The Art of the Conquest of Mexico

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

Subject Area

Social Studies

Grade(s)

Overview

Students will explore two different interpretations of the Conquest of Mexico by the Spanish, one in art and the other in literature. The perspectives of the same events as seen by the Spanish and the Aztecs will be explored. Students will highlight portions of both pieces of art to gain perspective of both sides.

This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.

Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 10 - United States History I

SS10.US1.1
Compare effects of economic, geographic, social, and political conditions before and after European explorations of the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries on Europeans, American colonists, Africans, and indigenous Americans. [A.1.a., A.1.b., A. 1.d., A.1.g., A.1.i.]

Vocabulary

indigenous
motives
mercantilism
persecution
oppression
impact
global
economic conditions
geographical conditions
social conditions
political conditions
Crusades
Renaissance
Reformation

Knowledge

Students know:

Effects of economic conditions of Europe, American colonists, Africans, and indigenous Americans during and after the explorations of the 15^th - 17^th Centuries. Effects of geographic conditions of Europe, American colonists, Africans, and indigenous Americans during and after the explorations of the 15^th - 17^th Centuries. Effects of social conditions of Europe, American colonists, Africans, and indigenous Americans during and after the explorations of the 15^th - 17^th Centuries. Effects of political conditions of Europe, American colonists, Africans, and indigenous Americans during and after the explorations of the 15^th - 17^th Centuries. Effects of European Explorations of the 15^th through the 17^th centuries.
Influence of the Crusades, the Renaissance, and the Reformation on European Exploration.
Motives for establishing colonies, including mercantilism, religious persecution, poverty, oppression, and new opportunities.
The course of the Columbian Exchange.
The effects of the triangular trade on regions of the world.
The development of slavery in the American colonies.

Skills

Students are able to:

Compare by similarities and differences among the economic, geographical, social, and political conditions before and after European explorations.
Describe the influence of the Crusades, Renaissance, and Reformation on European exploration.
Analyze and evaluate the course of the Columbian exchange and its impact on the economies of the world.
Explain examples of how the triangular trade and the development of slavery affected the colonies.

Understanding

Students understand that:

There were important economic, geographic, social, and political conditions that influenced Europe, American colonists, Africans, and indigenous Americans during and after the explorations of the 15^th - 17^th Centuries.

Primary Learning Objectives

Students will compare and contrast artistic representations of the Conquest of Mexico in art and poetry.

Procedures/Activities

Before:

1) Students will read the text of "The Argument" from The Conquistador by Archibald MacLeish.

2) The teacher will explain that the poem was written from the memoirs of a Spanish participant of the Conquest. Discuss the poem in class. The teacher should highlight the sense of adventure in the piece.

3) Teacher and students will discuss the Diego Rivera mural on the Conquest from Palacio Nacional de Mexico.

During:

4) Students will use the Pixlr photo editor to crop sections of the Diego Rivera mural that illustrate Cortez's abuse of the Natives. Students will go to the Pixlr Editor and open the image from the following URL: http://www.bluffton.edu/homepages/facstaff/sullivanm/mexico/mexicocity/rivera/4870.jpg

Using the crop tool (see attached CropTool.png) students will select a portion of the mural image and crop the image so just the chosen portion remains. The students will choose to "Save" this image as Crop1.jpg (see attached image Save.png). Students will then click Edit and Undo in the Pixlr menu within the browser window (see attached image Undo.png) and crop another section of the mural.

5) Students will write a short piece contrasting two excerpted portions of the poem that illustrate the Spanish attitude of the Conquest and the Aztec perspective of abuse and slavery depicted in the cropped images from the mural. The images will be included in a word processing document in a neat and orderly fashion.

After:

6) Teachers and students will then have a short concluding discussion of the two views of the Conquest and the nature of historical perspective.

Before:

1) Students will read the text of "The Argument" from The Conquistador by Archibald MacLeish.

3) Teacher and students will discuss the Diego Rivera mural on the Conquest from Palacio Nacional de Mexico.

During:

After:

6) Teachers and students will then have a short concluding discussion of the two views of the Conquest and the nature of historical perspective.

Assessment Strategies

A sample rubric for grading the students' word processing document is attached.

Acceleration

Students may choose to write their own poem using historical details about the Conquest of Mexico.

Intervention

Students who have difficulty processing written literature may be provided with the text before hand for pre-preparation.

Student mentoring with the image and the text may be provided for those failing to understand the assignment conceptually.

Total Duration

31 to 60 Minutes

Background/Preparation

Parents may need to be informed that some of the images in the Diego Rivera mural may be disturbing.

Materials and Resources

Teachers may want to print the text of "The Argument" rather than have students read from Web.

Technology Resources Needed

Computer lab with Internet access.

Approved Date

2013-12-17