Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

• People and events are organized chronologically.
• Societies are diverse and change over time.
• Different forms of government have been developed, practiced, and changed throughout history.
• Maps, globes and other geographic tools are used to acquire, process and report information about the past and present.
• Physical and human characteristics of places define regions.
• Decisions must be made about the use of scarce resources.
• Resources impact the production and distribution of goods and services.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

• How can people and events in South America's history be organized chronologically?
• How can the culture of the people of South America be compared to that of other cultures?
• What are the different types of government and how have they changed over time?
• What are the physical characteristics that impact peoples' lives?
• What are the human characteristics of population, political divisions and language that impact people's lives?
• What are the resources of South America? How, and for whom, are the resources distributed?

Standards and Benchmarks

History 1:  Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.
Benchmark A: Students know the general chronological order of events and people in history
History 3: Students understand that societies are diverse and change over time.
Benchmark A: Students know how various societies were affected by contacts and exchanges among diverse people.
History 4: Students understand how science, technology, and economic activity have developed, changed, and affected societies throughout history.
Benchmark A: Students understand the impact of scientific and technological developments on individuals and societies.
History 5: Students understand political institutions and theories that developed and changed over time.
Benchmark B: Students know how various systems of government have developed and functioned throughout history.
Geography 1:  Students know how to use and construct maps, globes, and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places and environments.
Benchmark A: Students know the physical processes that shape earth's surface patterns.
Geography 2: Students know the physical and human characteristics of places and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change.
Benchmark A: Students know the physical and human characteristics of places.
Economics 1: Students understand that because of the condition of scarcity, decisions must be made about the use of scarce resources.
Benchmark A: Students know that economic choices are made because resources are scarce and that the act of making economic choices imposes opportunity costs.
Economics 2: Students understand how different economic systems impact decisions about the use of resources and the production and distribution of goods and services.
Benchmark A: Students understand that different economic systems employ different means to produce, distribute, and exchange goods and services.
Benchmark B: Students understand the fundamental characteristics of the United states economic systems.

Resources
National Geographic Maps of South America
Rand McNally South America Climate Map

District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose, goals and structure of these sample instructional units:

Lesson 1: Lesson 1 Title
Duration: @ 1 class period

Integrated Reading and Writing:

Parent Resources