Secondary Lesson

Title: United States of Central America? (A Debate)

Arizona State Standards

  • Reading: Strand 2-Concept 1(apply reading strategies) Strand 3-Concept 1 (analyze non-fiction)
  • Writing: Research Document: Strand 1-Concept 1, Strand 2- Concepts 1,2,6, Strand 3–Concept 6. Writing for a Definite Audience: Strand 1-Concept 1, Strand 2-Concepts 1-4 & 6, Strand 3 Concept 3.
  • Listening and Speaking: LS-P1 & P5 (shares, presents, listens & responds) VP-P1-P3 (develop, analyze, evaluate, organize)
  • History: 1SS-P1(chronological & spatial skills) 1SS-P2 (research methods) 1SS-P3 (interpretation) 1SS-D1 (historical sources) 1SS-D2 (historical thinking)
  • Geography: 3SS-P1 (using geographic tools) 3SS-P2 (regions) 3SS-P3 (social interaction, migration) 3SS-P4 (natural resources) 3SS-P5 (applying skills)

Goals & Objectives:

  1. Students become familiar with the region and individual countries of Central America.
  2. Students identify the differences between the political division of provinces & nations and are able to discuss advantages and disadvantages of each.
  3. Students research in order to support a particular perspective.
  4. Students participate in a debate.

Length of lesson: 6 one-hour lessons

Materials & Preparation:

  1. world map resource materials
  2. map of Central America
  3. art materials
  4. Central American Federation reading

Lesson

First Period

  1. Show students a world map or pass out individual maps and focus their attention on the Continent of the Americas. Ask specific location questions, incorporating names of different cities, states and countries, such as “Where is Chicago? Where is Chihuahua? Where is Nicaragua?”, etc.
  2. Ask students what the difference is between these labels: state, country and city. More than likely, the answer of size will be given, Countries are bigger than states, which are bigger than cities. Have students research the square milage for the following locations: The United States of America, Guatemala, Belize, California, New York, Tennessee, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Texas, Yucatán, Chiapas, Mexico City, Tegucigalpa, Managua, etc. (You could choose one location for each student to research. This may be a good homework activity to do before this activity begins. You may also want to add Canadian and South American locations as well.)
  3. Organize their findings by size. Then label each as a country, city or state.
  4. Refer back to the original question, what is the difference between a country, state and city? Have official definitions available for students to refer to.
  5. Discuss nation (country) vs. state (provinces) with your students. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a state versus being a nation? Do these divisions affect the individual citizen? The economy? Other nations?
  6. Call attention to the fact that the states (or provinces) of Canada are organized into a nation, the states of the US are organized into a nation, and so are the states of Mexico. However, the 7 little regions under Mexico and above Colombia are independent countries, even though they are smaller than many of the states that make up our nation. Why is Tennessee a state and Guatemala a country? Does Guatemala have states, even though it is the same size as Tennessee? Have students research and return to the next class with some answers. Have them research the Central American Federation for homework as well.

Second Period

  1. Using information students bring from their research, briefly discuss the history behind the Central American Federation (more). Conclude the discussion with why this Federation dissolved.
  2. Ask students if they think the countries of Central America should come together and form a nation? Listen and validate all perspectives and opinions.
  3. Divide students into 2 groups. One group will support the notion of creating a Central American nation and the other group will be against this idea.
  4. Identify individuals or partners from each side as “experts,” in agriculture, economy, human rights, energy, industry, military, etc.
  5. Have each person research and find facts to support their position, and be able to debate this position.

Third-Fifth Periods

  1. Students research information to inform their perspective to prepare for the class debate.
  2. Encourage students to prepare posters, overheads, or even powerpoint presentations to enhance their debate.
  3. During these preparation periods, you may want to discuss appropriate debate behavior and standards, and even watch one on a news channel between political analysts. Create a set of debate standards that everyone will follow.
  4. Consider inviting school personal or community members (especially those with a connection to Central America) to observe the debate.

Sixth Period

  1. Organize the physical setting of the classroom to support a constructive debate, including appropriate areas for students to display their prepared materials.
  2. Explain that after the debate, each student will write an essay expressing which perspective won the debate, as well as express their own personal perspective concerning the question.
  3. Facilitate the class debate.

Closure & Evaluation

  1. Have students individually write a reflection, stating which perspective won this debate, as well as expressing their own opinion on the topic.
  2. Assess students’ writing for new understanding of Central American economy, politics, history, culture, etc.
  3. After collecting and reading students’ responses, share your opinion with the whole group, which side successfully argued their perspective and then share with them your own personal feelings on the hypothetical creation of a Central American Union.

Extensions

  1. If dividing individual research into economic, political, cultural, etc. categories is too advanced for your learners, subdivide the two large groups into country groups. So one group might argue for why, for example, El Salvador would want a Central American Union and why another (or even El Salvador) would not want this arrangement.
  2. Compare the Central American Common Market to the European Union.
  3. Add the option of joining a Union that is already established (such as Mexico, the United States or the European Union) to the debate. Divide the group into four and have representatives from the established Union either support or not support Central America joining this nation. Make sure to address notions of nationality and identity to this discussion. Address distance if necessary as well, as Alaska and Hawaii are not attached to the other 48 states of the United States.
  4. Bring members of the community that are from Central America to either participate in the debate, to help with the research, or to make concluding remarks. Many times, political decisions are made without addressing the concerns of the individuals that will be effected by such decisions. Discuss if hearing personal opinions influenced the policy discussion. Should policy makers consider personal perspectives?
  5. Compare the historical collapse of the Central American Federation to US History, the conflict between the northern states and the southern states during the Civil War, or the struggle for Texas to become its own nation in 1836. Could the United States have dissolved just as the Central American Federation did? What were the strengths and weaknesses of the United States that didn’t allow this separation to occur?