Economics What effect does the wide gap between the richand the poor have in Latin

What factors undermined the stability of Latin American countries?

How did the roles of women change in Latin America after 1945?

Locate Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia.

Explain how the Great Depression hurt Latin American economies. Have these economies recovered from the problems caused by the Great Depression?

List two well-known Latin American writers. Why are writers and artists held in such high regard in Latin America?

Analyze Why did the rapid rate of population growth in many Latin American countries cause problems for their political and economic systems?

Organizing Information Draw a chart like the one below to list economic challenges in Latin America since 1945. On your chart, use dates and names of countries from the text to make each entry as specific as possible.

Examine the photograph of a Latin American mother with her children shown on page 904 of the text. How does this photograph reflect the concerns faced by many Latin American women?

Descriptive Writing A uniquely Latin American literary form is magic realism, which combines realistic events with elements of magic and fantasy. Research further the elements of magic realism and then write a short story about a real or imagined event, using that style.

Culture Who is considered the most famous of the Latin American novelists?

History How was the U.S. involved in El Salvador?

History What happened that ended Manuel Noriegas control of Panama in 1989?

Government Why was President Carter unwilling to continue support of the Somoza family?

Government What was the goal of the guerrilla group known as Shining Path?

Economics What effect does the wide gap between the rich and the poor have in Latin American countries?

Government Why was Castro able to maintain control of Cuba even after he lost his foreign support?

Compare and Contrast Compare the policies of the United States toward Latin American countries to those of the Soviet Union toward countries in Eastern Europe.

Drawing Inferences Analyze why the United States used its military power to arrest Manuel Noriega after ignoring many other dishonest and corrupt leaders in Latin America.

Expository Writing Analyze how Cubas revolution affected the United States and the Soviet Union. Explain the background and context of the revolution. How were these events particular to the time period?

Read the following excerpt from Nancy Donovan, a Catholic missionary in Nicaragua: It is not easy to live in a war zone. The least of it was my being kidnapped by contras early this year. The hardest part is seeing people die and consoling families. . . . In those eight hours I was held, as I walked in a column of 60 or so men and a few womenall in uniformI could hear shooting and realized that people I knew were being killed. Earlier I had seen bodies brought back to town, some burned, some cut to pieces. Why did the United States finance the contras?

What role do you think the United States should play in Central America? Should the United States have supported rebels capable of the type of warfare described in this passage?

Create a Database Research the major political events in South America since 1945. Include the following information in your database: Year Country Event

Identify one of the challenges faced by the countries of Latin America today. Create a poster that illustrates the issue you have selected. Include a clear statement of the issue, information you have gathered about the background of the challenge, and key individuals or countries involved with the issue. Identify options, predict consequences, and offer possible solutions.

Which South American country has the largest geographic area? Which countries have the largest populations?

How do the populations of Central American countries compare to the populations of other Latin American countries?

Which South American countries are landlocked? Between what degrees of latitude and longitude are they located?