Inside the Volcano Curriculum on Nicaragua in Eagle Point During Teach Central America Week

Elisabeth Oppelt used Inside the Volcano: A Curriculum on Nicaragua, edited by William Bigelow and Jeff Edmundson, in her sophomore World History class in Oregon.

They started with Lesson 2, Imagine You Were a Nicaraguan, where students completed an assignment exploring life for those living in Nicaragua.

Students worked through the United States in Nicaragua Timeline from Lesson 3, then used Lesson 4’s "U.S. Economic Interests in Central America" and “What is the United States Really Concerned About in Latin America?" to explore if U.S. involvement in Nicaragua aligns with U.S. statements on foreign policy. Students responded in writing to the prompt: "Does U.S. involvement in Nicaragua support U.S. goals in foreign policy? Why or why not?

Oppelt shared:

These lessons were eye-opening to my students. Most had no idea that the U.S. was involved in Central America so heavily or that it had such a negative impact on the area. I heard many comments about U.S. behavior being unfair and not okay, which for many of my students may have been a first. Having been taught that U.S. involvement is always a positive thing, seeing U.S. support of dictatorship was a new experience for them and one that forced them to develop more nuanced thinking about where they live. [2024]