World History, Grades 9-12

SKILLBUILDERHANDBOOKR5

1.4 Identifying Problems and Solutions

IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS means finding and understanding the difficulties faced by

a particular group of people at a certain time. Noticing how the people solved their

problems is IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS.Checking further to see how well those

solutions worked is identifying outcomes.

Understanding the Skill

STRATEGY: LOOK FOR PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS. The passage below summarizes

some economic problems facing Latin American nations during the early 20th century.

STRATEGY: MAKE A CHART.

Applying the Skill

MAKE YOUR OWN CHART. Turn to Chapter 31 and read “Postwar Europe” on

page 904. Make a chart that lists the problems Germany faced after World War I.

List the solutions that were tried and whatever outcomes are mentioned.

Section 1: Reading Critically

Look for implied problems.

Problems may be suggested indi-

rectly. This sentence suggests that

a serious problem in Latin America

was the uneven division of wealth.

Look for problems people face.

Look for solutions people tried

to deal with each problem.

Check outcomes to the

solutions. See how well the

solutions worked. Sometimes

the solution to one problem

caused another problem.

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Summarize the problems and

solutions in a chart. Identify

the problem or problems and the

steps taken to solve them. Look

for the short- and long-term

effects of the solutions.

Land Reform In Latin America

In Latin America, concentration of productive land in the hands of a few created extremes of

wealth and poverty. Poor peasants had no choice but to work large estates owned by a few wealthy

families. Landlords had no reason to invest in expensive farm machinery when labor was so cheap.

Farming methods were inefficient and economic development was slow.

As Latin American nations began to modernize in the 20th century, land ownership became

a political issue. In response, a handful of countries began land reform programs. These programs

divided large estates into smaller plots. Small plots of land were in turn distributed to farm families

or granted to villages for communal farming. However, just turning over the land to the landless was

not enough. Peasant farmers needed instruction, seeds, equipment, and credit. If the land and the

people were to be productive, governments would have to provide assistance to the peasants.

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Problems

A few wealthy people

owned most of the land.

Inefficient farming resulted

in slow economic development.

Peasants lacked equipment,

resources, skills.

Solutions

Land reform programs

divided large estates into

smaller plots.

Governments would have to

assist with loans and

instruction.

Outcomes

Peasants were given land,

and communal farms were

set up.

Not stated.