Mexico

1. Mexico Mrs. Harris7th grade

2. Outline • History (Native Groups, Spanish Conquest, Independence) • Government (System/ Leaders, Currency, Education) • Economy (Business/Industry, Trade, Jobs) • Culture (Language, Food & Music, Clothing) • Geography ( Regions, Climate, Animal Habitats) • Entertainment (Sports, Activities, Holidays) • Political Features (States, Capital, Major Cities) • Natural Resources (Plants, Bodies of Water, Minerals) • Symbols (Flag, Calendar, Pyramids) • Famous People (Artists, Writers, Other)

3. Independence Mexico became free in 1821. The United States paid $15 million to Mexico, which gave up two- fifths of its territory. Porfirio Diaz ruled as a dictator in 1910. Mexico went to war from 1846-1848. Throughout 1810- 1821 Mexican’s independence from Spain began. Spanish Conquest Spain took over Mexico in the 1500’s. Their leader was Hernando Cortez. Cortez tried to rob Mexico of its natural resources. From 1520-1720 there were no major threats. In the 19th century, Spanish rulers controlled over 550 Spanish people. Native Groups The Mayan history began around A.D.320. The Mayans are divided into 4 social groups: the Ruling Class, Priest, Craftsman, and Common Farmers. During the 16th century Aztec’s lived in southern Mexico. The Aztec have 4 ruling classes: the King, High Priest, and Merchants and the poor. History Of Mexico

4. Government Currency 1 hundred centavos = 1 peso A peso has an angel and the seal of Mexico on it. Education Mexico has a free education and public and private schools. Children ages 6 to 14 go to school. They start at 8:00 am and finish at 1:00 pm. System/Leaders The Mexican system of government has three branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. The National Anthem is God and Freedom.

5. Mexican Economy Jobs Jobs in Mexico are service industries, banking, farming, tourism, seaports, railroads, gas distribution, pottery, basket making, oil rig workers, hotel workers, government workers, and construction workers . Trade Trade in Mexico includes clothing, pottery, blankets, corn, wheat, beef, dairy products, and wood products. There is a free trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It is an agreement that says trade is free between Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Business / Industry Businesses in Mexico are seaports, railroads, airports, telecommunications, and manufacturing. Industries in Mexico are food, tobacco, iron, steel, automobiles, clothing, and more.

6. Culture Clothing Poor women wore skirts to their ankle and over sized blouses. Men wore loin cloths and a cloak called a timantli tied over their right shoulders. Upper class merchants wore there timantli tied under their chins. Wealthy women wore flowing dresses with fine jewelry and head dresses. Traditional Native clothing is hand woven cloth of cotton of wool. They are often embroidered with colorful designs and patterns. Today many people wear t-shirts, jeans, skirts, blouses, pants, and jackets. Food Tamales, chocolate, chili, peppers, and corn are the most important foods in Mexico. The foods in Mexico are mostly Spanish and French foods. Some French foods are dog and duck. One favorite food in Mexico is the taco! Language In Mexico many people speak Spanish. Other people in Mexico speak Indian.

7. Geography By Zach Morey and Quin Hart A. Regions There are ten regions in Mexico. They are: BAJA CALIFORNIA, SENORAN PLAINS, WESTERN SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS,CENTRAL PLATEAU, TROPICAL COASTAL PLAINS, CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, VOLCANIC REGIONS, SOUTHERN SIERRA MADREA MOUNTAINS, SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, YUCTAN PENINSULA . B .Climate/Weather The average summer temperature is 80ºF. The average winter temperature is 75ºF. The days are hot and nights are cold. The average rainfall is 4 to 27 days of rain a month. C. Animal Habitat Some animals in Mexico: Rabbits, Snakes, Badger, Tortoise, Gila Monster, Horned Sheep, Puma, Bats, Coatamundi, Monarch Butterfly, and Dolphins.

8. Mexican Entertainment Fiestasare big celebrations that include fireworks, dancing, and lots of food. Piñatas are big decorations that you can hit with a stick and candy and toys fall out. One of Mexico’s holidays is theDay of the Dead.People visit their loved ones that have died. Family members go to the graves and bring flowers and make candy with names of loved ones on it. Sports Soccer, bullfighting baseball, and volleyball are the favorite sports in Mexico. Socceris called futball. The Mexican Futball Stadium holds about 100,000 fans. Charreriais another Mexican sport. It is a lot like the rodeo. Charrosare cowboys who compete in the event.

9. MEXICO CITY Mexico City is the largest city in the world. Spending one day in Mexico City is like smoking three packs of cigarettes. One in every four Mexicans live there. It is the oldest city in North America. It was established in 1521. It was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan. MAJOR CITIES Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico. Many beautiful homes and churches are located here. Guadalajara has one major university. Monteray is the third largest city. It has three universities. Puebla, Veracruz, Taxco, Acapulco, Oaxaca, Dores Hidalgo, and Chihuahua are also large cities located in Mexico. Political Features There are 31 states in Mexico.They are: Aguascalientes, Baja California Norte, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Colima, Coahuila, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisko, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Sonora, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Louis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, and Zacatecas.

10. Natural Resources Minerals Mexico has many minerals. Some are oil, copper, lead, zinc, sulfur, manganese and uranium. They also have silver, gold, natural gas, petroleum, steel, coal and precious metals. Plants Mexico has many types of plants. Some of the plants are Cactus, Yucca, Aswabas, Mascot Grass, Fruit Trees, Agave, Timber, Bromeliad Flower, and Yellow Orchid. Bodies Of Water Lake Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico. Other bodies of water are the Pasteur and Rio Grande Rivers. They fish along the Pacific Coast. Other bodies of water in Mexico are the Gulf of Mexico, the Bay of Campeche, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Tehuantepec.

11. Symbols Aztec Calendar The Mexican Flag The Aztec calendar was carved from rock in 1479. People used to call the calendar an eagle bowl. It weighs almost 25 tons! It is about 12 feet wide. The Aztec calendar has a 365 day cycle, and 260 day ritual cycle. Green=Hope White=Faith Red=Love The symbolon the flag comes from an Aztec legend. This legend advised the people that the place where they should establish their town is where they find an eagle eating asnake on a cactus. Pyramids A very famous pyramid is the Pyramid of the Sun. It is 320 feet high. All pyramids usually have four walls that come to a point at the top. People usually build pyramids to honor their gods.

12. Artists There are many artists in Mexico that make beautiful pottery, paintings, and other types of art. The first artist is Frida Kahlo. She does paintings of herself. Her husband is Diego Rivera. Diego Rivera is a famous artist, too. He does paintings and sometimes pottery. Leaders Pancho Villa was a famous leader in Mexico. Miguel Hidalgo was a professor and then was given rank of Captain in the Mexican army. Famous People Writers Mexico is home to many famous writers. Most Mexican writers tell stories and legends about Mexico. Carlos Fuentes writes stories about himself and other people. of Mexico

13. Do you remember what we learned? Write one sentence to identify or describe each picture from the lesson.