1. Mexico
Lesson 1

2. Do Now

3. Essential Questions
1) What are the physical and political features of Mexico?
2) How have the people of Mexico adapted to its climate and vegetation?

4. Lesson #1 Vocabulary Vocabulary isthmus Peninsula Tierra caliente
Define the vocabulary:
Vocabulary
isthmus
Peninsula
Tierra caliente
Tierra templada
Tierra fria
Frost
plateau
sierra

5. Isthmus
A small strip of land, with water on both sides that connects two larger areas of land.

6. Peninsula
A Piece of land that is mostly surrounded by water.

7. Tierra Caliente
A climate term used in Mexico meaning “hot land”.

8. Tierra templada
A climate term used in Mexico meaning “temperate land”.

9. Tierra fria
A climate term used in Mexico meaning “cold land”.

12. frost
A covering of tiny ice crystals that form on a surface when dew or water vapor freezes

13. Sierra
A chain of mountains whose peaks look like the edge of a saw.

14. Plateau
A high, flat area of land

15. What are the physical and political features of Mexico? (p. 172-174)
LANDFORMS (10)
BODIES OF WATER (6)
CLIMATE (3)
Don’t Do These
CITIES (11)
BORDERS(3)
OTHER INTERESTING FACTS (3)

16. LANDFORMS (10) Isthmus of Tehuantepec Baja California
Plateau of Mexico
Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Oriental
Sierra Madre del Sur
Popocatepetl
Senora Desert
Yucatán Peninsula
Rain Forest
Beaches
Islands

17. BODIES OF WATER (6)
Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte)
Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of California
Caribbean Sea
Bay of Campeche

18. CITIES (11) Mexico City * Cancun Guadalajara * Acapulco
Tijuana * Puebla
Mexicali *Veracruz
Ciudad Juarez
Monterrey

19. BORDERS(3)
United States
Belize
Guatemala

20. Interesting Facts Mexico has 31 states. Cancun is a tourist spot.
Volcanoes start in Mexico because the movement of tectonic plates.

21. What are the physical and political features of Mexico?
LANDFORMS (10)
Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Baja California
Plateau of Mexico
Sierra Madre Occidental
Sierra Madre Oriental
Sierra Madre del Sur
Popocatepetl
Senora Desert
Yucatán Peninsula
Rain Forest
BODIES OF WATER (6)
Rio Grande (Rio Grande del Norte)
Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of California
Caribbean Sea
Bay of Campeche
CLIMATE (3 DESCRIBE)
CITIES (11)
Mexico City * Cancun
Guadalajara * Acapulco
Tijuana * Puebla
Mexicali *Veracruz
Ciudad Juarez
Monterrey
BORDERS(3)
United States
Belize
Guatemala
OTHER INTERESTING FACTS (3)
Answers will vary

22. Do Now

23. What are the different climate zones in Mexico?
Read pages
Complete the main idea chart for Mexico with a partner.

24. tierra caliente Hot land Elevation sea level to 3,000 feet Hot summers
Mild winters
No frost

25. tierra templada Temperate land Elevations between 3,000 and 6,000 feet
Average temperature is between 80F and 50F.
Most of Mexico’s farms are in this area.
Most of its people live in this zone.

26. tierra fria Cold land Elevation above 6,000 feet
Temperatures are not real cold or real hot.
Frost is unusual in areas below 8,000 feet.
The highest mountains peak are colder and covered with snow all year-round.

27. On the last page (back) in your notebook: Summarization Activity
Ticket out the door
Explain the major climate zones in Mexico. Give at least 2 details for each type of climate zone.
Write this in paragraph form.
The three major climate zones in Mexico are

28. Summarization Activity
Dear Mr. Fisher Letter:
Tell me what important facts you know about the geography of Mexico. Be as specific as you can be.