Regions of Latin America

(1) History. The student understands how geography and processes of spatial exchange (diffusion) influenced events in the past and helped to shape the present. The student is expected to (A) analyze the effects of physical and human geographic patterns and processes on the past and describe their impact on the present, including significant physical features and environmental conditions that influenced migration patterns and shaped the distribution of culture groups today; and Readiness Standard

(14) Government. The student understands the processes that influence political divisions, relationships, and policies. The student is expected to (B) compare how democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, republic, theocracy, and totalitarian systems operate in specific countries; and Supporting Standard

(5) Geography. The student understands how political, economic, and social processes shape cultural patterns and characteristics in various places and regions. The student is expected to (A) analyze how the character of a place is related to its political, economic, social, and cultural elements; and Readiness Standard

(6) Geography. The student understands the types, patterns, and processes of settlement. The student is expected to (B) explain the processes that have caused changes in settlement patterns, including urbanization, transportation, access to and availability of resources, and economic activities. Readiness Standard

(9) Geography. The student understands the concept of region as an area of Earth’s surface with related geographic characteristics. The student is expected to (A) identify physical and/or human factors such as climate, vegetation, language, trade networks, political units, river systems, and religion that constitute a region; and Readiness Standard

(17) Culture. The student understands the distribution, patterns, and characteristics of different cultures. The student is expected to (A) describe and compare patterns of culture such as language, religion, land use, education, and customs that make specific regions of the world distinctive; Readiness Standard

(18) Culture. The student understands the ways in which cultures change and maintain continuity. The student is expected to (A) analyze cultural changes in specific regions caused by migration, war, trade, innovations, and diffusion; Readiness Standard (C) identify examples of cultures that maintain traditional ways, including traditional economies; and Supporting Standard

(12) Economics. The student understands the economic importance of, and issues related to, the location and management of resources. The student is expected to (A) analyze how the creation, distribution, and management of key natural resources affects the location and patterns of movement of products, money, and people; and Readiness Standard

Key questions:

1. How has spatial diffusion created the pattern of culture groups in the region today?

2. How do countries in the region compare to other regions of the world economically and demographically?

3. What events led to the present government systems in the region?

4. How have urbanization and transportation improvements changed the region?

5. How have the availability and use of natural resources affected the region economically and environmentally? OVER for more Procedure: Students will research their assigned region of Latin America and create a poster to display their results. Your poster needs to answer the Key Questions: You can use maps, charts, graphs, pictures, and text to answer the questions.

1. How has spatial diffusion created the pattern of culture groups in the region today? a. What groups were there prior to 1492 b. What groups have come since – who, why – think Europeans, Africans c. How have the groups interacted culturally – architecture, food, music, religion d. What is it like today

2. How do countries in the region compare to other regions of the world economically and demographically? a. Richer, poorer, or the same, and why b. More or less educated c. Birth rates/death rates and population growth d. Use the population data sheet to find the answers.

3. What events led to the present government systems in the region? a. An annotated timeline that covers the last 2000 years would be nice – just hit the highlights/most important events

4. How have urbanization and transportation improvements changed the region? a. Think Panama Canal, Interoceanic highway, or cruise lines/airplanes in the islands b. Where do people live in your region (what areas are densely populated – mountains, plateaus, coast?) How is this related to the location of natural resources?

5. How have the availability and use of natural resources affected the region economically and environmentally? a. What resources are available in your region b. Who benefits from them c. Does the use of the resources damage the environment -how

South America http://geography.howstuffworks.com/south-america/geography-of-south-america.htm/printable http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/05/tunneling-through-andes/1615717/

Caribbean http://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/bookhub/2657?e=berglee_1.0-ch05_s04

Central America http://www.cotf.edu/earthinfo/camerica/CAmain.html click through the links on the left to read about Central America http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/panamacanal.htm

Mexico http://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/bookhub/2657?e=berglee_1.0-ch05_s04#berglee_1.0-ch05_s02

OVER for more For all regions Rebels Library>Online Resources>Encyclopedia Britannica Log in, then choose Middle School level. Search for “Latin America” In the choices that appear, choose the first one – Latin America At the beginning of the article, there are links to the 4 regions of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the West Indies (Caribbean). Choose your assigned region, click the appropriate link, and then read all about it. Use the links on the left side of the page to see the various sections.

Online book, choose the section you need http://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/bookhub/reader/2657?e=berglee_1.0-ch05_s04

Rubric

A: answers all questions thoroughly and completely; includes a combination of 10 maps, charts, graphs, and pictures that represent the regional diversity of the assigned region and illustrate the answers to the questions; no factual errors; no grammatical mistakes; organized design and layout that is creative and attractive.

B: answers the questions with few details; includes 8-10 maps, charts, etc; 1-2 factual errors; grammatical mistakes; layout not attractive or organized.

C: attempts to answer all the questions; includes 6-8 maps, charts, etc; 3+ factual errors; grammatical mistakes; no thought in layout; little attention to neatness.