Question
Students will encounter the central controversy of the Mexican Revolution, analyze competing historical interpretations, and take an initial evidence-based position on which revolutionary leader bears the greatest responsibility for the successes and failures of the revolution. They will ground their preliminary claim in early source exposure and connect it to the essential question about ideas that transcend cultural, political, economic, and social differences in world history.
Days 1 - 2
Investigate
Students will gather, evaluate, and analyze varied primary and secondary sources related to the Mexican Revolution in order to build a credible evidence base for their responsibility claim. They will complete a structured two-column evidence log, intentionally seek out counterarguments, and identify the strongest evidence that challenges their position before moving into formal argument construction.
Days 3 - 6
Construct
Students will organize their research into a coherent, evidence-based argument about responsibility in the Mexican Revolution, explicitly construct warrants, engage the strongest counterarguments, and revise their full draft in preparation for the live "Trial of the Titans."
Days 7 - 11
Defend
Students will publicly defend their evidence-based arguments about responsibility in the Mexican Revolution through a formal mock trial, respond to live challenges using specific cited evidence, and reflect on how their thinking evolved in relation to transcendent ideas across revolutions.
Days 12 - 15