This article presents two detailed excerpts from two thematic curriculum units. The units offer various lessons, based on cultural knowledge, using language and children's literature of France and Mexico. The units came about as a result of a 10-day institute during the summer of 1996 at Iowa State University in which forty applicants from across the U.S. participated.#Standards #ClassroomExamples #HighSchool #All5Cs #Teachers and teaching #JournalArticle #Middle/JrHigh #Teachers and teaching #Spanish #French #Curriculum #LearnersandLearning #Principalfocus #Elementary