From a Spanish fortress on the Caribbean coast to a native hamlet on the Amazon River, from a village of descendants of runaway slaves to a renowned city center dedicated to bicycles, this sprawling nation offers an unexpected variety of cultures and urban landscapes. We hop from coast to center to south in search of the Colombian nation.

Learning Objective

Students will learn about economic progress, urban development and conservation in the Columbian nation.

Social Studies Standards

People, Places, & Environment: E, F

Discussion Prompts

• What factors or events have shifted Columbia’s past reputation of violence and conflict to one of economic progress, urban development and conservation?How is the Cyclovia beneficial for people physically, emotionally and socially, and how does it benefit the larger city?
• What do you think it would be like to live in the rural area of Southern Columbia in Leticia by the Amazon River? How would the river factor into your daily life and affect the choices you make?
• What does a cultural anthropologist do and what skills and training would you need to be successful in this career?

Lesson Activities

• You have been asked to plan a Cyclovia in your city modeled after the one in Bogotá. How would you plan this event and what would you need to keep in mind?Create a diagram that shows how the Amazon River is a climate driver and what factors drive the climate. Add notes to your diagram to explain how this cycle works.
• You have been hired to convince city officials to build a rapid transit system for a city similar to Bogotá. Write a speech about the Transmilenio’s success, listing the economic and environmental reasons in favor of this system from the standpoint of urban planning.
• Create a poster of a vintage Amazonian meal. Describe the foods, how they would be cooked and prepared, and where the different foods comes from.

Vocabulary

• Cyclovia
• dubious
• converge
• gregarious
• sector
• stilts
• sustenance
• territorial
• tributaries
• vintage

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Lesson Plan