Challenge 1: Learning About the Physical Geography of Latin America

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1 Challenge 1: Learning About the Physical Geography of Latin America 120 W Mexican Plateau Tropic of Cancer 110 W 10 0W Rio Grande 90 W 80 W 70 W 60 W 50 W 40 W 30 W Gulf of Mexico Tropic of Cancer Sierra Madre Occidental Isthmus of Panama Yucatán Peninsula Caribbean Sea A T L A N T I C O C E A N Amazon River 0 Equator Amazon Basin Equator 0 P A C I F I C O C E A N Lake Titicaca Andes Mountains Atacama Desert Brazilian Highlands N W E Pampas ,000 miles S ,000 kilometers Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection A T L A N T I C O C E A N Cape Horn 150 W 140 W 130 W 60 S 120 W 110 W 100 W 90 W 80 W 70 W 60 W 50 W 40 W 30 W 20 W 10 W 0 60 S Teachers Curriculum Institute Latin America 1

2 Challenge 2: Learning About the Human Geography of Latin America 120 W 110 W 110W 100 W 100W 90 W 90W 80 W 80W 70 W 70W 60 W 60W 50 W 50W 40 W 40W 30 W 30W Tropic of Cancer Mexico Guatemala EL SALVADOR BELIZE JAMAICA HONDURAS NICARAGUA Panama Costa Rica Cuba THE BAHAMAS Haiti Colombia Puerto Rico (U.S.) Dominican Republic Venezuela TRINIDAD & TOBAGO A T L A N T I C O C E A N GUYANA SURINAME Tropic of Cancer French Guiana (France) 0 Equator Galápagos Is. (Ecuador) Ecuador Equator 0 Peru B r a z i l P A C I F I C O C E A N Bolivia PARAGUAY W N S E Chile Argentina URUGUAY A T L A N T I C O C E A N ,000 miles ,000 kilometers Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection Falkland Islands 150 W 150W 60 S 60S 140 W 140W 130 W 130W 120 W 120W 110 W 110W 100 W 100W 90 W 90W 80 W 80W 70 W 70W 60 W 60W 50 W 50W 40 W 40W 30 W 30W 20 W 20W 10 W 10W S 60S Teachers Curriculum Institute Latin America 2

3 Challenge 3: Using Geography Skills to Answer Where? Question Circle the thematic map you used. Then answer the question in complete sentences. The Andes Mountains run through the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Broadleaf evergreen forest is the most common type of vegetation in Latin America. Brazil has the most land with that type of vegetation. Mexico City is the most populated city in Latin America north of the equator. Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro are the most populated cities south of the equator. Petroleum is the most abundant resource in Latin America, north of the equator. Mexico and Venezuela are the two countries with the most petroleum. The Isthmus of Panama is located near latitude and 80 W longitude. It is in the country of Panama. The countries Guyana and Suriname and the territory French Guiana (France) have the lowest overall population density in Latin America. Chile has all five of these climate zones Peru and Chile are the two countries with the most desert vegetation. Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia are the four with the most desert scrub vegetation. Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama lie southeast of Mexico and northwest of Colombia. In those countries, the land is used for commercial and subsistence farming. The main climate zone of the two largest islands that lie just north or south of latitude is tropical wet and dry. The three countries on these islands are Cuba, Haiti, and Dominican Republic. Teachers Curriculum Institute Latin America 3

4 Challenge 4: Using Geography Skills to Answer Why There? Question 1 Circle the thematic map you used. Then answer the question in complete sentences. Most of the precious metals in Latin America are found in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. All of these countries have lots of mountains. 2 3 The following physical and economic factors help explain why Paraguay has one of the poorest economies of Latin American countries south of the equator: Nearly half its land has little or no economic activity. It has no significant resources. It has no direct access to the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico have the most land devoted to livestock raising. Brazil might be best for livestock raising because it has both tropical grassland vegetation and a tropical wet and dry climate. Argentina has lots of temperate grassland, but like Mexico, much of its climate is arid or semiarid, which means very little water. 4 Over 8 million people live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buenos Aires is in an area where there is trade and manufacturing, providing lots of jobs. Large areas of commercial farming and livestock raising surround it, so there is plenty of food grown and raised nearby. It has a humid subtropical climate, which is not an extreme climate for people to live in. 5 Managua, Nicaragua is one good choice. There are enough local people to hire as workers. The area has precious metal resources and easy access to the Pacific Ocean for shipping to Asia, as well as to the Isthmus of Panama and the Panama Canal for access to the Atlantic Ocean and Europe. 6 I think this person lives in Cuba because Havana, Cuba s major city, has 1 4 million people. The land in Cuba is primarily used for commercial farming, though there is also commercial fishing off its coastline. Cuba is an island and thus has thousands of miles of coastline. It has no high mountains. The climate in Cuba is tropical wet and dry. Teachers Curriculum Institute Latin America 4

5 Challenge 5: Using Maps to Analyze a Field Photograph Research Station Location A (27 north, 105 west) Location B (3 south, 65 west) Location C (15 south, 72 west) Physical Features located on Mexican Plateau located between Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental elevation between 5,000 and 10,000 feet located in Amazon basin, near Amazon River located near equator elevation below 1,000 feet located in Andes Mountains elevation over 10,000 feet Climate Zones located in semiarid climate zone located in tropical wet climate zone located in highlands climate zone Vegetation Zones located in desert scrub vegetation zone located in broadleaf evergreen forest vegetation zone located in highlands vegetation zone Population Density population density 10 to 50 people per square mile population density 1 to 10 people per square mile population density 1 to 10 people per square mile near urban center of Cuzco, 1 to 4 million people Economic Activity livestock raising precious metals and iron nearby subsistence farming forestry nearby natural gas close by little or no activity precious metals fairly close Teachers Curriculum Institute Latin America 5

6 Challenge 5: Using Maps to Analyze a Field Photograph We think the field photograph best matches Location B. Supporting-evidence statements: 1. From the physical features map, we learned that this location is very close to the Amazon River. In the field photograph, we see men dragging a boat, which could be to use in the river. 2. From the climate zones map, we learned that this location is in a tropical wet climate. In the field photograph, we see humid climate. men wearing shorts, which would be appropriate clothing for a hot, 3. From the vegetation zones map, we learned that this location vegetation zone. is in a broadleaf evergreen forest In the field photograph, we see plants or trees with very large, green leaves. 4. From the population density map, we learned that this location between 1 and 10 people per square mile. has a population density of In the field photograph, we see about a dozen men around the boat, but no indication of other people. Teachers Curriculum Institute Latin America 6