Benito Juárez Lesson Plans
Grades 5–12
This pair of lesson plans introduces students to the life and career of Benito Juárez and examines the relationship between the United States and Mexico during the 1860s. Each lesson includes high-quality reproductions of historical sources as well as background information, analysis questions, instructional strategies, and extension activities. Adapt the materials to best meet the needs of your students and share them with other educators. The exhibition Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico is co-curated by the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Every lesson plan contains an analysis worksheet, which is also available in Spanish.
> Download the analysis worksheet in Spanish (PDF, 28 KB)
Meet Benito Juárez
From his humble childhood to the presidency of Mexico, the story of Benito Juárez (1806–72) is legendary. This lesson introduces students to Juárez and his career as a political reformer. Students are challenged to analyze a portrait of him and create their own based on specific themes and events from his life.
> Download the Meet Benito Juárez lesson plan (PDF, 2.6 MB)
This short history soundscape suggests the conflict and warfare that marked Juárez’s career and kept him on the move as a mobile president for many years.
> Download the Road to Reform audio file (MP3, 2.9 MB)
Get Out of Mexico
In 1861–62, when the Mexican government was unable to repay its debt to France, Napoleon III installed Maximilian and Marie Charlotte as the Emperor and Empress in Mexico City. This lesson examines U.S. reaction to the French Intervention through the “Get Out of Mexico” sheet music cover and lyrics. Students analyze the art and lyrics and try writing their own song.
> Download the Get Out of Mexico lesson plan (PDF, 964 KB)
This short history soundscape is set during the years when Juárez took his rightful place as the sitting president of Mexico in Mexico City and celebrates his legacy.