Mexico
PowerPoint
Mrs. Vondell & Mrs. Prue
5th grade
June 2008
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
History (Native Groups, Spanish Conquest, Independence)
Government (System/ Leaders, Currency, Education)
Economy (Business/Industry, Trade, Jobs)
Culture (Language, Food & Music, Clothing)
Geography ( Regions, Climate, Animal Habitats)
Entertainment (Sports, Activities, Holidays)
Famous People (Artists, Writers, Other)
Spanish Conquest
Spain took over
Mexico in the
1500’s. Their
leader was
Hernando Cortez.
Cortez tried to rob
Mexico of its
natural resources.
From 1520-1720
there were no major
threats. In the 19th
century, Spanish
rulers controlled
over 550 Spanish
people.
Independence
Native Groups
The Mayan history
began around
A.D.320. The Mayans
are divided into 4
social groups: the
Ruling Class, Priest,
Craftsman, and
Common Farmers.
During the 16th
century Aztec’s lived
in southern Mexico.
The Aztec have 4
ruling classes: the
King, High Priest,
and Merchants and
the poor.
Mexico became free
in 1821. The United
States paid $15
million to Mexico,
which gave up twofifths of its territory.
Porfirio Diaz ruled as
a dictator in 1910.
Mexico went to war
from 1846-1848.
Throughout 18101821 Mexican’s
independence from
Spain began.
Currency
1 hundred
centavos =
1 peso
A peso has
an angel and
the seal of
Mexico on it.
Education
System/Leaders
Mexico has a free
education and
public and private
schools. Children
ages 6 to 14 go to
school. They start at
8:00 am and finish
at 1:00 pm.
The Mexican system
of government has
three branches:
Legislative, Executive,
and Judicial. The
National Anthem is
God and Freedom.
Jobs
Jobs in Mexico are service
industries, banking, farming,
tourism, seaports, railroads,
gas distribution, pottery, basket
making, oil rig workers, hotel
workers, government workers,
and construction workers .
Trade
Trade in Mexico
includes clothing,
pottery, blankets, corn,
wheat, beef, dairy
products, and wood
products. There is a
free trade agreement
between Canada, the
United States, and
Mexico. It is an
agreement that says
trade is free between
Mexico, Canada, and
the United States.
Business / Industry
Businesses in Mexico
are seaports,
railroads, airports,
telecommunications,
and manufacturing.
Industries in Mexico
are food, tobacco,
iron, steel,
automobiles,
clothing, and more.
Clothing
Poor women wore skirts to
their ankle and over sized
blouses. Men wore loin
cloths and a cloak called a
timantli tied over their right
shoulders. Upper class
merchants wore there
timantli tied under their
chins. Wealthy women wore
flowing dresses with fine
jewelry and head dresses.
Traditional Native clothing is
hand woven cloth of cotton
of wool. They are often
embroidered with colorful
designs and patterns.
Today many people wear tshirts, jeans, skirts, blouses,
pants, and jackets.
Food
Language
In Mexico many
people speak
Spanish. Other
people in
Mexico speak
Indian.
Tamales, chocolate, chili,
peppers, and corn are the
most important foods in
Mexico. The foods in Mexico
are mostly Spanish and
French foods. Some French
foods are dog and duck. One
favorite food in Mexico is the
taco!
A. Regions
There are ten regions in Mexico.
They are:
BAJA CALIFORNIA, SENORAN
PLAINS, WESTERN SIERRA MADRE
MOUNTAINS,CENTRAL PLATEAU,
TROPICAL COASTAL PLAINS,
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, VOLCANIC
REGIONS, SOUTHERN SIERRA
MADREA MOUNTAINS, SOUTHERN
HIGHLANDS, YUCTAN PENINSULA .
B .Climate/Weather
The average summer temperature is
80ºF. The average winter
temperature is 75ºF. The days are
hot and nights are cold. The average
rainfall is 4 to 27 days of rain a
month.
C. Animal Habitat
Some animals in Mexico:
Rabbits, Snakes, Badger, Tortoise, Gila
Monster, Horned Sheep, Puma, Bats,
Coatamundi, Monarch Butterfly, and
Dolphins.
One of Mexico’s holidays is the
Day of the Dead. People visit
their loved ones that have died.
Family members go to the graves
and bring flowers and make
candy with names of loved ones
on it.
Fiestas are big celebrations that
include fireworks, dancing, and lots of
food. Piñatas are big decorations that
you can hit with a stick and candy
and toys fall out.
Sports
Soccer, bullfighting baseball, and
volleyball are the favorite sports in
Mexico. Soccer is called futball. The
Mexican Futball Stadium holds about
100,000 fans. Charreria is another
Mexican sport. It is a lot like the rodeo.
Charros are cowboys who compete in the
event.
By Nicole Hart and Tyler Brooks
Artists
Leaders
There are many
artists in Mexico that
make beautiful
pottery, paintings,
and other types of
art. The first artist is
Frida Kahlo. She
does paintings of
herself.
Her husband is
Diego Rivera. Diego
Rivera is a famous
artist, too. He does
paintings and
sometimes pottery.
Pancho Villa was
a famous leader
in Mexico.
Miguel Hidalgo
was a professor
and then was
given rank of
Captain in the
Mexican army.
Writers
Mexico is home
to many famous
writers. Most
Mexican writers
tell stories and
legends about
Mexico. Carlos
Fuentes writes
stories about
himself and other
people.
By Marissa Panhurst and Cole Phillips