Students explore the government and economy of Chile, Argentina, and Peru, noting historical influences. In small groups, they do additional research on one of the countries to create a report. Finally, they consider the role of tourism in the Patagonia region and create a tourism brochure for people their age.
Students are introduced to the connection between geography and the economies of Chile, Argentina, and Peru, and review the lesson objectives. They view an image of llamas in Peru, then read an online article about llamas to learn how this animal is used in South America. Students respond to a discussion wall prompt explaining ways llamas contribute to the economy, such as transportation, wool, leather, fuel, and meat.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives, highlighting that students will investigate how history, government, and economy are related in Chile, Argentina, and Peru. After students explore the llama resource and post to the wall, prompt them to identify specific economic roles llamas play and, if needed, supply examples (transportation, wool products, hides, fuel, meat) to deepen understanding.
Students examine images of government buildings in Argentina and Chile, then use three country readings—Chile: Government and Economy, Argentina: Government and Economy, and Peru: Government and Economy—to gather information about each nation’s government and economy. They record notes in a graphic organizer comparing government structures and economic characteristics for Chile, Argentina, and Peru. Students then answer multiple-choice questions to check their understanding of exports, relative poverty, shared government features, and historical military takeovers.
Teacher MovesGuide students to the three country resources and ensure they understand how to use the graphic organizer to compare governments and economies. Circulate to support reading comprehension and accurate note-taking. After students complete the embedded questions, briefly review responses to clarify key ideas such as major exports, economic differences, the presence of elected governments, and the impact of 1970s military takeovers. Organize students into small groups and assign each group one country (Chile, Argentina, or Peru) for the next scene.
Working in small groups, students conduct more in-depth research on their assigned country (Chile, Argentina, or Peru) to create a profile of its current government and economy. They investigate internal and external conflicts, major agricultural products and industries, and key imports and exports, using teacher-provided resources such as World Bank country overviews, economic snapshots, and a video on Peru’s economy. Groups synthesize their findings into a report, which they either post directly to a discussion wall or publish using a digital presentation tool (e.g., Prezi, timeline, slide presentation, or digital poster) and share the link. Each group then presents its report to the class, explaining what they learned about their country’s government and economy.
Teacher MovesSupport groups in planning and conducting their research, helping them interpret challenging economic vocabulary and concepts in the provided resources. Encourage students to address all required aspects (conflicts, industries, imports/exports) and to organize their information clearly in their chosen presentation format. During group presentations, facilitate a class discussion by inviting questions and answers among students, prompting them to compare and contrast the three countries and to connect historical events to current governmental and economic conditions.
Students learn that Patagonia is a sparsely populated region shared by Argentina and Chile and that tourism has become an important part of its economy. They watch Why you must visit Patagonia in your lifetime to visualize the region, then research why Patagonia is a tourist destination, using sources such as Lonely Planet: Patagonia. Individually, they create a tourism brochure aimed at people their own age that includes estimated airfare from their home, length of stay and hotel costs, daily meal expenses, key sites to visit, and a map of the trip. Students post their brochures to a discussion wall (uploading images if hand-drawn), then review classmates’ brochures, select one trip they would most like to take, and discuss with a partner why it is appealing.
Teacher MovesClarify the task requirements for the Patagonia tourism brochure and model how to estimate travel, lodging, and meal costs using online information. Encourage students to incorporate both economic details and geographic features into their brochures. After students post their work, prompt them to thoughtfully evaluate peers’ brochures and guide partner or whole-class discussions about what makes certain trips attractive, reinforcing how tourism contributes to regional economies.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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