Unit: Civilizations in the Americas

Lesson Title: The Geography of the Americas(See textbook pages 384-386)

What do we already know aboutthe Americas and their land?

Our study will focus on Mesoamerica and eastern South America from 12,000 BC to AD 1537.

We will mostly study three civilizations:the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan.

Two continents—North And South America—make up the region called the Americas.

And we are sitting in which continent?

The North American continent has highmountains, desert plateaus, plains and forest.

The northern part of the continent is cold and icy.

Mesoamerica is in the southern part of North America. It includes the southern part of Mexicoand parts of Central America.

Rain forests cover parts of this region. Fertile mountain valleys, rivers, and warm climates make Mesoamerica good for farming.

South America has high mountains running along its western shore. A narrow desert lies between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean .

The Amazon region, a huge, hot, and wet rain forest, lies to the east of the mountains.

The Geography of the Americas played an important role in the development of early societies there.

Map Challenge

Use the maps on pages R28 through R31

to complete the labeling on your

Americas map handout, and answer the

questions from your question handout sheet.

Write your answers to the questions on the

left side page of your notebook.

Trim and paste your completed map of the

Americas on the right side page of your notebook.