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      Economic activities of North and South America

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can describe economic activities in the Americas and make comparisons between countries.

      Key learning points

      1. There is a diverse range of economic activities in North and South America.
      2. There are inequalities between the lives of people within and between countries.
      3. Different indicators can be used to measure how well a country and its people are doing.

      Keywords

      • Goods and services - Goods are items that people need or buy, e.g. food, clothes and services are systems that supply a public need, e.g. waste collection.

      • Wealth - Wealth is having a lot of money, possessions or resources.

      • Inequality - Inequality is when something is not shared evenly between everyone.

      • Indicator - An indicator is a sign that shows the level or state of something.

      Common misconception

      Everyone in a low income country must have a lower income than the people in a high income country.

      Some people in low income countries are very rich.

      Teacher tip

      Use the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to support further learning about what we all need to do well in life. Other learning resources and data tools could be used to further investigate between and in-country inequalities.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Order these countries from north to south.

      1 - Canada
      2 - Jamaica
      3 - Colombia
      4 - Argentina

      Q2.
      Match each capital city with its country.

      Correct Answer:Ottawa,Canada

      Canada

      Correct Answer:Quito,Ecuador

      Ecuador

      Correct Answer:San Jose,Costa Rica

      Costa Rica

      Correct Answer:Santiago,Chile

      Chile

      Q3.
      People can use natural resources to earn money. This helps the economy to grow.

      Correct answer: True
      False

      Q4.
      Which climate zone in the Americas would be good for growing exotic fruits like bananas?

      Correct answer: Tropical
      Arctic
      Temperate
      Desert

      Q5.
      Which of these is not something that people need to survive?

      air
      Correct answer: mobile phone
      shelter
      water

      Q6.
      Which of these is an example of a service that a business might provide?

      a pair of jeans
      a laptop
      Correct answer: a train journey
      an orange

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which North American country is the largest corn producer in the world?

      Belize
      Canada
      Panama
      Correct answer: USA

      Q2.
      Which of these South American countries grows many of the bananas we eat in the UK?

      Argentina
      Brazil
      Correct answer: Ecuador
      Paraguay

      Q3.
      Which country has the largest proven reserves of oil in the world?

      Greenland
      Colombia
      Mexico
      Correct answer: Venezuela

      Q4.
      What is manufacturing?

      the process by which goods or products are consumed
      Correct answer: the process by which goods or products are made
      the process by which goods or products are sold
      the process by which goods or products are transported

      Q5.
      Annual average income per person can be used to compare the __________ of different countries.

      climate
      population
      size
      Correct answer: wealth

      Q6.
      Which of these indicators is not used to measure the well-being of countries?

      average life expectancy (how long people live for)
      Correct answer: the size of the country
      what percentage of children go to school
      what percentage of people have access to safe drinking water

      To help you plan your 5 geography lesson on: Economic activities of North and South America, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...