Y8 Lesson 2 - Early Peoples of Latin America

Y8 Latin America - Lesson 2

Whilst you're waiting for us to start grab yourself a pen and paper ready to take some notes on today's lesson...

How many countries of Latin America can you list?

Time for a quick quiz to see what we can remember...

Multiple Choice

1. What is the outer layer of the earth called?

• Mantle

• Crust

• Inner core

• Outer core

Multiple Choice

2. What is the earth's crust broken up into?

• Tectonic plates

• Tectonic chunks

• Tectonic slices

• Tectonic bowls

Multiple Choice

3. What causes tectonic plates to move?

• Earthquakes

• Magnetic fields

• Convection currents

• Moon's gravity

Multiple Choice

4. 200 million years ago Latin America was a part of which supercontinent?

• Ur

• Pangea

• Laurasia

• Gondwana

Multiple Choice

5. What is an ecosystem?

• The animals and plants (organisms) found in a location

• All the living and non-living things on earth

• Organisms and their environment in a particular place

• The physical features of a place (e.g. climate, soil, etc)

Lesson 2 - Early Peoples of Latin America

By the end of this lesson:

- I will understand what the lives of early peoples were like

- I will be able to describe the four main ecosystems of Latin America

- I will be able to give my opinion on the best place to settle with reasons

Who were the first people to arrive in Latin America?

• It is thought that the first people arrived in Latin America between 38,000 and 40,000BC.

• DNA samples suggest that they walked from Asia, down through North America, into Latin America

• Others may have taken boats across the Pacific Ocean

Open Ended

Why do you think people travelled to Latin America?

Early Hunter-Gatherers

• The first people to arrive in the Americas were what we call hunter-gatherers.

• They lived together in small families, hunting, foraging, and sharing food and resources.

• These groups were often nomadic - moving every 4-5 years as their local natural resources ran out.

• They defended their territory.

Daily life of a hunter-gather teenager

• Wake at dawn

• Set out into the wilderness

• Track the wildlife

• Attempt to spear an animal

• If lucky, carry the animal home

• Skin and cook the animal

• Talk around the fire, go to sleep

Open Ended

What was the life of a hunter-gatherer like? How does it compare to your own life?

Open Ended

Why do you think there are so few hunter-gatherer tribes left today?

Living with nature

• Hunter-gatherer tribes lived with nature

• They depended on the natural world for food, water, warmth and medicines

• Their homes, weapons, clothes and household items came from nature, nothing was wasted

• They were tied to the natural world through religion and spirituality

Open Ended

Why was nature was so important to early hunter-gatherers?

Open Ended

Hunter-gatherers used nature sustainably. What do you think this term means?

Where did early people settle?

• Remains have been found in different ecosystems, from jungles to mountains, to deserts

• Each ecosystem had its own unique plants, animals and resources

• Each brought its own challenges

Open Ended

Use the map to describe the location of different ecosystems in Latin America (e.g. the pampas ecosystem is located in...)

Ecosystems of Latin America

• Rainforest in Central America and the north (e.g. the Amazon)

• Mountains along the west coast

• Deserts between the mountains and the sea

• The pampas grasslands to the south east

Where would be the best place to live in Latin America?

Use the following slides to decide which would be the best place to settle your hunter-gatherer community

Jungles of Latin America

• The Amazon rainforest has existed for 55 million years

• It is thought to contain 390 billion trees

• It experiences high rainfall all year round (~3000mm+/year)

• At least 80% of the world's food developed in the rainforest (e.g. mangoes, oranges, corn rice, chocolate and sugar cane)

• Many animals live in the rainforest such as monkeys, tigers and

Open Ended

Why would the Amazon rainforest be a good place for hunter-gatherers to live? (Challenge: are there any negatives?)

The Andes Mountains

• Formed as the Nazca and South America tectonic plates collided

• World's longest mountain range

• Average height of 4000m

• Source of the Andes river

• Potatoes and tomatoes originated here

• 600 species of mammals, including llamas and alpacas

• Freezing peaks contain glaciers

Open Ended

Why would the Andes mountains be a good place for hunter-gatherers to live? (Challenge: are there any negatives?)

The Pampas

• Flat grassland covering 750,000km²

• Land is good for grazing animals and growing crops like wheat

• Has the most frequent lightning in the world, with storms and floods

• One of the world's most active tornado regions

• Mild temperatures and good rainfall

• A range of mammals such as llamas, dear, alpacas, wolves, guinea pigs...

• Frequent wildfires mean tew trees

Open Ended

Why would the Pampas grasslands be a hard place for hunter-gatherers to live? (Challenge: are there any positives?)

Atacama Desert

• Located between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean

• World's oldest and driest desert

• Rivers have been dry for 120,000y

• Some areas have no life forms

• Deposits of gold, silver and copper formed by tectonic activity

• Andes mountain rain shadow means there is less than 15mm/y

Open Ended

Why would the Atacama be a hard place for hunter-gatherers to live? (Challenge: are there any positives?)

Decision Time

Having considered the positives and negatives of each ecosystem, which do you think would be the best place to settle your hunter-gatherer community?

Make sure to give detailed reasons for your views.

Challenge: Compare your choice to other options.

Open Ended

Opinion: where will you settle your tribe and why? (challenge: compare your choice to the other options)

Early Peoples of Latin America: lesson review

You should now:

- Understand what the lives of early peoples were like

- Be able to describe the four main ecosystems of Latin America

- Be able to give my opinion on the best place to settle with reasons