[4.] How did the distribution of land change after the Revolution?
[5.] How did the most powerful political party in Mexico preserve the idea of the Revolution?
[6.] What was the historic significance of the election of Vicente Fox in the year 2000?
[7.] How are the systems of government in the United States and Mexico alike?
Unit Title: MEXICO
Learning Targets
1. I can match vocabulary terms with the correct definition.
2. I can identify and label Mexico’s social class in New Spain.
3. I can explain ways that Spanish rule changed life in Mexico.
4. I can describe the Mexican War with the U.S. and the results.
5. I can explain ways the Mexican government helped farmers gain land of their own.
6. I can describe the importance of Cancun, Mexico.
7. I can list ways the Mexican government helped promote industries in the mid -1900’s.
8. I can identify and explain the significance of NAFTA.
9. I can describe the differences between urban and rural areas.
10. I can list and describe two of Mexico’s holidays.
Chapter 7: Section 1: The Roots of Modern Mexico
- What motivated Cortes to conquer Mexico?
- What factors helped the Spanish conquer the Aztecs?
- What is the historical significance of the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521?
- What things did the Spanish introduce that changed life in the region?
- What is one element of a Native American lifestyle that has been blended into Mexican culture?
- What name was given to the class of people of both Spanish and Native American ancestry?
- How did the criollos differ from the peninsulares?
- What was the system of encomienda?
- Which groups of people benefited least from Mexico’s independence from Spain?
- Which states in the current United States were once part of Mexico?
- What was the result of the war between Mexico and the United States?
Chapter 7: Section 2: Government In Mexico: Revolution And Reform
[1.] What were the concerns of the people planning reforms in Mexico?
[2.] What rights were granted by the constitution of 1857?
[3.] According to revolutionary leaders, what were the important problems facing Mexico?
The Mexican Flag
The Mexican flag is a red, white, and green banner whose center contains an eagle eating a rattlesnake while standing with its left claw upon a nopal cactus, and a half circle of green oak on the left (symbolizing strength) and laurel branches on the right (symbolizing victory). The red symbolizes the blood that was shed during the battles for Independence. The white symbolizes purity. The green symbolizes the fertility of the earth.
The eagle eating a snake while perched upon a cactus is from an ancient Aztec legend in which the Aztec people were told by Huitzilopochtli (their god) that to find their promised land, they were to find the place where an eagle landed on a nopal cactus while eating a snake. After wandering for hundreds of years, they found the eagle on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco. This new Aztec home was named Tenochtitlan (meaning, “Place of the Nopal Cactus”), and in 1325, they built what is now called Mexico City.
This flag was first used on September 17, 1968.
Chapter 7: Section 3: Mexico’s Changing Economy
[1.] Why did the ejido system fail to lift Mexican farmers out of poverty?
[2.] How did privatization change farming in Mexico?
[3.] What steps did the Mexican government take to encourage industry in the mid-1900s?
[4.] What were the effects of government aid on business?
[5.] What is a maquiladora and what does it do?
[6.] What goal has NAFTA achieved?
[7.] What is Mexico’s most important natural resource?
[8.] What is the role of PEMEX?
[9.] What are some tourist attractions in Mexico?
[10.] How did the government and private businesses promote tourism in Canada?
Chapter 7: Section 4: Mexico’s Culture Today
[1.] What traditions have blended to form Mexico’s culture today?
[2.] What examples of architecture in Mexico City represent the three traditions?
[3.] What factors have contributed to the growth of Mexico City?
[4.] What problems have resulted from this growth?
[5.] In what ways does the plaza serve as the center of life in the countryside?
[6.] Why is a limited opportunity for education an especially serious problem in rural areas?
[7.] How is the celebration of Independence Day in Mexico similar to Independence Day celebrations in the United States?
[8.] Why do towns and villages hold fiesta celebrations?