Contextualization
Throughout history, the relationships between the United States and Latin America have been marked by different contexts, movements, and figures. These dynamics have provided fundamental political, economic, and social events that have helped shape the world as we know it today. Therefore, it is essential to understand the historical and contemporary aspects of these relationships to unravel many of the current dilemmas, the formation of national identities, and the ties between the nations of the American continent.
In the 19th century, with the Monroe Doctrine, the United States began to shape a foreign policy that aimed to influence Latin America, culminating in the idea of "Manifest Destiny." This policy, which lasted until the end of the Cold War, helped shape the political, economic, and social dynamics of the region.
Introduction
The history of relations between the United States and Latin America is rich and complex. As we go into detail, we will explore the ideology of the leaders of independence movements, highlighting the revolutions that led to the independence of the Hispanic-American colonies. In addition, we will better understand the role of different social and ethnic groups in these independence struggles.
Pan-Americanism will be another point of study, as it is one of the main reflections of this relationship between North America and Latin America. Its analysis will open doors for us to study the main thinkers who contributed to this idea. In this project, we will also consider the important role of the United States in Latin America throughout the 19th century.
In the last stage of the project, our studies will confront the legacy of slavery in the Americas, in order to finally understand the structures that shaped the relations between the United States and the countries of Latin America.
Practical Activity
Title of the activity: Paths of Independence: Latin America and the USA
Objective of the project:
Produce a short documentary presenting the history of independence and the political and economic relations of the United States of America and Latin America.
Detailed description of the project:
Students, divided into groups of 3 to 5, should do in-depth research, addressing the key points of independence and the social movements that led to this independence in Latin America and the United States. The final result should be a 15- to 20-minute documentary that discusses the following points: the leaders of the independence movements, Pan-Americanism, the role of different ethnic and social groups in this struggle, and the legacy of slavery in the Americas.
Necessary materials:
- Internet access for research;
- Video camera or cell phone with filming capability;
- Video editing software (any free software available online will do);
- Notebook and pencil for note-taking.
Detailed step-by-step instructions for carrying out the activity:
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Study and Research: Students should research the history of independence and the relations between the United States and Latin America, focusing on the aspects mentioned. It is important that they take organized notes on what they find.
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Script: Based on the research, the group should develop a script for the documentary. This script should include the introduction of the topic, the presentation and discussion of the research topics, and the conclusion.
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Filming: After finalizing the script, the next step is to film the documentary. Students can use images from the internet, as long as they are copyright-free, and they can narrate the documentary in their own words, based on the script they created.
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Editing: Using free video editing software, students should finalize the documentary. It is important to include credits.
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Review and correction: Before submitting the documentary, it is important that the students review the content, verify that all the information is correct, and that the documentary meets the objectives of the project.
Project deliverables
The group must produce a documentary as described above and a written report.
The report should follow the following structure:
Introduction: Should contain the relevance and application of the concept of independence of the United States and Latin America.
Development: In this section, the theory behind independence should be explained, the activity of the documentary should be explained in detail, the methodology used should be indicated, and the results of the research carried out should be presented.
Conclusion: Here, students should summarize the main points of the documentary, explain the lessons learned, and the conclusions drawn about the concept of independence.
Bibliography: Finally, there should be a list of the sources on which they based their work on the documentary and the project as a whole.
The documentary and the report should be submitted to the teacher on the date determined for evaluation.
