4FN7 – Geography – North America: Introduction to Mexico

How do FreeNode lessons work?

FreeNodes are instructor-led schooling lessons with a unique approach, granting you the freedom to independently teach using a personalized lesson plan. This autonomy enables you to tailor your lessons to suit students’ individual needs, learning styles, and interests.

To use a FreeNode, read the provided class outline & follow the formatting provided for each class. Make sure to touch on the Theocratic Connection in each class. Follow the outline closely so it is aligned with our main at-home curriculum.

How Do I Use the FreeNode?

Read this lesson plan before class to familiarize yourself with the ideas and concepts you’ll be teaching the students. You may print this page out if you need to use it as a reference point during live classes.

This lesson is a guide, but feel free to expand on the content or decrease/increase what you teach depending on the learning levels of the students in your class or the amount of time you have to cover the material.

Can I show videos in FN classes?

Yes, feel free to include additional material to supplement the class lesson material. Videos, Physical Objects, Games, Activities, etc. are okay to share in live classes.

Videos should have no advertisements or logos and should be viewed by you before showing them to the students to ensure no offensive or questionable content is included.

The video should make up only 1-3 minutes of the live class and should not take the place of instructor-led instruction. Videos should be supplementary only.

How do bookmarks work?

Bookmarks help you keep track of lessons you’re going to teach in future live classes. The bookmarks you see are for all your bookmarked lessons across all grades.

You can bookmark a lesson by visiting the lesson you want to bookmark and clicking the “bookmark” button in the bookmark section.

You can remove a single bookmark by visiting a lesson you’ve bookmarked and clicking the “bookmark” button again to unbookmark it.

You can clear all of your bookmarks by clicking the “clear all bookmarks” button. Be careful, this will erase all of your bookmarks.

Class Lesson Plan

Objectives:

Learn about the geography, culture, and industry of Mexico.
Understand Mexico’s diverse landscape and climates.

Materials:

Whiteboard
Visual aids (map of Mexico, images depicting landscapes and landmarks)

Introduction (2 minutes):

Highlight Mexico’s location in North America, bordered by the United States to the north and Belize and Guatemala to the south.

Emphasize Mexico’s vast land area of approximately 700,000 square miles and its population of around 128 million people.

Introduce Mexico City as the capital of Mexico and discuss its status as a major cultural and economic center.
Set the objectives for the lesson: to explore Mexico’s diverse landscapes, climates, cultures, and industries.

Theocratic Connections:

Discuss significant theocratic events and the advancement of the good news in this region.

Activity 1 – Mexico’s History and Languages (6 minutes):

Provide an overview of Mexico’s rich history, including the civilizations of the Olmec, Aztecs, and Mayans, and their advanced cultures.
Discuss the Spanish colonization of Mexico in the 1500s and its lasting impact on Mexican culture, including the introduction of the Spanish language.

Highlight the recognition of over 60 indigenous languages as official languages of Mexico in 2003, reflecting the country’s linguistic diversity and cultural heritage. Introduce significant archaeological sites such as Chichen Itza, showcasing Mexico’s ancient civilizations and their contributions to world history.

Activity 2 – Resources and Industry (8 minutes):

Discuss Mexico’s diverse economy, with key industries including oil production, manufacturing (maquiladoras), mining (silver and gold), and agriculture.

Highlight the significance of Mexico’s oil industry, which accounts for approximately one-third of the government’s income and ranks among the top five worldwide in crude oil reserves. Describe the role of maquiladoras as factories producing goods for export, contributing to Mexico’s manufacturing sector and employing millions of people, particularly near the border with the United States.

Explore Mexico’s role as a major producer of silver and gold, with a rich mining tradition dating back to the time of the Aztecs and Maya.
Discuss Mexico’s agricultural sector, including major crops such as corn, coffee, avocados, beans, and alfalfa, and their importance to the country’s economy and food supply.

Conclusion (2 minutes):

Summarize key points discussed, emphasizing Mexico’s rich history, diverse culture, and significant role in global industries.
Reinforce the importance of understanding Mexico’s geography, culture, and industry in a global context.
Encourage students to continue exploring the geography of Mexico and its significance in the world.

Assessment:

Assess student understanding through participation in discussions, completion of reflection questions, and identification of key concepts presented.
Evaluate students’ comprehension of Mexico’s history, languages, resources, and industry through informal observation and discussion.