The First Americans NinaPintaSanta Maria

 Understand how geography defined where/when people settled in the Americas.  How early people arrived and settled in the Americas.  Discuss the role of farming in the creation of new civilizations. Key Terms: Maize, ISTHMUS, Continent, voyage, colonize, venture, resist, native, ambitious, abandoned

 The Americas stretch from north to south nearly 11,000 miles!  It runs from the Arctic to the Tierra del Fuego  There are four geographical areas of the Americas:  North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.  The two continents make up most of the Americas- Central America is an ISTHMUS.

ISTHMUS How would you describe an isthmus?

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 In the western parts, mountains run along the spine of both Continents.  In North America, you find the Rocky Mountains to the west and in the east, the Appalachians.  In South America, you have the world’s longest mountain range, the Andes.

 North America has many coastal and inland plains. (The Great Plains)  South America has the Amazon Basin- the world’s largest rain forest is found there.  The Pampas and other grasslands are also found in South America.

 Large river systems are found in the Americas.  They begin in the mountain ranges and then flow through plains towards the oceans.  Today the waterways of the Americas transport people, goods and ideas.  In North America, the longest river is the Mississippi.  In South America, the longest river is the Amazon.

 People have many theories on how prehistoric people first arrived to the Americas.  With the last Ice Age, there was a lower sea level, so continents were larger and land was more connected.  Scientists think people may have crossed over a land bridge from Asia to the Americas.  Others argue the first Americans may have arrived by boat, following the coastline.

 As they settled and moved around to other areas, Native Americans developed their own myths, or stories about their origins.  Early on, these Americans survived by living in small groups and moving from place to place to find food.  They used natural resources in their environment to survive.

 As the Ice Age ended, the climate got warmer.  People learned to plant seeds of grains and other plants.  The earliest farming areas were in Mesoamerica and the Andes in South America.

 Maize is known in some English-speaking countries as corn, it is a large grain plant domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain the grain, which are seeds called kernels. Maize kernels are used in cooking as a starch. The Olmec and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout Mesoamerica, cooked, ground or processed. Beginning about 2500 BC, the crop spread through much of the Americas. The region developed a trade network based on surplus and varieties of maize crops. After European contact with the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, explorers and traders carried maize back to Europe and introduced it to other countries. Maize spread to the rest of the world because of its ability to grow in diverse climates.grainindigenous peoples Mesoamericaprehistoric timeskernelsstarchOlmecMayansAmericasEuropean contact with the Americas

Colombia City Panama Canal City

1. What is the Old and New World? 2. How did Maize get to the Old World? 3. What were the main European motives behind exploration of the New World? 4. What was The Colombian Exchange? 5. What does Pre-colombian mean or refer to?

 Create a Foldable with the following Early Native American Cultures:  OLMEC, ZAPOTEC, MAYA,CHAVIN, HOHOKAM, ANASAZI AND MOUND BUILDERS  List at least three facts for each.  Try to include details about their location and achievements.