Essential Questions:
What modes of transportation do people use in Mexico?
What factors influence transportation choices?
Why does the price of gas never go down in Mexico?

Objectives:

Materials: Photo slide show, Photos part 2, math worksheet

Background Notes for Teachers:
In Mexico the oil industry was nationalized in 1938 by President Lázaro Cárdenas. The state-owned company Pemex is responsible for exploration, production, refining, and marketing of oil. The Mexican Constitution gives the government control of all underground natural resources. Because Mexico produces more oil than it needs, it exports to other countries, including the United States. In 2005, exports totaled more than US$21 billion, about one-third of total government revenues. Because Pemex controls the price of gasoline throughout the country, gas stations do not compete based on price. The price of gas does not change constantly as in the United States, and the price never decreases. Until recently, gasoline prices were much higher in Mexico than in the U.S. As of July 2006, prices in Mexico were slightly lower than those in the U.S. (Note: in border regions the prices do fluctuate.) To accurately compare the cost of gasoline in Mexico and the U.S., we have to consider how it might fit into individuals' budgets. Minimum wage in Mexico (which varies slightly by region) is less than 50 pesos per day, or less than US$5. In the U.S. the minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, or $41.20 for an eight-hour day. Clearly, gasoline is not affordable for many Mexicans. Total consumption of gasoline in 2000 was 1,679 liters per person in the United States and 300 liters per person in Mexico.

Class discussion: (discussion may be conducted in Spanish or English)
1. In lower-level classes, use the pictures to introduce or review transportation vocabulary items: a pie, en carro, en autobús, en taxi, en motocicleta, en mototaxi, en bicicleta, a caballo

2. Show pictures of the Pemex station. Ask students to guess what they are looking at. (Expected response: gas station) Ask students what the name Pemex refers to. (Lead students to response: Petróleos Mexicanos.) Ask students why the sign is green, white, and red. (They are the colors of the Mexican flag.) Show the picture of the Pemex sign that says Magna, Premium, and Diesel. Students should speculate that these are the available types of gasoline. The ES 5206 refers to the station number. Show the 87 octane and 93 octane pumps side by side. Ask students which is Magna and which is Premium. (Answer: Premium is the higher octane. You may wish to go back to the sign picture. Premium is also red, like the pump's handle; Magna is green.) Show the side by side comparison of the U.S. gas station sign and the Pemex sign. Ask students what information is missing from the Mexican sign. (Expected response: the prices). Ask students why we have prices on the signs in the U.S. (So we can compare prices and decide where to buy gasoline.) Ask students why the information is not on the Mexican sign. (Lead students to the response: because there is only one oil company in Mexico, the price is the same in most parts of the country, so there is no need to post the price so visibly.)

3. So what is the price of gasoline? Ask students the current price of gasoline in the U.S. Show the pictures of the gas pumps and help students to identify the three numbers: the total sale, the number of liters, and the price per liter in pesos. Ask how many liters are in one gallon (Answer: 1 gallon = 3.79 liters) So to calculate the price in gallons, multiply the price (6.620 pesos per liter in the case of Magna) by 3.79. (Answer: 25.09 pesos per gallon for Magna, and 29.64 pesos per gallon for premium.) To calculate dollars per gallon, divide by the exchange rate. (Either use 10.5 pesos per dollar or look up the current rate. Answer: Approximately $2.40 per gallon for Magna and $2.80 per gallon for premium.)

4. So how does the price of gasoline affect people's choice of transportation? Ask students who drive whether they have their own cars or buy their own gas. Ask whether they have after-school jobs. Compare the price of gas to the minimum wage. Then compare that information to facts about Mexico. If the minimum wage is 48 pesos per day, that's an hourly rate of about 6 pesos per hour, assuming an 8-hour day. Convert that number to dollars using the current exchange rate. (Assuming about 10.5 pesos to the dollar, that's 57 cents per hour.) Given that information, lead students to the conclusion that gasoline may be prohibitively expensive for many Mexicans. Public transportation is much more widely used, including buses, taxis, and subways.

5. Show students the picture of cars in Mexico city. Ask students what they notice about the size of the cars. (Answer: they are all compact cars that get better mileage than larger cars.) There are about 4 million cars in Mexico city (pop. 20+ million).

6. Ask students what other factors determine their choice of transportation. How are their communities designed? Is it easy to get around without a car? Is public transportation easily available? Do most people live close to their jobs? Have your students lived in other areas where it is more or less convenient to use public transportation?

Assessment:
Ask students to answer some or all of the following questions.
1. What is Pemex?
2. Why are there no prices on the large Pemex signs that can be seen from the highway?
3. List and explain 3 factors that influence a person's decision take public transportation to work instead of driving a car.

Project ideas:
1. Survey friends or neighbors about their attitudes toward public transportation and report the results of the survey.
2. Make a poster encouraging people to use their cars less to conserve energy and resources.
3. Write a persuasive paragraph or essay recommending changes your town council could make to encourage people to drive less.
4. Advanced levels: Research the pros and cons of a nationalized oil industry. Debate these in class.

Extension activities:
1. Complete the math worksheet to practice converting currencies and measures of volume.
2. Discuss how the environment relates to transportation choices. For example, in Mexico city each car has one weekday on which it cannot be driven. This is to reduce air pollution and smog. Some people who can afford it have bought a second car so they can avoid this rule.

Additional Resources:

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