Materials

• Pictures, slides, and/or videos that illustrate various aspects of Latin American economy

Instructional Activities

1. Review the content from the previous session.
   
   
2. Ask students to define the factors that contribute to the economy of a region or nation. Guide discussion by suggesting natural resources and land use.
   
   
3. NOTE: This may take more than one class session. Ask students to describe factors that contribute to the economy of Latin America. After some discussion, display the following characteristics, and encourage students to respond to the questions or statements listed. Provide resource materials in the class, or have students use the media center or computer lab to answer these questions. Another option is to assign certain questions to different groups and to allow the groups to report the answers to the class. Review the answers with the class by displaying pictures, slides, and/or videos that illustrate the answers or by providing additional information to enhance content understanding.
   • Subsistence farming. What crops are grown?
   • Plantation agriculture. What is the difference between subsistence farming and plantation agriculture?
   • Slash and burn agriculture. Define this process
   • Cash crops and food crops. Define the term cash crops, and identify products Latin America sells domestically and internationally.
   • Haciendas. How do these differ from American homes?
   • Cattle ranges, gauchos. Compare these to the image of the American cattle and cowboy.
   • Deforestation. What is causing this? What problem does it create for Latin America? What problem does it create for the world?
   • Destruction of rain forests. What is causing this? What problem does it create for Latin America? What problem does it create for the world?
   • Oil resources in Venezuela, Mexico, and Ecuador. How much oil do these countries have available? Who is their biggest customer? Who is their biggest competitor?
   • Heavy smog, pollution in Mexico City. What physical features contribute to the smog problem in Mexico City? What human activities make it worse?
   • Disparity of income distribution. Describe what this means. Illustrate the disparity with facts obtained from atlases or the Internet.
   • North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). What countries are parties to this agreement? How do these countries work together through NAFTA?
   • Diverse mineral resources, e.g., copper in Chile, iron ore in Venezuela and Brazil. How are these minerals extracted? What are their uses? Are these resources considered renewable or non-renewable?