Monroe Doctrine: Hands off the Americas

Good morning!  It is SNOWING here in New York!  There must be three inches on the ground!  Mother Nature was a day early with her April Fool's joke!!!

Ok, I'm done venting :)  Moving on to today's topic:

Hands off the Americas!

This was such a bold foreign policy move for the United States to make as a (relatively) new country.  This differentiated lesson utilizes partner work, whole class reading, primary source analysis and political cartoon analysis.  To begin the lesson, I use this topic as a means to review U.S. foreign policy - up to that point.  We review:

1.  Neutrality Proclamation
2.  Washington's Farewell Address
3.  The XYZ Affair
3.  Louisiana Purchase
4.  War of 1812

This review is a nice way to reinforce the difference between domestic and foreign policy.  It also serves as a way for kids to see, visually, how foreign policy begins to change in the early 1800's from one of (relative) isolation to one of involvement.

Then we conduct a whole class reading of a brief description of what is going on with our neighbors to the south:  Central and South America.  I regret that I no longer discuss individual revolutions.  Time always works against us Social Studies teachers!  Our curriculum is added to literally every day and I no longer have time to devote to revolutionaries like Simon Bolivar.

Then we get into some sticky territory.  Let's be honest.  The U.S. was not just looking out for these newly independent countries, but our own interests as well.  There are some classes that are insightful and mature - for 12 year olds!  I can have an intelligent discussion about what this really means.  Other classes just can't handle it.  You have to read your own students to see what level and direction your discussion takes.

Then it's time for some primary source analysis.  When I first started teaching I would actually read the entire doctrine with my honors class and pull it apart, analyze, discuss....it was awesome.  But, no can do anymore.  So I pull some key lines from the doctrine now and we basically translate each line.  I do love this though because it really gives us a focus and helps us to find the true meaning of the document.

The next activity is primary source cartoon analysis.  The cartoon above is so simple, yet powerful.  The middle school students get it.  This is what they remember about the Monroe Doctrine.  We will end the class  with a discussion of modern-day U.S. foreign policy in terms of getting involved.  Acting like a "policeman" or "security guard" of the Western Hemisphere...or our larger world.

Click HERE to check out my full lesson complete with handouts, teacher answer keys and accompanying power point.