PBS Video Database: U.S.-Mexican War: Classroom Tips

Teachers Resources

The U.S.-Mexican War Teachers Resources are divided into four episodes with individual chapters that correlate to the television documentary.

These resources provide teachers with:

Key questions to stimulate discussion
Ideas to introduce the documentary for classroom viewing
Suggested topics that connect the video chapter to past or future semester studies
Background information and synopses that provide an overview of events occurring in the documentary
Ideas for individual, group or classroom activities

Tips for Using the Video Chapters

The U.S.-Mexican War uniquely presents events and themes from multiple perspectives to promote a clearer understanding of the people, the era, the nations and the cultures involved. It is recommended that students divide into focus groups or teams to fully explore these perspectives when viewing the tapes or participating in activities.

Use the "pause" and "replay" capabilities of the video equipment to help students focus, clarify ideas and highlight events and issues.
Read or share the episode synopses as well as the chapter backgrounds and synopses which spotlight important themes and events occurring in each country or territory.
Refer to THE U.S.-MEXICAN WAR TIMELINE on the PBS Online U.S. Mexican War Web Site and THE U.S.-MEXICAN WAR MAP to promote discussions about national and world events and the role that geography and natural resources play in shaping nations.

Hands-On Activities
These hands-on activities are designed to stimulate classroom discussion and promote a clearer understanding of people, cultures, events and themes.

1. Construct or draw a U.S.-Mexican War memorial. Add an inscription appropriate to the memorial.

2. Create a design for a T-shirt of a significant event or person.

3. Commemorate a particular event of the war by designing a poster-sized postage stamp.

4. Write a pamphlet of poetry and/or compose music about conditions facing soldiers on either side of the war.

5. Write a pamphlet of poetry and/or compose music about conditions facing women and/or children left behind during the conflict.

6. Draw a daguerreotype [in pencil] highlighting an event during the war.

7. Design historical markers for various battles of the war.

8. Create a crossword and/or word search puzzles. Finished puzzles will be answered by other students.

9. Create a movie poster for the U.S.-Mexican War.

10. Design uniforms for U.S. and Mexican soldiers.

11. Design a medal awarded to participating soldiers for both sides of the conflict.

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