1. What color(s) represent United States territory in 1830?
Warm Up:
What color(s) represent United States territory in 1830?

2. Today’s Question:
What did different people think about the war between Mexico and America?

3. Agenda
Individually: Learn about a person living during the Mexican American war, prepare to represent their point of view
Travel around America: Meet different people, learn about their point of view
Wrap Up: How did territorial claims change after the US-Mexico War.
Continue reading: To Stay Alive

4. Territorial Claims in 1830

5. Texas gains independence from Mexico

6. Texas is added to the United States, President Polk wants more…

7. Become a person from history:
You will be assigned a person living during the Mexican American War.
Read the information about your person carefully—try to memorize parts of it. You may underline key points and write notes on the back.
Prepare to become this person and represent his or her point of view on the Mexican American War!

8. Travel around America:
You will now travel through the country, meeting different people who lived during the Mexican American War. Use the questions as a guide to talk to other people about the war. Complete as many questions as possible. Find a different person to help you answer each question.

9. Discussion Questions
Who found someone with opinions different than your character’s opinions?
What were some of the different points of view you found on why the United States and Mexico went to war?
Why do you think the United States and Mexico went to war? What were some results of the war?

10. Land lost to the United States
Mexican Territory in 1830
Land lost to the United States

15. Read: “War with Mexico”
While you are reading, choose 5 passages (phrases, sentences, or groups of sentences) that stand out to you. They could be interesting, surprising, startling, confusing, outrageous or odd. Write the passages in your notebook in quotation marks, and write a detailed reaction to each one.