Lesson Plan 
Visiting Mexico!  
 

Summary 
In the United States, Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. I 
am a second grade teacher and in my class, every day for a week we will learn about 5 different 
Hispanic countries. By the end of the week we will have learned about Cuba, Puerto Rico, 
Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. Today is Friday and we are learning about Mexico. 

1. Topic or Unit of Study: A Cultural Study of Mexico  

2. Grade/Level: Second Grade 
3. Standards: 
a. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2 
Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information 
presented orally or through other media. 
b. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.7 
Participate in shared research and writing projects. 
4. Objective:  
a. Students will be able to identify five aspects of culture and present their research 
on an aspect of the Mexican culture to the class.  
b. Students will be able to compare and contrast their own culture with the Mexican 
culture.  
5. Time Allotment: 1 hour and 15 minutes 

Materials & Resources 

a. “Visiting Mexico” Powerpoint 
b. “What Can You Do With A Paleta?” written by Carmen Tafolla and illustrated by Magaly 
Morales 
c. “Country Exploration” worksheet  
d. “Comparing Cultures to My Own” worksheet 
e. Chromebooks 

1 
 

Introduction 
The teacher will open up the “Visiting Mexico” powerpoint.  

The teacher will introduce and read the standards to the students. Then the teacher will read the 
objective to the students so they understand what their objective is for this lesson. 

Attention Getter 
In order to grasp the students’ attention and get them interested in learning about the Mexican 
culture, the teacher will read the book “What Can You Do With A Palleta?” written by Carmen 
Tafolla and illustrated by Magaly Morales. This story describes the Mexican culture through a 
young girl’s eyes. After the story, the teacher will have the students pair share what they learned 
about the culture. Teacher will call on two groups to come to the board and write two things they 
learned about the Mexican culture.  

Scaffolding 
In class students will be presenting on an aspect of the Mexican culture. In first grade, students 
had the task to present an “All About Me” presentation in which they shared their own culture 
with the class. Today, all students will be presenting what they have learned about the Mexican 
culture. For some students, the Mexican culture may be a new culture to explore, and for some it 
will be a more in depth study of their own culture.  

Instruction 
Vocabulary 
Before teaching students about the Mexican culture, the teacher needs to define important 
vocabulary words in simple terms. The most important word students need to know is: culture. 
Together, with the students, the teacher will make a mind map for the word “culture.” To initiate 
the discussion, the teacher will ask students “What is culture?” The students will then throw out 
words they believe are associated or a part of one’s culture. The goal is for students to name 
words like: family, holidays, beliefs, traditions, religion, language, clothing, and food. Then the 
teacher will give students a simple definition of culture for students to write in their notebooks. 
The teacher will also define traditions for students.  

● Culture- the way a group of people act and what they believe 

2 
 

 
● Traditions- behaviors or beliefs passed down from generation to generation 

Direct Instruction 
Teachers will instruct students to get their chromebooks one by one and log in at their desks. 
Once all the students have returned to their desks, the teacher will hand out the “Country 
Exploration” worksheet. 

The teacher will model how to do the first section on the handout which is: location. The teacher 
will model using Google to obtain information about the culture in Mexico. The teacher will type 
“Where is Mexico located?” in the search bar. Then the teacher will show that Google provides a 
variety of maps and information. The teacher will return to the powerpoint where a map of Mexico 
is already attached.  

Based on the map, and information gathered from Google, the teacher will fill in the blank under 
the Location section. The teacher will instruct the students to do the same and fill in the blank on 
their paper as well. The teacher will call on a student to identify Mexico on the map and draw an 
X over it on the smart board. Students will repeat this step and draw an X over Mexico on their 
handout as well.  

Guided Practice 
In order to get the students to practice using Google, the teacher will ask the students to name 
the countries that border Mexico. The teacher will ask the students what question should go into 
the search bar. The teacher will call on students until a student gives a variation of the following 
answer: What countries are next to Mexico?  

The teacher will instruct the students to type the question into the search bar and see what 
comes up.  

Students should be able to find that the United States borders Mexico to the North, and Belize 
and Guatemala border Mexico to the South.  

Teacher will ask if anyone has questions.  

Group Work 
Research 
The teacher will number the students off into five groups. Each group will be assigned a different 
aspect of the Mexican culture. The five groups will be: 

3 
 

1. Holidays  
2. Famous People 
3. Flag  
4. Food  
5. Arts and Crafts  

The “Country Exploration Handout” has a section for all 5 aspects of the culture. The teacher will 
read the instructions to the students while presenting the “Instructions” slide on the board. This 
will allow students to hear and see the instructions. Each group will need to work together to 
research information about their topic. The group will write their answers on a separate sheet of 
paper or on the back of the handout.  

The teacher will use the powerpoint to go over what each group is responsible for. The teacher 
will also guide the students in what key words and questions to input into their search bar.  
a. Group 1 will research Mexican Holidays. Students will search “What holidays are 
celebrated in Mexico?” As a group they will pick three holidays, and write one interesting 
fact about each.  
b. Group 2 will research Famous People in Mexican History. Students will search “Who are 
famous people in Mexican history?” As a group, students will pick three famous people, 
and write one interesting fact about each.  
c. Group 3 will research Mexico’s flag. Students will research “What does Mexico’s flag 
represent?” As a group they will draw the flag, and write the meaning of the three colors 
displayed on the flag. Students can also explain the coat of arms in the middle of the flag. 
d. Group 4 will research Mexican foods. Students will search “What are famous dishes in 
Mexico?” As a group, they will pick three famous dishes, and write one interesting fact 
about each.  
e. Group 5 will research Arts and Crafts popular in Mexico. Students will search “What are 
famous arts and crafts in Mexico?” As a group, students will pick 3 crafts, and write one 
interesting fact about each.  

After the instructions have been read to the students, the teacher will ask if the students have 
any questions before they begin. The teacher will answer the students’ questions before moving 
on.   

After all questions have been answered, the students will be instructed to begin researching with 
their groups. A “Begin Research” slide will be put on the board to remind students how to 
research.  
Once students begin researching, the teacher will put the “Instructions” slide back on the board 
to remind students what they need to do. The teacher will also put up a timer for 30 minutes.  

4 
 

Presentations 
Teacher will put up the next powerpoint slide that reads “time to share your research with the 
class!” 

Each group will have a chance to share their research with the class. Students presenting will 
stand at their desks and use presentation voices to share their findings. The rest of the class will 
sit at their desks and fill out their worksheet with the information being given by their peers.  

a. Group 1 will present first on Mexican Holidays. They will read off the three holidays they 
found and their interesting facts about each. The rest of the class will listen and write 
down the three Mexican holidays on their “Country Exploration” worksheet. 
b. Group 2 will present next about famous people. Group 2 will introduce their three famous 
people and their facts about each. Students in the audience will listen and write down the 
names of the famous people in Mexican history in the Famous people section of the 
“Country Exploration” worksheet. 
c. Group 3 will present on Mexico’s flag. They will show us their drawing and explain the 
meaning of the colors. The class will attentively listen, and draw their own Mexican flag in 
the Flag section on their “Country Exploration” worksheet. 
d. Group 4 will present on Mexican food. Students will describe the three Mexican dishes 
they researched. The class will write down the names, and listen to the facts. 
e. Group 5 will present on Mexican arts and crafts. The students will share the three crafts 
they researched, and the interesting facts about each. The rest of the class will write 
down the three crafts in the Arts & Crafts sections on the “Country Exploration” 
worksheet. 

At the end of the group's presentations, the teacher will ask if all students have every section of 
the handout filled out. If students need additional help, the teacher will take this time to give 
students 5 more minutes to complete the handout in its entirety, then the teacher will collect the 
worksheet. If students need extra time, students can take it home and complete it for homework.  

Teacher will instruct students to turn off their chromebooks, and wait their turn to put their 
chromebook away. Students will then return to their seats.   

Assessment 
When all chromebooks are put away and students are in their seat, the teacher will hand out the 
“Comparing Cultures To My Own” worksheet.  

5 
 

Students will be given 15 minutes to fill out the worksheet. Students will need to use the 
knowledge they have acquired about the Mexican culture, and the prior knowledge they have 
about their own culture. They will use the worksheet to compare and contrast the two cultures in 
complete sentences. One complete sentence per section.  

Closure 
The teacher will ask students to think about their two favorite things they learned about the 
Mexican culture.  

The teacher will call on students to come to the board and share one thing they learned in class 
today.  

Differentiated Instruction 
a. Visual Learners: The teacher will have the “Visiting Mexico” Powerpoint up the entire 
class long. There will be a corresponding powerpoint slide visual to students while the 
teacher is lecturing, during group work, and during the closure activity. There are also 
pictures on all slides to help guide student learning. 
b. Auditory Learners: The teacher will verbally lecture and give instructions. When on the 
chromebooks, students can also listen to videos to learn about the Mexican culture. The 
teacher will engage students in classroom discussions to allow auditory learners to gain 
understanding through partner and whole group discussions.   
c. Kinesthetic Learners: Students will be able to come to the smart board and write their 
responses. The teacher will also allow students to stand at their desk rather than sit.  
d. ESL Students: All students will be allowed to share with their peers during the lesson 
introduction, and work in groups during the activity time. When assigning groups, the 
teacher will keep in mind to pair ESL students with more proficient students so they can 
help them. The teacher will also be walking around to answer any questions.  
e. At-risk Students: All students will be a part of a group. Students can ask peers or teachers 
for extra help as needed.  
f. Advanced Learners: If students finish their group work early, students will be encouraged 
to find more facts and learn more about the Mexican culture.  
   

6 
 

 
Country Exploration worksheet 

 
 
Comparing Cultures to My Own Worksheet  

7