Transcript Amazon River, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean

LATIN AMERICA’S PHYSICAL FEATURES
SS6G1 The student will locate the selected features of Latin
America on a political-physical map: Amazon River, Caribbean
Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Andes
Mountains, Sierra Mountains, Atacama Desert.
AMAZON RIVER
 The Amazon River is the second
longest river in the world. It flows
primarily through the South
American country of Brazil. It
carries the greatest volume of
water of any river in the world.
The river supports one of the
world’s most valuable resources –
the Amazon Rain Forest. This
massive area is known as the lungs
of the earth due to all the oxygen
the trees produce. Additionally, it is
home to a large variety of plants
and animals. Many indigenous
tribes live in the region as well,
some who have never seen the
outside world and still live like
their ancestors did.
AMAZON RAIN FOREST
Jungle Fauna
Minerals of the Amazon Region
Amethyst
Quartz
Diamonds
Bauxite
CARIBEAN SEA
 The Caribbean Sea is an arm of
the Atlantic Ocean between
Cuba and South America.
Islands in the Caribbean Sea are
popular tourist destinations
because of their beautiful
beaches and tropical climate.
ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA
The Caribbean islands were formed by the collision of two
tectonic plates. One plate is slipping beneath the other,
which results in land being pushed up through the water.
There was also volcanic activity from the collision that
helped form the islands.
The Caribbean islands are called the West Indies to correct
the name, Indies, mistakenly given by Christopher
Columbus. Columbus thought he had reached the Indies of
Asia.
GULF OF MEXICO
 The Gulf of Mexico is another
arm of the Atlantic Ocean
cradled by Mexico and the
southern U.S. coastline from
Texas to Florida. The Mississippi
and the Rio Grande are major
rivers that empty into the Gulf
of Mexico.
PACIFIC OCEAN
 The Pacific Ocean is the largest
and the deepest of the world’s
five oceans. It is larger than the
total land area of the world!
PANAMA CANAL
 The Panama Canal is a canal built
through the Isthmus of Panama
to allow ships to travel easily
between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans. It saves thousands of
miles of travel from going from
New York City to San Francisco.
 This engineering masterpiece is
considered one of the seven
wonders of the modern world!
The Panama Canal
The canal zone is located in a rain forest, where thousands of plants and animals thrive.
Lake Gatun, a huge man-made lake found in the center of the canal, is a popular with
tourists. . One can stay in a floating hotel and guests have been known to jump off the
second story roof into the water. Tours of Monkey Island depart daily. Watch out,
though, as the monkeys love to grab shiny objects and rarely give them back!
Going Through One of the Locks of the
Panama Canal
ANDES MOUNTAINS
 The Andes Mountains is a chain
of mountains along the western
edge of South America. It’s the
longest continuous mountain
range in the world!
Llamas, while related to camels, were never
used as pack animals by the native peoples.
Like camels, when mad, they can project
their spit great distances to show their
disapproval.
Andes Mountains
Elevation trumps latitude when it comes to climate in the Andes Mountains. In Ecuador,
which is named after the equator that runs through the country, the city of Quito is not hot
at all. This is due to its location high up in the Andes Mountains.
MACHU PICHU
High up in the Andes Mountains is the royal retreat of the Inca, the ruler
of the mighty Incan Empire.The Andes Mts. were no match for this
industrious indigenous people who are known for their great engineering
feats. This is just one example of their human capital at work!
SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS
 The Sierra Madre Mountains is
the main mountain range in
Mexico. It has three major
chains, including the Sierra
Madre Occidental in the west,
the Sierra Madre Oriental in
the east, and the Sierra Madre
del Sur along the southern
coast.
Who are our Spanish speakers?
Can you tell us what the following words mean?
sierra, madre, occidental, oriental, del sur
SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS
 The major economic activities
.
are agriculture and forestry.
Mining of silver is also one of the
ways that people make a living in
the Sierra Madre.
 Eco-tourism is picking up in this
region. Going off-road in the
Sierra Madre mountains is a great
chance to see everyday Mexican
villages off the beaten track,
whether you go by Jeep, fourwheel drive or mountain bike.
Zip-lining and rappelling down a
waterfall are options as well.
ATACAMA DESERT
The Atacama Desert is
considered the driest place
on earth. Its formation is
due to the weather
condition known as a rain
shadow.
Due to similarities between the Atacama
Desert and the moon’s surface, NASA has
used the desert’s terrain to test drive
their ATVs.
Because of its crystal clear skies, high
elevation and lack of light pollution,
astronomers have set up numerous
telescopes in the Atacama Desert to peer
into the heavens.
IF GIVEN THE CHANCE,
WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
 Using the information presented in the ppt AND a fact or two you’ve
researched on your own, create a postcard about an imaginary trip/experience
to a Latin American destination.
Requirements
1.
2.
While your experience is imaginary, your facts should not be. Please include
at least 4 facts. Weave the facts into your letter. Do NOT say “did you
know,,,,” “let me tell you….” “one fact about the Amazon River is….”
Whether or not you use a real address, make sure it is set up
correctly.
3.
The postcard should start with a opening salutation and end with a
closing remark, too.
4.
Your picture should be colorful, neat, and show knowledge of the
material. Do NOT draw in regular pencil.