Welcome to 6th grade social studies!

Cuba Questions   
                                                        
1. Cuba gained their independence from Spain.

2. Cuba was ruled by many different leaders. Finally a man named Batista was
    elected. Once in power he eventually made himself a dictator.

3. The U.S. owned businesses in Cuba for many years. The U.S. and Cuba  
    werealso trading partners. One of Cuba’s main exports was sugar cane or
    sugar.

4. However the Cuban people were unhappy with their government and found a
    leader to help their cause. His name was Castro.

5. Castro eventually became a dictator and Cuba became a communist nation.

6. What is Communism? Government controls most things; citizens have very  
    little power

7. Where did many Cuban’s escape to when Castro turned to communism? 
    America

8. Castro took control of the businesses in Cuba, even those owned by 
    Americans.

 9. Because Castro took over the American businesses the U.S. cut off all
     trade with Cuba. This is called an embargo. 

10. What was life like for the Cuban people under Castro’s rule? List two
      positives and two negatives.

       + healthcare was better

       + education was better

       -  media controlled by the government

       -  low paying jobs, most people remained poor

 
11. The Soviet Union wanted Cuba as an ally and began trading with Cuba.  
      The Soviet Union supplied them with weapons and needed supplies.

12.  Why did the Soviet Union become an ally of Cuba? location; close to the 
       United States.

13. What was the Cold War? The time of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet
      Union. (No war)

 14. Why does Cuban music include the use of African drums and Spanish
       guitars? Explain the reason for each.

       Spain colonized Cuba and brought their music. African slaves were brought
       by the Spanish and brought their culture.

Latin America Independence 

Haiti

• Toussaint L’Ouverture was a former slave who led the Haitian Revolution.  He helped free the slaves of the area that would become Haiti.
  
• Haiti’s independence was important because they were the first Latin American country to overthrow a European power.

 
 Mexico

• Father Miguel Hidalgo is known as the “Father of Independence” in Mexico.  (Hidalgo o’ Mexico)
  
• He called for the people to rebel against the Spanish government because of the unfair treatment of the Natives and Mestizos (People of Native American and European decent).
  
• He formed an army which was made up mainly of Native Americans  and Mestizos. 

• Father Hidalgo was captured and put to death by the Spanish before Mexico gained its independence.

• Today Mexico celebrates Hidalgo as a hero on their Independence Day.

 
South America

• Simon Bolivar led most of South America to independence, including the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

• He was nicknamed “The Liberator”.

• The country of Bolivia was named for Bolivar. 
  
  

 Triangular Trade

Europe to Africa=manufacture goods

Africa to Americas= Slaves (also known as the Middle Passage)

America to Europe= Raw materials

Information from last test

Aztec – Ancient Native American group that occupied present day Mexico. 

Leader – Montezuma II

Main Crop – Maize (corn)

Conquered by – Hernan Cortes

The Aztec built floating gardens in their capital city called Chinampas.

Inca – Ancient Native American group that occupied present day Andes Mountains

Leader – Atahualpa

Main Crop – Maize

Conquered by – Francisco Pizarro

The Inca built terraces in the Andes mountains to farm.

Both the Aztec and the Inca were polytheistic. (worshipped many gods)

The Spanish conquered the Aztec and Inca because they had:

• Guns and cannons (superior weapons)
• Horses
• European diseases which killed many of the native people
• Native American allies
  
  
  The Native Americans of Latin America were forced to change their language and religion to the same religion as the nation that conquered them. Most of Latin America changed to the Spanish language and the Catholic religion because they were colonized by Spain. Brazil changed to Portuguese because they were colonized by Portugal.
  
  Columbian Exchange 
  
  The exchange of goods, ideas, diseases, and people back and forth from the the Old World (Europe, Africa, and Asia) and the New World (North America and South America). 
  
  This created a blending of cultures and people.
  
  
  
   Triangular Trade

  Europe to Africa=manufacture goods

   Africa to Americas= Slaves (also known as the Middle Passage)

   America to Europe= Raw materials
  
  
  
  
  
  Information from our last test
  

Latin America Map

Students will be labeling a political map of Latin America.
They are responsible for knowing the location of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia,
Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Venezuuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Peru.

Students will be labeling physical maps of Latin America.
They are responsible for knowing the location of the Amazon River, Amazon Rainforest, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Panama Canal, Andes Mountains, Sierra Madre Mountains, and the Atacama Desert.


Environmental Issues in Latin America

Comparing Nations of Latin America


Brazil

Physical – Amazon River, Amazon Rainforest

Climate – Tropical climate because most of Brazil lies in the tropics: between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn (warm to hot all year)

Population – Because of the Amazon Rainforest most people live along the coast in the cities.

Resources – Forests, commercial agriculture, oil, coffee

 Brazil’s closeness to the Panama Canal greatly influences trade with other countries.

Tourism is a growing industry for Brazil.

Cuba

Physical – Island in the Caribbean Sea (West Indies)

Climate – Tropical climate because lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn   (Tradewinds help to keep it milder) Plagued by Hurricanes.

Population – heavily populated

Resources – Sugarcane, tobacco, fishing (Cuba cannot grow enough food to feed its own people and must rely on imports)

Trading is easy because they are an island.

Mexico

Physical – Sierra Madre Mountains, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea

Climate – Varies, but mostly hot and dry   The southern part of Mexico lies in the Tropics

Population – Most people live in the cities (jobs, education) Mexico City is one of the most populated cities in the world.

Resources – Oil (petroleum), silver, farm products

Mexico has many ports for exporting. They also rely on tourism.

Venezuela

Physical Features – Borders Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean

Climate – Hot tropical climate (Lies within the Tropics) cooler in mountainous areas

Population – Most people live in cities along the coastal areas

Resources – oil (main export)

They also rely on tourism

Information from Last Semester

Germany after World War II

 When Germany was defeated, the Soviet Union became the largest and strongest nation in Europe. 

The United Kingdom and France wanted to make Germany a democratic nation.  The Western European countries were either constitutional monarchies or other forms of democracies.

 The Soviet Union, who had a communist (unitary) government, wanted Germany to be a communist nation. 

 They then divided Germany with the U.S., the U.K., and France occupying West Germany, and the Soviet Union occupying East Germany.

 The rise of the “Superpowers” and the Cold War

 This created a time called “The Cold War”. It was a time of great political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.  The city of Berlin was divided by the Berlin Wall. The division between Eastern and Western was known as “The Iron Curtain”.  This was not a real curtain but a political barrier that restricted people from being able to travel in and out of the Soviet Union.

 Even though it was called the Cold War, this never resulted in the Soviet Union or the United States actually fighting each other.  They had both developed nuclear weapons and the two “superpowers” knew that using them against one another would cause world-wide, global destruction.  

Information below is from the last test.

Russia and the rise of the Soviet Union

 Russian peasants were angry at the government and Czar Nicholas in the early 1900s because of food shortages, high taxes, jobs that did not pay well, and they had poor land for farming.  They were also angry at Russia’s involvement in WWI.

 The Russian Revolution of 1917 paved the way for the rise of the communist party.  After the revolution Russia became knows at the Soviet Union.

 World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. 

• The treaty was meant to punish Germany so that they could never wage war again. 
• Germany was ordered to pay reparations and,
• They were not allowed to have a large army.  This left Germany without a way to defend itself if it were ever attacked.

Depression, Germany, and Hitler’s Rise to Power

 The depression started in Europe after the war because many cities and factories were destroyed.  This meant fewer workers were needed and many lost their jobs.  The European economies began to suffer.  Germany suffered even more because they had to pay huge sums of money to the countries they had fought against in WWI.

 As Germany continued to suffer under the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, Germans became increasingly unhappy and this gave rise to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.

 When Hitler became Chancellor of Germany he restored German pride by ignoring the conditions of the Versailles Treaty and  he put people back to work building tanks, fighter planes, warships, guns (rebuilding the German Army.)

 The Holocaust

 Under Hitler’s Germany, Jewish people were unfairly blamed for the economic problems Germany faced.  One solution to the problem was to eliminate the Jews. This became known as the Holocaust.  The Holocaust was the systematic murder of more than six million Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, disabled people and political opponents (anyone that disagreed with Hitler and the Nazis.)

 During the Holocaust, Jews were driven from their jobs, businesses, and schools. 

• Their property was taken from them
• They were collected and sent to “work” or Concentration Camps. 
• Those that could not be put to work (the elderly, very young) were often times killed
• Others that could work were forced to work long hours under very brutal (bad) conditions with little food, shelter, or clothing. 
• Many died from malnutrition, overwork, disease, or were killed when they could no longer work.

During WWII the allies were the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States.  The axis powers were Germany, Italy, and Japan.


Information from a quiz on Wednesday, November 14th

We have been discussing the causes of World War I

1. Imperialism - The practice of one country controlling the economy and government of another country.

2. Militarism - Countries in Europe built up their militaries to protect themselves as well as their overseas colonies.

3. Alliances - Countries mistrusted one another and formed alliances with one another to help in case of attack

4. The immediate cause of WWI was thhe assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist.



These are the notes from the last test on November 2nd.


Explorers and Industrial Revolution Study Guide 2012

-  Explorers first sailed in search of a direct route to Asia for spices and silk.

-  Prince Henry the Navigator helped Portugal become a leader in exploration by starting a school for sailors and sending ships along the western coast of Africa in search of a direct route to Asia.

-  Other European countries wanted in on the wealth and began exploring. 

-  Christopher Columbus (Spain) sailed west in hopes of reaching Asia. He actually landed in the Caribbean Islands.
 
-  The Europeans made the indigenous (native) people in the countries they colonized change their language, religion, and customs. For example: Spain colonized Mexico and made the indigenous people speak Spanish and practice the Catholic religion.

-  Many indigenous people died of European diseases, were kicked off their land and were made to be slaves.

-  The Europeans colonized the Americas for Gold (anything that would bring them wealth), God (to convert the indigenous (native) people to their religion, and Glory (fame and recognition for the conquerors and their country).

-  The Europeans began getting natural resources (raw materials) from their colonies and using the colonies as a market for their goods.

-  European countries began building up their military to protect their colonies abroad.

-  As tensions began to rise many European nations began to form alliances with one another.

-  Industrial Revolution – A change from making things by hand to making them with machines

Positives of the Industrial Revolution

               - more goods produced because of mass production

              - cheaper price              

              - jobs were created

Negatives of the Industrial Revolution

               - working conditions were bad (long hours, low pay, dangerous)

               - cities became overcrowded

               - pollution from factories

               - poor sanitation

Notes from our last test. Make up test will be Thursday October 25th.

European Culture and Geography 

1. What does monotheistic mean?  Worship of one God
2. How can pollution in one country affect another country? Global wind currents can carry pollution to neighboring countries
3. What happened at Chernobyl?  There was an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant that caused radioactive material to be released into the air.
   
4. What were some of the affects of the disaster at Chernobyl? Many people died and others had serious health problems.  For miles land and water across Europe were contaminated.
5. Chernobyl is in which country? Ukraine
6. Where is most farming done in Europe? The European Plain
7. Why do Britain and the countries along the western coast of Europe have a milder climate than the interior parts of Europe?  The Gulf Stream joins in with the North Atlantic Current taking warmer waters to the areas of Britain and the western coast of Europe.
8. Why do most of the people in Russia live on the European side instead of the Asian side?  The climate is milder and there is better land for farming.
9. Why does Russia have a hard time getting to its natural resources? Russia is a vast country (huge) and many parts of Russia are frozen most of the year.

10.  How do natural resources affect a countries wealth? Usually the more natural resources a country has the wealthier they are.

11.  How does literacy rate affect a countries wealth? Usually the higher the literacy rate the more developed the country will be.  (wealthier)

12.  What are some of the affects of acid rain? It damages the soil and plants. It also pollutes rivers and damages the wildlife. It also damages physical structures such as buildings and monuments.

13. Why is acid rain a problem in Germany? Germany is a very industrialized country and therefore has problems with air pollution and thus acid rain.

14.  What geographic feature makes it difficult for Italy to trade with the countries to its north? The Alps

15.  What four things have had the most impact on where people have chosen to live? -Closeness to fresh water, access to natural resources, mild climates, and flat fertile farmland

16.  Why are most major cities built along rivers? People needed drinking water.

              Factories were built along rivers, so they could use the water to cool parts of the

              machines.     

17.  What are some of the main causes of air pollution in the United Kingdom?  Primary causes of pollution in the United Kingdom are the wastes from industry, power generation and vehicle emissions.

18.   What have European countries done to try to solve the problem of so many languages being spoken on the continent?  Students are often required to learn more than one language.

Week of October 1st

We have finished the basic economics standards and the students will take a test on them Friday. The information needed for the test is highlighted below.

We are also continuing with Europe. We are looking at the climate, location, natural resources and popultion distribution of of the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany and Italy.

Week of September 17th


The following is information that we will be covering over the next few weeks along with some of the information about Europe.
 
They will have a map test Friday.

The students were given a map of Europe to label. The countries they are required to know are the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Italy.

The physical features they are responsible for are the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Pyrenees Mountains, Alps, Ural Mountains, English Channel, Mediterranean Sea, Rhine River, Danube River, European Plain, Scandinavian Peninsula, and the Iberian Peninsula. 



The information in yellow is what we are covering this week or we have already covered.

Economics Information


Capital resource- machines, factories, supplies (example- cash register, oven)

Natural resource- raw materials to make goods –found in nature, such as: land, water, forests, minerals, soil   (example- tree, fruit)

Human resource- workers with knowledge, skills and experience to make goods or provide services (example- cashier, teacher) 

Entrepreneur – The person responsible for bringing the human, capital, and natural resources together to start a business

Goods- products (football, hula hoop)

Services- an action performed for money (example-doctor, hairdresser) 

Consumer – person who buys and uses goods and services

Producer – a person who makes or provides services 

Developed Nation

• High literacy rate
• Better jobs
• Higher standard of living
• Quality healthcare
• High life expectancy
• Commercial farming

Developing Nation

• Low literacy rate
• Low income jobs
• Low standard of living
• Poor healthcare
• Low life expectancy
• Subsistence farming

Glossary:

Literacy-ability to read

Literacy rate – the amount of people in a country that can read

Standard of living- quality of life (how good it is)

Life Expectancy- how long you are expected to live

Gross Domestic Product- the total value of all the goods and services produced in a country in one year

Import – goods coming into a country

Export – goods sold to another country

Quota –  a limit placed on the number of imports that may enter a country

Embargo – when a government stops all trade of import or export with another country  

Tariff- a tax on imports

Subsistence Farming- Farming to survive

Commercial Farming- Farming to feed thousands

Agriculture - farming

Pure Command (Communist) Economy– Government owns all businesses

Pure Market (Free Enterprise) – Government owns no businesses

Mixed Economy– a combination of government owned and privately owned businesses

All economies are mixed in some ways. Each country’s economy falls somewhere between pure command and pure market. Whichever side your country is closest to determines what it is called.

Week of September 4th

What is Government?

The people and groups within a society that have the authority to make laws and make sure that they are carried out.

Three Ways Governments distribute Power

•    Unitary – (uni = one) a form of government in which power is held by one central authority.

•  Dictatorship                                                                                            

•  Absolute monarchy 

•    Confederation – voluntary associations of independent states that come together for a common purpose

• • European Union

•    Federal – (fair and share) a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities

•  United States and Canada

(U.S. Government and State Governments)

Citizen Participation

•    Autocratic – a government in which one person possess unlimited powers and the citizens have little if any role in the government. (examples : dictatorship, absolute monarchy)

•    Oligarchic – a government led by a few elite individuals.  Citizens have a very limited role in government. (example Ancient Greece)

•    Democratic – a government in which the power is held by the people either directly or by representatives.  (example:  United States)

Two Types of Democratic Governments

•    Parliamentary – a system of government in which executive power comes from and is connected to the legislature (parliament).  May have a Prime Minister elected by the legislature.  (example: United Kingdom)

•    Presidential- system of government in which the president is constitutionally independent of the legislature.

Extra definition

•    Constitution – a document that sets up the framework of a country’s government

Week of August 27^th

We are studying landforms. The students received a handout with various landforms that they will use as a resource to create their own island.  This will be an in class project.

The students will be taking a test Friday covering basic geography skills. Landforms will not be on this test.

Information for Friday’s Unit test

• Cardinal Directions - North, South, East, West
• Intermediate Directions - Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest
• Scale - size on a map
• Key - tells what the symbols or colors stand for an a map 
• The seven continents - Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica
• The four oceans - Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic
• Latitude - (see information below)
• Longitude - (see information below)

BC - Before Christ        AD - Anno Dommini - In the year of our Lord

Decade - 10 years
Century - 100 years

Climate - The weather over a long period of time  (What you expect)
Weather - The day to day changes in the air (What you get)
  

The five fields of social studies (See below)

• Geography
• History
• Government
• Culture
• economics

Week of August 20th

We are working on latitude and longitude.

Latitude lines run east to west. Latitude measures distance north or south of the equator. The equator is the starting point for latitude and is 0°.

Longitude lines run north and south. Longitude measures distance east or west of the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian is the starting point for longitude and is 0°.

Students are locating points on a world map using latitude and longitude. They are also finding the coordinates for various places. Get them to show you how they do it.

Week of August 13

Monday - Review the five fields of social studies from last week
             - Label a political world map with the continents and oceans
             - Begin a graphic organizer on basic map skills
             - The students have their first quiz on Friday covering the five fields of
                social studies and labeling the world map with the continents and
                oceans. (They should have brought the information home               
               today to study.)

Tuesday - Complete the graphic organizer

Wednesday - Students will label the Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn,
                     Equator, Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle on a world map.
                     They will color code each area according to its climate
                    
Thursday - We will discuss the significance of the latitude lines and the climates 
                  found in each of the different areas.

Friday - Continents, oceans, and five fields quiz (see information below)
          - Complete the discussion from Thursday.

The Five Fields of Social Studies

History - Study of the past

Geography - study of the earth and its people

Government - the system that establishes and enforces laws

Economics - study of how resources are managed through production, exchange, and use of goods and services

culture - way of life of people who share similar beliefs, custom, and ideas

Upcoming Information

Study, Study, Study                              

 NAFTA was designed to promote free trade   between the United States , Canada and   Mexico                                       .

 The Aztec Empire was in modern day   Mexico .  They were   defeated because the Spanish had superior weapons  and carried European    diseases  that spread throughout the empire killing many of the indigenous people                                                                                         

 The Spanish Conquistadors came to the Americas looking for gold , glory and to spread  Christianity   to the indigenous people.

 The Incan Empire was in the Andes  Mountains. They had to build  terraces to farm high in the mountains. Their leader,  Atahualpa, was captured by Pizarro. Atahualpa offered Pizarro a room full of gold for his freedom. He was killed anyway.

 List three ways the Spanish affected the Native people of the Americas.

Driven off their land, made them change their religion and language, European diseases killed them, made into slaves

 Usually the higher the literacy   rate the higher the standard of living.

 Toussaint L’Ouverture led Haiti to independence.

 Spain changed the countries of Latin America forever. This is evident because their main language is Spanish and their main religion is Catholic. Miguel Hidalgo helped to lead Mexico to independence.

 Slaves were brought over from Africa to take the place of Native Americans that had died from overwork and European diseases.

 The slaves came on ships. Their journey was called the Middle Passage. They were usually chained in the bottom of the ship with very little food and water.

 Canada is a bilingual nation because they were colonized by the French and British.

 The people of Canada mostly live in the southern region because of the milder climate.

 Quebec is a province of Canada that wants to become independent. They are afraid their French language and culture will be replaced with the English language and culture. They are called separatists.

 Canada received their independence from Britain through a series of peaceful negotiations.

 The St. Lawrence Seaway was built by Canada and the United States to make shipment of goods from the interior of the two countries easier. 
                 
The original settlers of Australia were the Aborigines.

 Australia was colonized by the British, therefore they speak English.  It was used as a penal/prison/convict colony until gold was discovered.

 The people of Australia have a market economy and a democratic government.

 Most of the people in Australia live along the southeast coast.

 Communist countries usually have command economies.

 Goods, ideas, diseases, animals, and plants went back and forth between the Americas and Europe. This exchange was known as the Columbian Exchange.

 Information for test on 3/30
 

1. Australia is unique because it is both a country and continent.

• Australia is unique because it is both a country and continent.

• Where do most of the Australian people live?  The southeast

• Why do most of the people live in that area?
  Fresh water and mild climate and good or fertile farm land.

• Australia lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

• What is the name of the popular tourist attraction off the northeastern coast of Australia?

          The Great Barrier Reef

• Describe the “Outback”. Hot  and dry (arid)

• How does having a high literacy rate affect Australia?
  • They have an educated workforce and a high standard of living

• How does a parliamentary democracy differ from a presidential democracy?
  • In a presidential democracy the executive and legislative branches are separate and citizens get to vote for the president/executive as well as the legislators/congress.
  • In a parliamentary democracy the executive and legislative branches are together and the citizens only get to vote for the legislators/parliament. The executive/prime minister is chosen by and from the elected legislators.

• Who elects the leader of Australia?
  • Parliament

• What is the leader of Parliament called in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada?
  • Prime Minister

• Australia has what forms of government?
  • Parliamentary democracy, constitutional monarchy

• Describe the relationship between Australia and the U.K.?
  • Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of countries that once belonged to the United Kingdom.

Australia’s History

•      The Aborigines are the native/indigenous people of Australia.

•      It is believed that they came from Southeast Asia.

•      They hunted and gathered to survive

•      The Aborigines' religious beliefs center on what they call Dreamtime.                          

•      Stories and songs were used to pass their history from generation to generation 
        because they had no written language.

•      They valued art and nature.

•      The United Kingdom colonized Australia so their main language today is English.

•      Australia was started as a penal or prison colony.

•      Many of the Aborigines died from: European diseases, harsh treatment as slaves,
        wars, malnutrition.

•      British settlers began to take over the best land near fresh water.

•      Today the Aborigines make up only 1% percent of the population.

•      After gold was discovered more British settlers moved to Australia

•      Natives were forced to work on cattle and sheep stations/ranches.

Information for Test on 3/22

Canadian History Answers

1.  What two countries fought over Canada?

British and French

2.  What did the French want in Canada?

Fur

3.  What did the British want in Canada?

Land and natural resources

4.  What do we call the war that took place because of the conflict?  

French and Indian War    (French and Indians were fighting the British)

5.  Who won the war? 

Britain

7.  What land did the treaty give to the British?

Canada

8.  The signing of the Quebec Act gave the French people of Canada the right to speak

     French practice the Catholic religion, and maintain

     their culture in Canada.

6. Britain allowed Canada to rule themselves, but they still remained British

    citizens.

7. Canada joined World War I on the side of the Allies because they were still

       British citizens.

8. Which part of Canada wants to become an independent nation?

Quebec

9. Canada didn’t want them to become independent, so they wrote a new constitution, giving Quebec the right to speak French in the schools and in their businesses.

10. Canada's government is called a Parliamentary Democracy or

       Constitutional Monarchy. This means the executive and

        the legislative branches are together.

11. Whose government is Canada's modeled after?

Britain

12. Canada belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations. All the members were once British colonies. They still help one another.

 13. What is the name of the waterway the U.S. and Canada built together?

ST. Lawrence Seaway     

14. The St. Lawrence Seaway makes trade easier from the interior (inside) part of

      Canada and the United States.

15. A tariff is a tax on imported goods

16. What does NAFTA stand for?

North American Free Trade Agreement

17.  The countries included in NAFTA are the United States, Canada,

      and Mexico.

18. NAFTA did away with tariffs between the three countries to encourage trade .

19. What are Canada's two official languages?

English and French

20. Canada is a bilingual country today because the British and the French

       settled Canada and the British allowed the French to remain in Canada after defeating them

       in the French and Indian War.



Information for our quiz on 3/2

1. Cuba gained their independence from Spain. 
 

2. The U.S. kept a presence in Cuba for many years helping them by building

     bridges, roads and schools.

3. After the U.S. withdrew from Cuba they were ruled by many different

    dictators.

4. The Cuban people were unhappy with their government and found a leader

     to help their cause.  His name was Fidel Castro.

5. When Castro first took control he said he would not be a dictator.

6. What is the Cold War? A time of tension between the Soviet Union and the United

     States with no actual war between the two countries

7. The Soviet Union wanted Cuba as an ally and began trading with Cuba.   

     They supplied them with weapons, machinery, agricultural products and money.

8. What is Communism? A government/economic system where the government

     controls most everything

9. Castro soon became communist and took over American owned businesses.

10. Because of the take over of American businesses the U.S. cut off all trade

      with Cuba.

11. Where did many Cuban’s escape to when Castro turned to communism?

       The United States

12. As the dictator of Cuba what has Castro controlled? most all business

13. What is Cuba’s most important product in the world economy?

      Sugarcane

14. What are some of the troubles the people of Cuba have had under communist

       rule? very few citizens rights, no freedom of speech or press, risk of imprisonment if they speak out against the government

15. Why did the Soviet Union become an ally of Cuba?  (location, location, location)

      The Soviet Union wanted to be close enough to the United States to keep an eye on them and place missiles there that could reach the United States.

  1.     What was the Cuban Revolution?

Fidel Castro took control of Cuba using guerilla warfare.

  2.     What kind of government did they have?

communist/autocratic/unitary

  3.     What kind of economy did they have?

communist/command

  4.     What happened to U.S businesses in Cuba?

They were taken over by Castro’s communist government.

  5.     What rights did they have as citizens?

No rights as citizens and risk of imprisonment if they talked  out against the government.

  6.   What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

U.S. trained Cuban exiles tried to go in and overthrow Castro.

  7.   What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

A stand off between the United States and the Soviet Union/ Soviet, nuclear missiles were aimed at the United States from Cuba.

 




What is Economics?

• The production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

   

  Economic questions addressed by each economic system

  1.  What to produce?

  2.  How to produce?

  3.  For whom to produce?

   

  Type of economic systems

  •    Market Economic system – based on individual choices and voluntary trade.

   –  Consumers are free to spend their money any way they wish.  Producers of goods and services want to make a profit, so they must produce goods that people want and must sell them at prices people are willing to pay.

   

  •    Command Economic System – government decides what goods will be produced and how they will be produced and how they will be distributed.

  –  This system is also called communism.

  –  The wants of the people are overridden by the desire of the government.

  –  Workers do not have any incentives to do their best

  –  Production levels are low and the quality of products is often poor.

   

  •    Traditional economic system – social roles and culture determine how goods are made, sold, and bought.

  –  In this system children typically do the same job as their parents.

   

  •    Mixed economic system – on the continuum between market and command each country’s economy will fall somewhere between the two and is considered mixed.

  Other terms we will review

   Gross Domestic Product

  Tariff

  Quota

  Embargo

  Currency

  Producer

  Consumer

  Entrepreneur

  Natural Resource

  Capital Resource

  Human Resource

  Investment 

  Income

  Spending

  Credit

  Saving