MAINE COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES

This month's highlighted lesson is from the Center for Civic Education. In this lesson students have the opportunity to discuss how words have the power to bring about political, social, or economic change in society. By reviewing quotations from various leaders, activists, and others, students can begin to understand how ideas have an impact on the hearts and minds of people and can be a catalyst for change. Finally, students will reflect on the words of Martin Luther King Jr. and determine their relevance to the political, social, and economic issues of today. See Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Power of Words (Grades 7-12) 

Spotlight: US and Latin America

With the focus on American diplomacy in Latin America in the news right now we wanted to share some resources either for lesson ideas to add to your classroom our just background info for you.  Most of these work best for the high school and even middle school classroom. If you have any you'd like to share, please send them to info@mainesocialstudies.org

MCSS President-Elect Michelle Strattard has run this Spanish-American War simulation from the National Museum of Diplomacy for the past couple of years. It helps students learn about the war and American Imperialism while building negotiation and diplomacy skills in a fun and engaging way. It's been a hit with the kids each year and consistently rated their favorite thing they did all year!  They also have simulations on other topics which are classroom ready at https://diplomacy.state.gov/education/diplomacy-simulations/ This pairs well with lessons from the Digital Inquiry Group lesson on the Span-Am War which focuses on why the US got involved. 

More resources:

• Council for Foreign Relations 
• Simulations
• Backgrounder on the Venezuela Crisis - Last updated in 2024 but a good background resource
• Interactive map of Latin America during the Cold War from Retro Report. 
• PBS Newshour Daily Lesson: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2026/01/trump-says-us-will-run-venezuela-after-capturing-maduro-in-surprise-military-attack
• US Intervention in Latin America from NPR https://www.npr.org/2026/01/02/nx-s1-5652133/us-venezuela-interventionism-caribbean-latin-america-history-trump

For other lessons, resources or ideas, explore the resources available on the sites linked below. These materials, though categorized by content, often contain relevant information for other topics.

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