1. Presentation, Graphic Organizers, & Activities
Latin American
GOVERNMENTS
GOVERNMENTS
Brazil, Mexico, & Cuba
Presentation, Graphic Organizers, & Activities

2. STANDARDS:
SS6CG1 The student will compare and contrast various forms of government.
a. Describe the ways government systems distribute power: unitary, confederation, and federal.
b. Explain how governments determine citizen participation: autocratic, oligarchic, and democratic.
c. Describe the two predominant forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential.
SS6CG2 The student will explain the structures of national governments in Latin America and the Caribbean.
a. Compare the federal-republican systems of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Brazil) and the United Mexican States (Mexico) to the dictatorship of the Republic of Cuba (Cuba), distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the citizen in terms of voting and personal freedoms.
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3. TEACHER INFO: Government Chart
Print off the Government chart for each student.
The students will complete the chart while discussing the presentation.
Check the answers as a class after the presentation.
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4. Comparing Latin American Governments How is Head of Gov. Chosen?
Directions: Complete the chart below while discussing the presentation.
Country
Distribution of Power
Type of Government
Executive Branch
How is Head of Gov. Chosen?
Legislative Branch
Role of Citizen
Federative Republic of Brazil
United States of Mexico
Republic of Cuba
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6. TEACHER INFO: Anticipation Guide
Print off the Anticipation Guide for each student (two-per-page).
The students will complete the guide BEFORE the presentation. Afterwards, give the students a few minutes to look back over their answers and make any corrections.
Check the answers as a class AFTER the presentation.
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7. Latin American Governments Latin American Governments
Anticipation Guide
Latin American Governments
Anticipation Guide
Directions: You will make predictions about the answers to the following questions BEFORE learning about this unit. Write the letter of the vocabulary term that matches the definitions below.
Directions: You will make predictions about the answers to the following questions BEFORE learning about this unit. Write the letter of the vocabulary term that matches the definitions below.
A. Unitary
B. Presidential
C. Democracy
D. Federal
E Cuba
F. Legislature
G. Autocracy
H. Parliamentary
I. Confederation
A. Unitary
B. Presidential
C. Democracy
D. Federal
E Cuba
F. Legislature
G. Autocracy
H. Parliamentary
I. Confederation
_______ In this type of democracy, the leader works through the legislature.
_______ This branch of government makes the country’s laws.
_______ In this type of government, citizens play an important role because they are able to vote for leaders and laws.
_______ In this type of government structure, power is held by individual countries joined for a common purpose.
_______ In this type of government, citizens have virtually no role because all the decisions are made by a single leader.
_______ This country is the only autocratic government in Latin America.
_______ In this type of government, power is shared by national and regional/local authorities.
_______ What type of democracy is found in Mexico and Brazil?
_______ This government structure is where the power is held by one central authority. .
_______ In this type of democracy, the leader works through the legislature.
_______ This branch of government makes the country’s laws.
_______ In this type of government, citizens play an important role because they are able to vote for leaders and laws.
_______ In this type of government structure, power is held by individual countries joined for a common purpose.
_______ In this type of government, citizens have virtually no role because all the decisions are made by a single leader.
_______ This country is the only autocratic government in Latin America.
_______ In this type of government, power is shared by national and regional/local authorities.
_______ What type of democracy is found in Mexico and Brazil?
_______ This government structure is where the power is held by one central authority. .
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8. Latin American
Governments
Brazil, Mexico, & Cuba
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9. Government Systems – Who has the power?
Let’s Review
Government Systems – Who has the power?
Unitary--power is held by one central authority
Confederation--association of independent states that agree to certain limitations on their freedoms by joining together
Federal--power is divided between central authority & several regional authorities
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10. Government Types – how do citizens participate?
Let’s Review
Government Types – how do citizens participate?
Autocracy-- 1 person possesses unlimited power & citizens have limited role in government
Oligarchy-- small group exercises control & citizens have limited role in government
Democracy--supreme power is vested in the people & exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation involving free elections
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11. Two Types of Democratic Governments:
Let’s Review
Two Types of Democratic Governments:
Parliamentary– citizens elect members of Parliament, and then the members select the leader
Leader works with or through the legislature
Presidential--system of government in which the leader is constitutionally independent of the legislature; citizens directly elect leader
Leader works separate from legislature
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12. Brazil Federative Republic of
Presidential Representative Democratic Republic
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13. Brazil’s National Congress Building
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14. Federal System
Brazil has a federal system, which means that the national government and the state governments SHARE power.
There are 26 states in Brazil.
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15. Federal Governments
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16. Leadership
1. President: holds the most political power; the president is both the chief executive and the head of state.
2. Vice President: helps in the day-to-day running of the government; performs ceremonial duties.
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17. Dilma Rouseff
Brazil’s President
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18. Brazil’s Vice President
Michel Temer
Brazil’s Vice President
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19. How Leaders
Are Chosen
President: elected by popular vote for a single four-year term
Vice President: runs on the same ticket as the president
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20. Legislature
The National Congress is the country’s bicameral legislature.
It consists of:
Senate (81 seats) – 3 members elected from each state.
Chamber of Deputies (513 seats) – members are elected by proportional representation.
Members serve four and eight-year terms.
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21. Brazil’s Senate
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22. Presidential Democracy
The citizens directly elect the president (every four years).
The president works separately from Brazil’s Congress.
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23. Role of the
Citizen
Citizens have many freedoms and they also have the right to vote.
Men and women who are 16 years of age may choose to vote, but citizens are required by law to vote in national elections.
Citizens can choose representatives from many political parties.
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24. Voting in Brazil
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25. United States of
Mexico
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26. Mexico’s National Congress Building
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27. Federal System
Mexico has a federal system, which means that the national government and the state governments SHARE power.
There are 31 states in Mexico.
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28. Leadership
President: holds the most political power; the president is both the chief executive and the head of state.
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29. Enrique Pena Nieto
Mexico’s President
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30. How Leaders
Are Chosen
President: elected by popular vote for a single six-year term
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31. Legislature
The National Congress of Mexico is the country’s bicameral legislature.
It consists of:
Senate (128 seats) – elected by popular vote to serve six-year term.
2. Chamber of Deputies (500 seats) – members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms.
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32. National Congress Chamber
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33. Presidential Democracy
The citizens directly elect the president (every six years).
The president works separately from Mexico’s Congress.
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34. Role of the
Citizen
Citizens of Mexico have many freedoms, and they also have the right to vote.
It is universal and compulsory (but not enforced) that citizens who are 18 or older vote in national elections.
There are many political parties in Mexico.
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35. Voting in Mexico
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36. Republic of
Cuba
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37. Capitol Building in Havana, Cuba
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38. Unitary System
Cuba has a unitary system, which means that the national (central) government holds all of the power.
The provinces are under central government control.
There are 15 provinces in Cuba.
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39. Unitary Governments
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40. Leadership
President: holds the most political power; the president is both the chief executive and the head of state.
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41. Raul Castro
Cuba’s President
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42. How Leaders
Are Chosen
President: elected* by National Assembly for a five-year term.
*Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed.
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43. Legislature
The National Assembly of People’s Power is the country’s unicameral legislature.
The number of seats is based on Cuba’s population.
As of the most recent election in 2016, there were 612 seats.
Candidates are selected and approved by the government before the people can vote for them.
Members serve five-year terms.
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44. Cuba’s National Assembly
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45. Autocracy
Cuba has been an autocratic dictatorship since Fidel Castro used military force to overthrow the government in 1959.
Since this time, there has been one leader (Fidel or Raul) who holds unlimited power over the country.
Even though citizens get to “vote”, they do not get to select the candidates or make the laws.
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46. Autocratic Governments
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47. Role of the Citizen Citizens have few freedoms.
Men and women aged 16 and over may choose to vote, but have few choices.
There is only one political party (the Communist Party) that is allowed in Cuba.
It has been controlled by Fidel Castro and his brother, Raul, since 1959.
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48. Voting in Cuba
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49. TEACHER INFO: Google It!
Print off the Google It handout for each student.
The students will write down everything that could “pop up” in a search about the country’s government: leaders, type, facts, images, etc.
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50. Google It! Brazil’s Government Mexico’s Government Cuba’s Government
Directions: Write several important facts, words, and phrases that would pop up about each country’s government in the “search results” boxes. Images can also pop up!
Brazil’s Government
Mexico’s Government
Cuba’s Government
Send
Send
Send
Search Results:
Search Results:
Search Results:
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51. TEACHER INFO: Triple Venn Diagram
Print off the Venn Diagram for each student.
The students will work with partners to compare and contrast the three Latin American governments from this lesson.
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52. LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS
Brazil
Mexico
Compare and Contrast
Cuba
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53. TEACHER INFO: Government Emails
Print off the s handout for each student.
The students will choose two countries (from the lesson) and write s from the perspective of a citizen of each one.
The s should include a brief summary of the government and what the person likes/doesn’t like about it.
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54. Government s
Directions: Choose 2 Latin American countries and write s from the perspective of a citizen from each one. The s should include a brief summary of the government and what the person likes/doesn’t like about it.
New Message
New Message
To:
To:
From:
From:
Subject:
Subject:
Send
Send
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55. TEACHER INFO: Award Goes To…
Print off the Award handout for each student.
The students will choose one of the countries from the lesson and design an award that the country’s government will receive.
Next, they will write an acceptance speech from the perspective of the country’s leader where s/he explains why the country deserves the award.
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56. The Award Goes To…
Directions: Choose one of the countries from this lesson and create an award (design the trophy) for that country’s government. Next, write a speech from the country’s leader’s perspective about why the government is being honored with the award.
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57. TEACHER INFO: TICKET OUT THE DOOR
Print off the Crystal Ball handout for each student (two-per-page).
Have the students make predictions about each country’s economy based on what they learned about the country’s government.
Collect & read their responses and begin the next day’s lesson by sharing a few outloud.
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58. Crystal Ball Predictions Crystal Ball Predictions
Name:
Name:
Crystal Ball
Predictions
Crystal Ball
Predictions
Based on what we learned about Brazil, Mexico, & Cuba’s governments, what do you think each of their economies will be like?
Based on what we learned about Brazil, Mexico, & Cuba’s governments, what do you think each of their economies will be like?
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59. Thank You! Ansley at Brain Wrinkles
Thank you so much for downloading this file. I sincerely hope you find it helpful and that your students learn a lot from it! I look forward to reading your feedback in my store.
If you like this file, you might want to check out some of my other products that teach social studies topics in creative, engaging, and hands-on ways.
Best wishes,
Ansley at Brain Wrinkles

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