CCS Gr. 4 Central America

Central America

Belize Guatemala Honduras El Salvador Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama

Central America

Central America is an isthmus bordered to the east by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders South America to the south and Mexico to the north.

• isthmus: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas

Let’s Review the 5

Themes !Location:

What is the difference between relative and absolute location ?

Turn to an elbow partner and answer these 2 questions:

Using the map to the right, how would you describe the relative location of Central America?

Using the same map,how would you describe the absolute location of Central America ?

Follow this link to locate the latitude /longitude of cities in Central America.http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/camerica/camlatlog.htm

Let’s Review the 5

Themes !

Place:

Look at the pictures of life in Central America.

Describe 3 ways life in Central America might be

the same as life in the United States.

Describe 3 ways life in Central America might be different from life in the

United States.

Let’s Review the 5 Themes !

Region:A region is an area with similar characteristics.

Central America is a region of North America which connects the 2 continents of North and South America.

Follow the link to identify the countries which make up the Central American regions of North America.

http://teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/gknowledge6-8/central-america/central-america.htm

Let’s Review the 5

Themes !Movement:

A popular and inexpensive mode of transportation

through Central America is the Chicken Bus –old American School Buses which are painted bright colors and used by local

farmers to transport chickens and goods to market and tourists to

travel by land. Water taxi or ferry boat

are popular forms of water transportation along the

cost.

Let’s Review the 5 Themes !

Human Environment Interaction:

Central America is a region characterized by volcanic mountains, and long stretches of coast land.

Due to Central America’s proximity to the equator, its climate is mostly hot and tropical.

What type of clothes would you pack for a trip to see this volcano in Costa Rica?

Economics of Central America

Tropical rainforests and scenic beaches bring many tourists to Central America.

Mining and Farming are also major industries. Crops include coffee, bananas and sugar!

Eco-tourism

Panama Canal

This canal, built across the Isthmus of Panama in Central America, allows ships to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The waterway measures 64 kilometers (40 miles).

The Panama Canal handles a large volume of world shipping and enables boats to avoid traveling around South America, reducing their voyages by thousands of miles and many days.

For more information about the canal visit:http://www.galenfrysinger.com/panama_canal_zone.htm

People of Central America

Central America’s native Mayan and Aztec traditions and colonial history have created rich and diverse cultures.

Mestizos are people with both European and indigenous ancestry.

Find out more about the land, people and resources of Central Americahttp://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=46