Mexico Today

Delve into the amazing country of Mexico in this information-packed geography scheme of work for Year 3/4!

Children will compare and contrast Mexico and the UK, and then find out more about both the physical and human geography of the country, including the climate. They will immerse themselves in the culture of Mexico, and then advise tourists on how best to experience the country. This downloadable ready-to-teach Geography lesson pack contains lesson plans, slideshow presentations and printable teaching resources.

You may also be interested in our The Maya Topic Bundle - perfect if you want to take a cross-curricular approach to teaching!

Comparing Mexico to the UK

How is Mexico similar or different to the UK? In this first lesson, children will begin by sharing what they already know about the two countries. As a class, they then look at a range of pictures of Mexico, and discuss what this tells them about the country, including how similar or different it is to the UK. In their independent activities, children sort picture and information cards into two piles depending on which country they think they represent and explain their reasoning.

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Where in the world is Mexico?

Where in the world is Mexico? Children begin this lesson by finding the country on a world map. As a class, they will then look in more detail at the country, learning about the main regions of Mexico, and locating the major cities, the bordering countries, and the surrounding bodies of water. In their independent activities, children record what they have learnt on their own maps of Mexico, or in the alternate activity, use their knowledge of the country to match up information on domino cards.

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Weather and Climate

What is the weather like in Mexico? Children first discuss the difference between weather and climate. They then look at the many different factors that affect what the climate of an area is like. Children find out about Mexico’s two main climate zones, and in their independent activities, interpret data from graphs and tables in order to answer questions about, and compare and contrast, different cities within these climate zones.

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Physical Geography

What is the physical geography of Mexico like? In this lesson, children will find out both the meaning of the term physical geography, as well as learning about Mexico’s extremely varied landscape, which includes deserts, jungles and mountains. They will explore these locations in more detail in their independent activities.

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Mexican Culture

What is the culture of Mexico like? Children are first introduced to the concept of human geography, and learn that one aspect of this concerns the culture of a society. In their independent activities, children use their research skills to find out about Mexican festivals, food, sports and music & dance, and use what they have learnt to answer questions, retrieve facts or create information booklets. Alternatively, they apply their knowledge of Mexican culture in order to play a game.

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Tourist Destination

Why do people visit Mexico? In this final lesson, children look at Mexico as a holiday destination. They identify and discuss what might attract tourists to the country. In their independent activities, they use this knowledge, as well as that which they have amassed over the previous lessons, to advise different tourists about what they could see and do whilst on a trip to Mexico.

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