UNIT 8

SOUTH AMERICA

Miranda, Joshua M.
ARGOSY COLLEGIATE
Course: Grade 7 Global Literacy
School Year: 2016-2017
Unit Name: Time:
South America 4 How does the continent of Europes geography, climate, and
WEEKS
STANDARDS
Massachusetts Framework Standards
SAM.1 On a map of the world, locate South America and the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans. On a map of South America, locate the Amazon,
the Andes Mountains, Cape Horn, and the southern, northern, eastern,
and western regions of South America. (G)
SAM.2 Use a map key to locate the countries and major cities of South
America. (G, E)
SAM.3 Explain how the following five factors have influenced
settlement and the economies of major South American countries. (G,
E)
A. absolute and relative locations
B. climate
C. major physical characteristics
D. major natural resources
E. population size
SAM.4 Identify when South American countries became independent
nations and explain how independence was achieved. (H, G).
O1 Describe major ethnic and religious groups in selected countries in
South America. (G, H, E)
O2 Describe the major obstacles to economic development in many
South American nations, including the political influence of the
military, corrupt government, the lack of widespread education, and the
absence of stable governments. (G, H, C, E)
O3 Describe the general level of education in selected South American
countries and its relationship to the economy. (G, H, E)
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
natural resources affect the way people live and work
throughout its countries?
United States Common Core Standards
RH.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary
and secondary sources.
RH.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct
from prior knowledge or opinions
RH.6: Identify aspects of a text that reveal an authors point of
view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance
of particular facts)
RH.7: Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs,
photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print
and digital texts.
WHST.1: Write arguments focused on discipline-specific
content.
a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and
distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate
data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or
text, using credible sources.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify
the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and
supports the argument presented
Course: Grade 7 Global Literacy
School Year: 2016-2017
ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS
FOCUS QUESTIONS
1. How has geography affected
cultural, economic and political
developments in Latin America?
2. What were the social, cultural,
economic and religious
circumstances for the majority of
Latin American countries while
under colonial rule?
3. Why have many Latin American
nations continued to struggle both
politically and economically since
gaining independence?
4. Has sharing a common religion
helped to unify the region?
5. What are some current challenges
facing many nations in Latin
America and in what ways does it
impact the United States?
UNDERSTANDINGS
Latin America is a region south of the United States. It is divided into three sub
regions, Mexico and Central America, The Caribbean, and South America each with
its own countries and culture
Mountains, coastal plains, deserts, rivers, highlands, and rainforests are the main
physical features that support the regions of Latin America.
Latin America has a wide range of climate regions that depend on elevation,
nearness to the equator, and wind patterns.
Latin Americas resources include minerals, good farmland, forests, and fish.
Mayas, Incans, and Aztec are the native civilizations of Latin America. They made
many contributions to human society.
Europeans came to the Americas to spread Christianity, gain wealth, and expand
their empires.
Colonization of Latin America brought disease and the enslavement of the Native
Americas and led to the importation of enslaved Africans.
A new religion, language, and a major decrease in native populations were the
consequences of the colonization of Latin America by Spain and Portugal.
In the 1800s, Latin American colonies began to fight for their independence. They
were led by several important leaders including Toussaint LOuverture, Father
Miguel Hidalgo, and Simon Bolivar.
Latin America faced many challenges after independence including rise of dictators,
foreign debt, poverty, and social inequality.
The rise of cities, urbanization, is impacting Latin America.
Deforestation, the process of clearing forest for human use, is underway in the
Amazon Rainforest. The health of the Amazon rainforest impacts the lives of people
living in the region and the world.
Latin Americas cultural diversity is influenced by physical geography and history
Course: Grade 7 Global Literacy
School Year: 2016-2017

UNIT VOCABULARY
Llano Argentina
Guerilla tannin
cordillera navigable
Buenos Aires altiplano
Bogota quinoa
Bolivia estancia
campesino Peru
empire Inca
Andes Mountains cash crop
Ecuador llanos
Chile

ASSESSMENT
FORMATIVE SUMMATIVE
Exit Tickets Choice Project Board

Check for Understanding Paragraph Writing

Workbook Summary Writing

UNIT TEST