South America Today: Argentina: Teacher’s
Guide
Grade Level: 7–12
Curriculum Focus: Social Studies
Lesson Duration: Three class periods
Program Description
South America Today: Argentina —This tour de force of Argentina's geography, political history,
culture, and natural resources begins with an overview of the country’s geographic regions. It then
focuses on the temperate pampas (grasslands) region, where the nomadic life of the gaucho, or
cowboy, gave way to cattle ranches, then to farms, industry, and cities. The program describes the
cultural and political legacies from the Spanish colonial past, the seven-year struggle for
independence, and early years of civil war and military government. A more democratic time in
the late nineteenth and early twentieth century attracted massive immigration from Europe.
Populist leader Juan Perón united the common people in the mid-twentieth century, as the
government alternated between military and civilian rule. Tours of Patagonia, a region rich in
wildlife, the Andes Mountains, rich in minerals and hydroelectric power, and the northern Gran
Chaco region culminate in a discussion of today's challenges – overcoming economic instability,
preserving the environment, and developing natural resources.
Discussion Questions
•
What are the geographic regions of Argentina?
•
How has the government of Argentina changed since colonial times?
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What are the natural resources of Argentina, and how are they used?
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How have immigrants contributed to Argentina's culture?
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Identify the geographic regions, natural resources, and major products of Argentina.
•
Describe how the government of Argentina has changed from colonial times to the present.
•
Write a report about a geographic region of Argentina and its natural resources.
Materials
•
South America Today: Argentina video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player, or access to the
program in downloadable or streaming format online
South America Today: Argentina: Teacher’s Guide
•
Computer with Internet access
•
A globe
•
Print resources about the geography, climate, resources, and wildlife of Argentina; Spanish
colonial Argentina; José de San Martín and the struggle for independence; the tango; Juan
Perón; and modern Argentine people, places, and customs
2
Procedures
1. Review with the class the location of Argentina. (Argentina is bordered on the north by Bolivia,
Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil and on the west by Chile.) Use a globe to explain why the
climate in Argentina is the reverse of the climate in North America. List the four geographic
regions of Argentina on the chalkboard (Gran Chaco, temperate grasslands, Patagonia, and the
Andes Mountains) and ask students to recall visual and verbal details from the program about
each region. Record their answers on the board.
2. Ask students to recall and describe events and eras in Argentina's history. Compile a timeline to
record their answers. The following eras and events are covered in the program.
•
Arrival of horses and cattle from Spain (early 1500s)
•
Spanish colonial era (early 1500s to early 1800s)
•
Independence from Spain (1810–1817)
•
Civil war and military dictatorship (1810 to about 1860)
•
Democracy and immigration period (from about 1860–1930)
•
Alternating military and civilian rule (1930 to present)
•
Rule of Juan Perón (1943–53; 1973–75)
•
Argentina today
3. Ask students to choose one region of Argentina. Challenge them to learn more about the region:
its location, geography, natural resources, history, and culture. Have them consider these
questions: How does the region's location affect its climate? What are the region's natural and
human resources? What happened in the region during Spanish colonial times and other eras in
Argentine history? What are the major economic activities in the region today?
4. Have students research the region they have chosen using print and Web resources. The
following Web sites are good starting points:
•
World Factbook: Argentina
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ar.html
•
U.S. Department of State: Background Note—Argentina
http://state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26516.htm
•
Journey to Planet Earth: Country Profiles—Argentina
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South America Today: Argentina: Teacher’s Guide
3
http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/profiles/argentina.html
•
Argentina: An Introduction
http://www.geographia.com/argentina/index.html
•
The Living Edens: Patagonia, Argentina
http://www.pbs.org/edens/patagonia/index.htm
•
Land of the Living Wind
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0401/feature3
•
Big Ice in Patagonia
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0408/feature4
•
Iguazú Falls
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/articles/1091argentina.html
•
Arid Chaco
http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/nt/nt0701_full.html
•
El Sur del Sur (The Southernmost South): The Way We Are
http://surdelsur.com/somos/indexingles.html
5. When students have completed their initial research, ask them to summarize their findings by
drawing a map or writing a one-page report.
6. Have students form teams with students who are reporting on different regions. Ask each team
to arrange and present reports that cover the entire country. Each team's reports should include
at least two examples of the region's natural resources and how they are used.
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson.
•
3 points: Students were highly engaged in class discussions; produced complete reports,
including all of the requested information; accurately described the region, and cited two
examples of natural resources.
•
2 points: Students participated in class discussions; produced adequate reports, including
most of the requested information; satisfactorily described the region, and cited one
example of a natural resource.
•
1 point: Students participated minimally in class discussions; created incomplete reports
with little or none of the requested information; were not able to describe the region or cite
examples of natural resources.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
South America Today: Argentina: Teacher’s Guide
Vocabulary
altiplano "al-ti-'plä-(")nO
Definition: A very high plateau
Context: Argentina shares an altiplano with Bolivia.
bohemian
Definition: Having to do with an unconventional or vagabond way of life
Context: Like most big cities, Buenos Aires has a bohemian area where artists live.
bola
Definition: A cord with weights attached, used for roping animals
Context: The gauchos of Argentina are skilled in throwing the bola.
continental
Definition: Having to do with the customs and culture of Europe
Context: Because of its immigrant history, Buenos Aires has a continental way of life.
estancia -stän syä
Definition: A large cattle ranch or estate in South America
Context: The gauchos of the wild frontier period settled down to work on large estancias.
gaucho
Definition: A cowhand of the South American grasslands
Context: Like the cowboy in the United States, the gaucho is a symbol of the frontier past.
guanaco gw&-'nä-(")kO
Definition: An Andean mammal related to the llama
Context: Guanacos are wilder than their relatives, the llamas.
melancholy
Definition: A thoughtful or somewhat sad mood
Context: Tango music often conveys melancholy and romance.
pampas
Definition: Grasslands
Context: As on the Great Plains of the United States, large quantities of wheat and cattle are
raised on the pampas.
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4
South America Today: Argentina: Teacher’s Guide
5
populism
Definition: A political philosophy that claims to represent the common people
Context: Juan Perón used the appeal of populism to rise to power.
stereotype
Definition: A commonly held overgeneralization about a person or group
Context: Argentina does not fit most stereotypes about Latin America.
Academic Standards
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit http://www.mcrel.org/.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
•
Social Studies—Historical Understanding: Understands and knows how to analyze
chronological relations and patterns
•
Geography—Places and Regions: Understands that culture and experience influence
people's perceptions of places and regions
•
Geography—Human Systems Understands the nature, distribution, and migrations of
human populations on Earth's surface
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
NCSS has developed national guidelines for teaching social studies. To become a member of NCSS,
or to view the standards online, go to http://www.socialstudies.org
This lesson plan addresses the following thematic standards:
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Culture
•
Time, Continuity, and Change
•
People, Places, and Environments
•
Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
•
Power, Authority, and Government
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South America Today: Argentina: Teacher’s Guide
6
National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE)
The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) provides 18 national geography standards
that the geographically informed person knows and understands. To view the standards online, go
to http://www.ncge.org/publication/tutorial/standards/.
This lesson plan addresses the following NCGE standard.
•
Human Systems—Standard 10: The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's
cultural mosaics
History
The National Center for History in the Schools at the University of California at Los Angeles has
developed history standards under the guidance of the National Council for History Standards. The
standards were developed with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the
U.S. Department of Education. To view the standards online, go to
http://www.ssnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/#TOC.
This lesson plan addresses the following standards:
•
chronological thinking
•
historical analysis and interpretation
Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
•
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
Credit
Judith Conaway, curriculum writer, editor, and instructional designer
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.