Time Frame: 5 weeks
In this unit, students will:
Compare and contrast the forms of government in Latin America.
Analyze the different economic systems in Latin America.
Describe trade in Latin America.
Describe economic factor in Latin America.
Explain the impact of location, climate, distribution of natural resource, and population distribution on Latin America.
Standards:
a. Explain citizen participation in autocratic, and democratic governments. [i.e. the role of citizens in choosing the leaders of Mexico (presidential democracy), Cuba (autocratic), and Brazil (presidential democracy)].
b. Describe the two predominant forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential.
a. Compare how traditional, command, and market economies answer the economic questions of 1-what to produce, 2-how to produce, and 3-for whom to produce.
b. Explain that countries have a mixed economic system located on a continuum between pure market and pure command.
c. Compare and contrast the basic types of economic systems found in Mexico, Cuba, and Brazil.
a. Explain how specialization encourages trade between countries.
b. Compare and contrast different types of trade barriers, such as tariffs, quotas, and embargos.
c. Explain why international trade requires a system for exchanging currencies between nations.
d. Explain the functions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
a. Evaluate how literacy rates affect the standard of living.
b. Explain the relationship between investment in human capital (education and training) andgross domestic product (GDP per capita).
c. Explain the relationship between investment in capital goods (factories, machinery, and technology) and gross domestic product (GDP per capita).
d. Describe the role of natural resources in a country’s economy.
e. Describe the role of entrepreneurship.
a. Explain how the location, climate, and distribution of natural resources impact trade and affect where people live in Mexico, Brazil, and Cuba.
a. Explain the causes and effects of air pollution in Mexico City, Mexico.
b. Explain the environmental issue destruction of the rain forest in Brazil.