PLAYING BY DIFFERENT RULES: Examining American Imperialism Abroad

September 18, 2002

PLAYING BY DIFFERENT RULES
Examining American Imperialism Abroad

Grades: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: American History, Economics, Global History, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"U.S. Will Get Power, and Pollution, From Mexico, By TIM WEINER", September 18, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students learn about the concept of American imperialism by researching and analyzing historical examples of American imperialism. They then draft a set of laws that would govern the actions of powerful nations in other countries.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE: 1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

Generate examples of American imperialism.
Learn about two new power plants American companies are building in Mexico by reading and discussing "U.S. Will Get Power, and Pollution, fro Mexico."
Research and analyze further examples of American imperialism.
Draft a set of laws that will govern the actions of large foreign powers, such as the United States, in less developed countries.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

student journals
pens/pencils
paper
classroom blackboard
copies of "U.S. Gets Power, and Pollution, from Mexico" (one per student)
resources with information about examples of American imperialism (encyclopedias, American History and Global History textbooks, library resources, computers with Internet access)

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

WARM-UP/DO-NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "The United States has often been accused of 'American imperialism,' a term that implies the United States asserts its authority by establishing economic or political dominance over other nations. Describe a historical example of American imperialism, in which the United States took advantage of another country. If you cannot think of a real example, you can describe a hypothetical example." After a few minutes, ask students to share their responses. As a class, discuss the examples students generated. In each case, what benefit did the United States gain by its actions? How did the actions of the United States affect the people of the other nation?
As a class, read and discuss the article "U.S. Will Get Power, and Pollution, from Mexico," focusing on the following questions:
1. Where is Mexicali?
2. How will Californians benefit from the new power plants?
3. How will Mexicans benefit from the new power plants?
4. What will be the major drawback of the plants to citizens of both nations?
5. What two phases in Mexican-American relations preceded the building of the new power plants?
6. What factors make Mexico a desirable place for companies based in the United States to build energy plants?
7. How much power generated by the new plant will go to the United States, and how much of it will go to Mexico?
8. Why would the InterGen plant in Mexico not be able to be licensed in California?
9. What are the differences between the InterGen plant and the Sempra Energy plant?
10. How much electricity will the new power plants produce?
11. Why did Sempra Energy build its plant according to California standards?
12. Why does the author of the article describe Mexico's exporting power to the United States as "ironic"?
13. Why is there little public opposition in Mexico to the new power plants?
14. How does John Foster, a senior vice president at InterGen, propose to address the issue of pollution in Mexico?
Divide students into five groups, and explain that each group will be using all available resources to search for documented examples of American imperialism. For each example of American imperialism they find, they should answer the following four questions (written on the board for easier student access):
- How can you briefly describe this example of American imperialism?
- What was the United States' motivation for its actions?
- What were the costs and benefits to the other nation(s) involved?
- What is your opinion of the actions of the United States in this example? Support your opinion by citing evidence from your research.
In the last 10-15 minutes of the class, provide time for each group to share one example of American imperialism they found and the answers to the four questions regarding the example.
WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Each student writes a set of international laws that would govern the actions of large foreign powers, such as the United States, in less developed countries. These laws can be shared in a subsequent class in a mock United Nations assembly.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What is the meaning of the phrase "not in my backyard?" In what other situations do people often react by using this phrase?
Does American imperialism more often help other nations or hurt them? Why do you think so?
Who should be charged with enforcing laws that apply to many countries? What powers do they need to enforce these laws?
If a citizen of one country breaks another country's law while traveling abroad, by which legal system should that person be tried and punished?
Do world superpowers have a responsibility to interfere in the affairs of other nations if human rights are being violated in those nations?

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal entries, participation in class and group discussions, thoughtful participation in group research, and their final sets of laws.

VOCABULARY:
intense, clutch, hovels, imperialism, migrant, regulatory, concedes, legislation, conceivably, irony, exporting, populace, opposition, muted, exempt, assailed, epitome, arrogance, retrofit, harmonize, fatalistic

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

Design an informational pamphlet for Californians, making citizens aware of the state's standards for pollution. Include a section on the two new power plants in Mexico that will contribute to California's energy supply. Inform Californians how these plants will or will not adhere to California's standards for pollution.
Make a diagram or model of an electrical power plant. Include how the energy is generated and transferred, what the equipment does, and where the pollution is produced.
Research the North American Free Trade Agreement. Create a multimedia slide show presentation to explain the details of this agreement to your class.
Many celebrities--such as Michael Jordan, Martha Stewart, Ricky Lake, and Kathy Lee Gifford--have endorsed products that are produced in less-costly foreign factories. Write a letter to one of these celebrities, telling him or her how you feel about this practice.
Imagine you have been asked by InterGen to analyze the costs and the benefits of building a power plant in Mexico, as opposed to building it in the United States. How much money could InterGen save by building the plant in Mexico? Write a letter to InterGen's board of directors, detailing your findings.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Health: Design a poster to make people aware of the long-term effects of air pollution on the human body.

Language Arts: Write a short story about a Mexican family that lives near the site of one of the new power plants. Include the moment when the family first finds out that the plant is to be built in their backyard and their reactions to this news.

Mathematics: Calculate the energy needs of your own town, state, or region, based on the information given in the article that one megawatt is the approximate amount of electricity needed to power 1,000 homes. How many large power plants, such as the one being built by InterGen in Mexico, does your town, state, or region need?

Science: Make a pie graph to show the chemical components of the pollution that is produced by power plants such as the InterGen plant. On your graph, provide a description of each pollution component and how it can potentially affect humans and the environment.

Technology: Use the Internet to research technological advances that provide power without producing harmful pollution. Make a model or compose a drawing that illustrates how one of these alternative energy sources operates.