Nordeste
Objectives
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:
- analyze the impact of geography upon the growth and development of a particular state (estado) within the Brazilian Nordeste.
- Explain how the geographic theme of region is reflected in the growth and development of the Northeast (Nordeste).
Materials
Activities
1. Divide the class into research teams.
- Assign each of the research teams one of the nine states in the northeastern region of Brazil.
- Distribute a copy of the student handout A State of the Northeast (Um estado do nordeste).
- Explain to the class that the northeastern region of Brazil is unique in its development because it is in this region that the Portuguese first established a thriving settlement.
- Explain that this assignment is going to enable them to conduct in-depth research into one of the states of the northeast and to analyze how its geography affected the growth and development of the region.
- Explain that it will also give them practice in applying the five themes of geography discussed in the previous lesson.
2. Direct students to use available library and Internet resources to complete the data gathering questions on the handout.
3. Upon completion of the data gathering, direct each team to complete a formal report summarizing their findings.
- As part of their project, instruct each team to present a 5 minute summary of their findings to the class.
- Before the teams present their findings, distribute a copy of the student handout entitled Similar or Different? (Similar ou diferente?) to each student.
- Instruct the class to be attentive to the presentations and to record on this handout any significant similarities or differences (excluding the flag) between the state they researched and the state being presented.
4. Following the presentations, ask students to review the chart of similarities and differences.
- Do the states of the northeast have similar or different geographic characteristics?
- Do the states of the northeast have similar or different economic patterns?
- Did the states of the northeast evolve historically in similar or different patterns?
5. Concluding activity
- Direct students to write an essay that summarizes the effect of geography upon the growth and development of the Nordeste reflects the geographic theme of region.
