Unit 4​
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History of the American Southwest

Unit Plan

U.S. Expansion and the Mexican-American War

Activities

Teaching with E.L.O.N.  (Enriched Learning Opportunity Nexus) that seamlessly integrates AI 
Unit 4
Overview:
This unit examines the period of U.S. expansion into the Southwest during the mid-19th century, focusing on the ideology of Manifest Destiny, the Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas, the Mexican-American War and its consequences, including the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and the Gadsden Purchase. Students will explore how westward migration and territorial acquisitions transformed the U.S. Southwest and impacted Mexican and Indigenous populations.
Unit Objectives:Students will be able to:
  • Explain the concept of Manifest Destiny and its role in U.S. expansion.
  • Analyze the causes and consequences of the Texas Revolution and the formation of the Republic of Texas.
  • Evaluate the motivations and outcomes of the Mexican-American War.
  • Assess the significance of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsden Purchase.
  • Examine how shifting borders affected Mexican and Indigenous communities in the Southwest.
Essential Questions:
  • What motivated U.S. westward expansion in the mid-19th century?
  • How did the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War impact the Southwest?
  • What were the long-term consequences of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
  • How did the Gadsden Purchase shape modern U.S.-Mexico borderlands?
  • How did Mexican and Indigenous peoples resist or adapt to these territorial changes?
Key Topics:
  • Manifest Destiny and westward migration
  • The Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas
  • The Mexican-American War (1846–1848)
  • The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
  • The Gadsden Purchase (1854) and shifting borders
  • Impacts on Mexican and Indigenous communities
Primary & Secondary Sources:
Primary:
  • Excerpts from John L. O’Sullivan’s writings on Manifest Destiny
  • The Texas Declaration of Independence (1836)
  • President James K. Polk’s war message to Congress (1846)
  • Excerpts from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
  • Mexican and Indigenous accounts of displacement and resistance
  • Political cartoons on Manifest Destiny and westward expansion
Secondary:
  • Excerpts from A Wicked War by Amy S. Greenberg
  • Selections from The Mexican-American War by Karl Jack Bauer
  • Articles on the impact of U.S. expansion on Mexican and Indigenous peoples

Week 1: Manifest Destiny and Texas Revolution
  • Lesson 1: Manifest Destiny and Westward Migration
    • Activity: Analyze O’Sullivan’s writing; create a cause-and-effect diagram on Manifest Destiny’s role in westward migration.
  • Lesson 2: The Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas
    • Activity: Roleplay key figures in the Texas Revolution (e.g., Sam Houston, Santa Anna); debate the legitimacy of Texas’ independence.
Week 2: The Mexican-American War
  • Lesson 3: Causes of the Mexican-American War
    • Activity: Analyze President Polk’s speech; examine Mexican perspectives on U.S. aggression through primary sources.
  • Lesson 4: Key Battles and Turning Points
    • Activity: Create a timeline of major battles (e.g., Buena Vista, Veracruz, Chapultepec); map key military campaigns.
Week 3: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo & The Gadsden Purchase
  • Lesson 5: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
    • Activity: DBQ-style analysis of treaty excerpts; discuss territorial and social consequences.
  • Lesson 6: The Gadsden Purchase and Shifting Borders
    • Activity: Map activity on shifting U.S.-Mexico borders; case study on how border changes affected Indigenous nations (e.g., Tohono O’odham).
Week 4: Consequences & Legacies
  • Lesson 7: Impacts on Mexican and Indigenous Peoples
    • Activity: Small group research projects on displacement and cultural impacts; present findings via poster or digital presentation.
  • Lesson 8: Legacies of U.S. Expansion
    • Activity: Students create multimedia projects (e.g., video, podcast) on the legacy of U.S. expansion in the Southwest.

Assessments:Formative:
  • Exit tickets (reflection prompts)
  • Group debates and roleplays
  • Timeline and map quizzes
Summative:
  • DBQ essay: "Analyze the causes and consequences of the Mexican-American War and its effects on the U.S. Southwest."
  • Multimedia project on the legacies of westward expansion and border changes.

Suggested Extension Activities:
  • Field trip to a historical site (e.g., San Jacinto Battlefield, local historic forts)
  • Guest speaker: historian specializing in U.S.-Mexico relations
  • Comparative study of borderlands resistance (e.g., Mexican resistance, Indigenous sovereignty efforts)
  • Explore modern U.S.-Mexico border issues in relation to 19th-century expansions

Vocabulary:
  • Manifest Destiny
  • Annexation
  • Republic of Texas
  • Mexican Cession
  • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
  • Gadsden Purchase
  • Displacement
  • Sovereignty
  • James K. Polk
  • Santa Anna
​The following activities include AI tools that enhance student engagement, provide data-driven insights, and facilitate personalized learning. 
​1. AI Debate Coach: Texas Revolution Debate
  • AI Tool: ChatGPT or Claude (debate roleplay + argument refinement)
  • Activity: Students will be split into two groups: one representing the Republic of Texas and the other representing Mexico.
    • Use ChatGPT to help draft arguments and rebuttals for each side by inputting: “Help me craft arguments supporting [Texas independence/Mexican territorial sovereignty] based on historical events.”
    • AI will also act as a mock debate opponent to help each group refine their positions.
    • Students will then engage in a live debate in class.

2. AI-Powered Map Analysis: Shifting Borders Simulation
  • AI Tool: Google Earth + AI Image Generator (e.g., DALL·E)
  • Activity: In groups, students will use Google Earth historical layers to track the expansion of U.S. borders (Texas Annexation, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Gadsden Purchase).
    • Groups will also use DALL·E to create AI-generated “before and after” visuals of Indigenous or Mexican communities affected by shifting borders (e.g., a Tohono O’odham village pre/post Gadsden Purchase).
    • Students will present their maps and AI-generated images in a group presentation.

3. AI-Generated Primary Source Analysis Workshop
  • AI Tool: ChatGPT or Perplexity AI
  • Activity: Groups will input excerpts of primary sources (e.g., Polk’s War Message, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo) into ChatGPT and ask for an AI-assisted breakdown of:
    • Historical context
    • Author’s perspective/bias
    • Intended audience
  • Each group will then compare AI’s analysis with their own insights to develop a critical “AI vs. Human” discussion board post on the pros and cons of AI in historical interpretation.

4. Collaborative Multimedia Project with AI Video Assistant
  • AI Tool: Canva with Magic Design + Synthesia (AI avatar video generator)
  • Activity: Groups will create a multimedia presentation or short video documentary on the legacies of Manifest Destiny and U.S. expansion in the Southwest.
    • Use Canva Magic Design to help generate slide layouts, visual assets, and timelines.
    • Use Synthesia to create short AI-generated video clips with avatars narrating historical perspectives (e.g., an AI avatar "President Polk" giving a speech).
    • Groups will present their multimedia projects to the class.


 INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES WITH AI TOOLS
1. AI-Assisted DBQ Prep
  • AI Tool: ChatGPT (DBQ Outliner Mode)
  • Activity: Students will select a DBQ prompt (e.g., “Evaluate the causes and effects of the Mexican-American War”) and use ChatGPT to:
    • Generate an outline based on provided documents.
    • Suggest thesis statements and topic sentences.
    • Create draft paragraphs that students will then revise independently.
    • Bonus: Students can also ask ChatGPT to "simulate a peer review" by providing feedback on their draft essays.

2. AI-Driven Roleplay Journal: Voices from the Borderlands
  • AI Tool: Character.ai (historical figure simulation)
  • Activity: Students will “interview” AI-generated historical personas (e.g., a Texan settler, a Mexican official, an Indigenous community member) using Character.ai.
    • Then, students will write a fictionalized historical journal entry from the perspective of one of these figures.
    • The journal should capture emotions, cultural conflicts, and personal reactions to border shifts (e.g., after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo).

3. AI-Powered Political Cartoon Creation
  • AI Tool: DALL·E or Canva AI
  • Activity: Individually, students will design an AI-generated political cartoon reflecting 19th-century debates about Manifest Destiny or the Mexican-American War.
    • Students will first brainstorm captions and themes using ChatGPT.
    • Then, they will create visuals with DALL·E or Canva AI based on historical references (e.g., depicting John L. O’Sullivan’s Manifest Destiny).
    • Reflection: Students will write a short analysis of how their cartoon communicates historical messages and biases.

4. AI Timeline Builder
  • AI Tool: TimelineJS + ChatGPT
  • Activity: Students will use ChatGPT to gather major events related to westward expansion (Manifest Destiny, Texas Revolution, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Gadsden Purchase).
    • Then, they will build an interactive timeline with TimelineJS, embedding text, images, and even video clips summarizing each milestone.
    • Students will submit their timelines as digital portfolios.


Optional AI Extensions:
  • Perplexity AI or Elicit.org: for gathering scholarly secondary sources.
  • Notion AI: for personal study notes and reflection logs.
  • Murf.ai or Resemble.ai: to generate historical podcasts with AI voiceovers.
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