Carlos+Saavedra+Lamas

__**Subject Matter Background**__ Carlos Saavedra Lamas is known as an Argentine academic and politician. He is also known for being the recipient of the first ever Latin American Nobel Peace Prize. Saavedra Lamas was born on November 1, 1878 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to an upper-class family. He was an excellent student who received his doctorate in law from the University of Buenos Aires. Soon after, he began a career at the National University of La Plata as a teacher of law and sociology. Eventually, he was able to rise to the position of a professor. Saavedra Lama's major published works focused mainly on labor laws and placed an emphasis on the need for a universally recognized doctrine on the treatment of labor. He was also involved in the early stages of the International Labor Organization. A lot of his work ultimately ended up being the source of Argentina’s own labor laws. Saavedra Lamas began his political career in 1906, which included two terms in the Argentinean parliament, where his interests were primarily in foreign affairs. In 1915, he became the Minister of Justice and Education. Although Saavedra Lamas was successful in many different ways, he received the Nobel Peace Prize as Argentina’s foreign minister. He served as the prime minister from 1932-1938 and mediated a treaty that successfully ended the Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia. He also initiated multiple multilateral nonaggression treaties between several South America and European countries. The most distinguished of these treaties was the South American Anti-War Pact. In 1936, Saavedra Lamas was elected President of the Assembly of the League of Nations and on November 25th of that same year, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize, Saavedra Lamas was the recipient of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor of France as well as similar honors from ten other countries. He retired from the foreign ministry in 1938 and then returned to academic life. He became president of the University of Buenos Aires for two years (1941-1943) and then became a professor for three more years (1943-1946). Carlos Saavedra Lamas died at age 80 in 1959 from the effects of a brain hemorrhage.

As mentioned above, Saavedra Lamas was from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city in Argentina. It serves as the second largest metropolitan area in South America. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Rio de la Plata, which is on the southeastern coast of South American. The physical structure of Buenos Aires is a medley as diverse as its culture. The city has no dominating monument but instead is made of many small places, intimate details, and various events and interactions.

__**Instructional Ideas**__ The possibilities are endless when it comes to teaching about Argentina, along with the first Latin American Nobel Peace Prize winner, Carlos Saavedra Lamas. First of all, Since Saavedra Lamas is from Argentina, it ties in very nicely with the NC Standard Course of Study for sixth grade. South America is taught in the sixth grade, so Argentina would be an appropriate location to learn about. I would want students get a good overview of the country and learn about climate, culture, geography, etc. I would want students to really understand what life is like for people in Argentina since the culture there is so diverse. I could start off a unit by introducing South America, and then focusing in on the country of Argentina. Students could make report booklets on the country which would include: a cover page, a basic information page with all the major statistics on the country, a written report about the country, a flag page where students draw and color the countries' flag, a natural vegetation map, a population map, and a bibliography page. Students would have time to work on their projects in class and that way, I could answer questions and offer help to students. For students to really understand Argentina's culture, I feel like they would have to experience some of it. I could bring in artifacts such as clothing, jewelry, and even food. We could also watch videos on Argentinean culture that show rituals and ways of life.

Next, I could introduce Carlos Saavedra Lamas and tell students that he is the first person from Latin America to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. I could then give a brief history about the Nobel Peace Prize. Students could learn about the government structure in Argentina, which ties in with Saavedra Lamas since he served two terms in the Argentinean government as well as served as Argentina's foreign minister. We could also talk about the Chaco War and how it affected South American countries. The Chaco war is of significance partly because it is the first instance of large scale aerial warfare to take place in the Americas. This would also tie in with Saavedra Lamas since he was involved in mediating a treaty that ended the war. Students could pretend that they are newspaper journalists at the time of the Chaco War. They could write about the events of the war, or other happenings that were going on during that time. They could also write articles about political figures and heroes of the war, including Saavedra Lamas. I want students to have a good understanding/overview of Argentina and these proposed ideas would allow them to learn about geography, culture, climate, government, and aspects of war. I would be able to assess students' knowledge by looking at their completed report booklets and newspaper articles.

__**References**__ http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1936/lamas.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Saavedra_Lamas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buenos_Aires http://www.geographia.com/argentina/buenosaires/index.htm