1)
8. Duration of time: 2-3 days
9. Anticipatory Set: Review Texas revolution and the fact that Texas is now free.
Debate is raging whether the U.S. can or should annex Texas. Remind students of
the conflict between slave and free states and the balance in the Senate. Explain
what annex means. To introduce topic and relate it to modern America, ask,
“When is a country justified beginning a war?”
10. Directions for lesson:
 Set the stage, i.e. see anticipatory set. First ask the question: 1) When is a
country justified beginning a war?”
 Review idea of westward expansion, Texas revolution and the fact that
Texas is now free. Debate is raging whether the U.S. can or should annex
Texas. Remind students of the conflict between slave and free states and
the balance in the Senate. Go over unit organizer, then lesson organizer
with self-test questions.
 Students will read pages 371-374 for background information: they will do
power notes or a frame. ESOL, ESE adaptation: Have students read from a
timeline of events.
 Then students will read introductory essay and timeline in Debating
Documents, pg 8-9. They will add information to power notes.
 Divide students into small groups (2-3 students). Each group will study
visual documents #1 and #2 (pages 10-11 in Debating Documents). Add or
give background information on Pres. Polk (they need this to understand
pictures). They will then answer questions about visual sources on pages
12-13 (make copies). Each individual student will then do the comparison
essay on page 15.
 Still in small groups, the students will do the activities for the written
primary sources (pages 16-21).
 In groups, students create OREO posters taking the position, “Yes, the
Mexican war was justified” or “No, the Mexican War was not justified.”
Students share posters with class. (OREO: O=Opinion, R=Reasons,
E=Evidence, O=Opinion)
 Students will answer self-test questions in a test. They will also
individually do the DBQ on page 22, agreeing or disagreeing with the
statement, “The U.S.-Mexican War was an utterly unjustified war whose
war was to expand slavery, plain and simple.” They will also explain why
they do or do not agree with it.
11. Assessment: This lesson will be evaluated based on completion and quality of
notes, OREO poster, and ultimately a chapter test (with all self-test questions
included on it) and DBQ essay.
12. Adaptations: For ESOL and ESE students you can omit power notes and give
students the background information that is necessary, for example in a timeline
and other shortened readings or graphic organizers. The OREO would be a good
substitution for the essay questions. GT extension: Have students bring in
editorials about the Iraq War. Explore the similarities in public division over this
war and the U.S.-Mexican War.
Attachment 1: OREO assignment
OREO: Was the U.S.-Mexican War an unjust war?
O= Opinion (state your opinion):
We believe that the U.S.-Mexican War was
R= Reasons (list at least 3 general reasons for your opinion)
E= Evidence (now give at least one piece of evidence for each
reason)
O=Opinion (restate your opinion)