For or Against: Mexican American War
From: Gilder Lehrman
Grade Level: HS, College
Remote Ready: With modifications
Time: 2-3 class periods
Length of Reading: Pages
Link: Mexican American War: Arguments for and Against Going to War
Role play debate. Students read 2 primary sources (2 pages each), one for and one against the Mexican American War. Students then write a script for a mock debate in groups.
In lesson 1, students read an excerpt from a James K. Polk speech advocating for war.
In lesson 2, they read an excerpt from Congressman Joshua Giddings's speech arguing against war. Each speech is about 2 pages long. In each lesson, students fill out a graphic organizer and discuss.
In lesson 3, students are divided into groups, and each group writes a script for a mock debate on the question of going to war. Finally, each group preforms their debate for the class.
More Information:
Grade Level:
HS, College: This lesson is meant for high school and college students
This Activity Involves:
Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources.
Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion.
Writing Exercise: This activity requires a writing assignment such as a discussion post, journal entry, or lengthy response to a prompt. Almost all of our activities require students to answer questions with short responses, but this icon refers to a slightly longer writing assignments.
Baillie, James S., Active , Lithographer. Genl. Scott's grand entry into the city of Mexico, Sept. 14th. New York: Published by James Baillie. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2002719717/>.
