1. LATIN AMERICA’S PHYSICAL FEATURES
SS6G1 The student will locate the selected features of Latin America on a political-physical map: Amazon River, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Andes Mountains, Sierra Mountains, Atacama Desert.

2. AMAZON RIVER
The Amazon River is the second longest river in the world. It flows primarily through the South American country of Brazil. It carries the greatest volume of water of any river in the world. The river supports one of the world’s most valuable resources – the Amazon Rain Forest. This massive area is known as the lungs of the earth due to all the oxygen the trees produce. Additionally, it is home to a large variety of plants and animals. Many indigenous tribes live in the region as well, some who have never seen the outside world and still live like their ancestors did.

3. Amazon Rain Forest

4. Jungle Fauna

5. Minerals of the Amazon Region
Amethyst
Bauxite
Quartz
Diamonds

6. CARIBEAN SEA
The Caribbean Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between Cuba and South America. Islands in the Caribbean Sea are popular tourist destinations because of their beautiful beaches and tropical climate.

7. Islands of the Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean islands were formed by the collision of two tectonic plates. One plate is slipping beneath the other, which results in land being pushed up through the water. There was also volcanic activity from the collision that helped form the islands. 
 The Caribbean islands are called the West Indies to correct the name, Indies, mistakenly given by Christopher Columbus. Columbus thought he had reached the Indies of Asia. 

8. Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is another arm of the Atlantic Ocean cradled by Mexico and the southern U.S. coastline from Texas to Florida. The Mississippi and the Rio Grande are major rivers that empty into the Gulf of Mexico.

9. PACIFIC OCEAN
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and the deepest of the world’s five oceans. It is larger than the total land area of the world!

10. PANAMA CANAL
The Panama Canal is a canal built through the Isthmus of Panama to allow ships to travel easily between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It saves thousands of miles of travel from going from New York City to San Francisco.
This engineering masterpiece is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world!

11. The Panama Canal
The canal zone is located in a rain forest, where thousands of plants and animals thrive. Lake Gatun, a huge man-made lake found in the center of the canal, is a popular with tourists One can stay in a floating hotel and guests have been known to jump off the second story roof into the water. Tours of Monkey Island depart daily. Watch out, though, as the monkeys love to grab shiny objects and rarely give them back!

12. Going Through One of the Locks of the Panama Canal

13. ANDES MOUNTAINS
The Andes Mountains is a chain of mountains along the western edge of South America. It’s the longest continuous mountain range in the world!
Llamas, while related to camels, were never used as pack animals by the native peoples. Like camels, when mad, they can project their spit great distances to show their disapproval.

14. Andes Mountains
Elevation trumps latitude when it comes to climate in the Andes Mountains. In Ecuador, which is named after the equator that runs through the country, the city of Quito is not hot at all. This is due to its location high up in the Andes Mountains.

15. Machu Pichu
High up in the Andes Mountains is the royal retreat of the Inca, the ruler of the mighty Incan Empire. The Andes Mts. were no match for this industrious indigenous people who are known for their great engineering feats. This is just one example of their human capital at work!

16. SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS
The Sierra Madre Mountains is the main mountain range in Mexico. It has three major chains, including the Sierra Madre Occidental in the west, the Sierra Madre Oriental in the east, and the Sierra Madre del Sur along the southern coast.
Who are our Spanish speakers?
Can you tell us what the following words mean?
sierra, madre, occidental, oriental, del sur

17. Sierra Madre Mountains
The major economic activities are agriculture and forestry. Mining of silver is also one of the ways that people make a living in the Sierra Madre.
Eco-tourism is picking up in this region. Going off-road in the Sierra Madre mountains is a great chance to see everyday Mexican villages off the beaten track, whether you go by Jeep, four- wheel drive or mountain bike. Zip-lining and rappelling down a waterfall are options as well. .

18. Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is considered the driest place on earth. Its formation is due to the weather condition known as a rain shadow.

19. Due to similarities between the Atacama Desert and the moon’s surface, NASA has used the desert’s terrain to test drive their ATVs.
Because of its crystal clear skies, high elevation and lack of light pollution, astronomers have set up numerous telescopes in the Atacama Desert to peer into the heavens.

20. If given the chance, where would you go?
Whether or not you use a real address, make sure it is set up correctly.
The postcard should start with a opening salutation and end with a closing remark, too.
Your picture should be colorful, neat, and show knowledge of the material. Do NOT draw in regular pencil.
Using the information presented in the ppt AND a fact or two you’ve researched on your own, create a postcard about an imaginary trip/experience to a Latin American destination.
Requirements
While your experience is imaginary, your facts should not be. Please include at least 4 facts. Weave the facts into your letter. Do NOT say “did you know,,,,” “let me tell you….” “one fact about the Amazon River is….”