To introduce the topic of Spanish missions in the classroom, educators should provide an overview of their development in the United States. At the end of the lesson, students should be able to identify the events leading to the founding of missions and their effect. With a combination of lecture, written materials, and visual aids such as maps, this lesson covers missionary development, the role of the church, and the reception of the missions by the native populations. Important figures to study in this lesson include the Spanish explorers Francisco Vazquez de Coronado and Juan de Onate, who first surveyed the southern and southwestern areas of the U.S., and Father Alonso de Benavides who was instrumental in the founding of missions along the Rio Grande.
During its 200-year history, the Spanish mission system had locations all across the American South and Southwest. In illustrating the reach of the missions, this lesson concentrates on mapping the location and time frame for the founding of missions in different regions. One example of topics for the lesson is the growth of missions along the Rio Grande beginning in 1598 and continuing for a century. Using maps and written materials for reference, students can create their own map with the locations of different missions across the country. Upon completing the lesson, students will be able to identify regions with the highest number of missions and track the chronological development of the mission system.
While basic information on Spanish missions can be taught through lecture and assigned reading, a hands-on lesson imitating daily life allows students to better conceptualize the day-to-day realities that missionaries and Native Americans faced. For the exercise, divide the classroom into seven areas related to the mission's regimented lifestyle. The areas include workhouse, agriculture, dormitory, kitchen, chancel, reflection and Spanish translation. Students each take a vow of silence, obedience and poverty before visiting each of the designated areas where they will silently perform activities related to each category. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to discuss the effects of mission life and make their own observations on its challenges and rewards.
The effects of Spanish missions were most strongly felt by the Native American populations they sought to convert to Christianity. While attempting to subvert the tribes' cultures, the missions also exposed Native Americans to new diseases that caused populations to plummet. Rebellions against the missionaries were not uncommon and led to deaths on both sides. With the aid of written materials, including first-hand accounts from the period, students will learn about Native American culture before and after the introduction of missions to a region. In addition, students will learn about the views toward Native Americans and discuss how this affected the strategies of the mission.