WorldCultures11

UnitLatinAmerica

Name:________________________
Block:_______
TheAmazonRainforestInternetAssignment

Purpose:
ThisassignmentsgoalistoexposeyoutobasicfactsabouttheAmazonrainforestaswellas
introduceyoutosomeofthewildlifeandpeoplethatliveinsideit.Youwillalsounderstandhowtherainforest
affectsthenationsandpeopleofSouthAmericaandhowitisfacinguniquechallengesinthemodernworld.

PartI(Overview):

Use
www.worldwildlife.org/places/amazon
andfollowthedirectionscarefullyto
completethisassignment.

1. Reviewthephotograph.Chooseonedescriptiveword(adjective)thatcomestomindandexplainhowit
relatestotheimage.
Green,therearealotoftreesandyoucantevenseethegroundoftheforest.Alotofanimalslivethere
andeveninthetrees.

2. ClickonOverviewandreviewtheinformation,includingthevisuals.
Listthe8nationsthatthe
Amazonrainforestislocatedin.
BrazilColumbia

BoliviaVenezuela

PeruGuyana

EcuadorSuriname

3. ClickonForestHabitatandreviewtheinformationthere,includingthevisuals.Aforestcanvarybased
onseveralfactors.Whatarethese
four
factors?
LocalSoilRainfall

Latitude

Temperatures

4. Whatmakesrainforestsspecial?
Theforestishometo80%oftheworldsterrestrialBiodiversity.

5. Worldwide,howquicklyisdeforestationoccurring?HowquicklyisitoccurringintheAmazon?Use
statisticsfromthereadingtoexplainyouranswer.
a. Worldwide
4658millionsquaremilesayear
b. Amazon
Lost17%inthelasthalfcentury.
6. ScrolldowntotheWhyTheyMattersection.Scrollthroughthethreeimagesandreviewthecaptions.
Listandexplainwhyrainforestsmatter.
a. PeopleusetheRainforesttohunt
b. Gatheringandmedicine
c. Smallscaleagriculture
7. Returntothemainpage(
www.worldwildlife.org/places/amazon
)andscrolldowntotheSpeciessection.
Choose
three
animalsfoundintheAmazonanddescribetheminthechart.
Animal
Description

Macaw

Macawsareverysmartbirds.Theycanliveupto60years.Theyhavevery
vibrantcoloredfeathers.

Jaguar

Theyarestrongswimmersandclimbers.Theyneedtohavealotofspace
andtropicalrainforesttosurvive.

BlackspiderMonkey

TheyarefoundinEasternSouthAmericaareasnorthoftheAmazonRiver.
Theyareoneof7speciesofspidermonkeys.

PartII(NativePeoples)
:
Use
www.worldwildlife.org/places/amazon
tolearnaboutthenativepeoplesofthe
Amazonrainforest.
8. HowmanypeopleliveintheAmazonrainforest,andhowaretheyorganized?
Morethan30millionpeopleliveintheAmazonrainforestandtheyareorganizedinmorethan350
ethnicgroups.Eachofthegrouphavetheirownlanguage,Territory,andculture.

9. Towhatextenthavetheyhadcontactwithoutsiders?Explainyourresponse.
Theyvehadcontactwiththeoutsidersfor500yearsbutsomeofthetribeshavenotbeencontactedatall.

10. Createa
tchart
thatcomparesandcontrastsyourdailylifewiththatofthepeopleoftheAmazon.Include
atleast
four
pointsofcomparison
ME
PeopleoftheAmazon
Groceryshopformyfood
Huntforfood
Ihaveonehome
Theyarenomadic
Iliveinthesuburbs
Theyliveinvillagesalongrivers

11. WhyarelandrightssoimportanttotheAmazontribes?ReadthetextandwatchthevideoclipintheLand
=Lifesectiontoanswerthisquestion.
LandisthemostimportantthingtothepeopleintheAmazonTribes.Itgivesthemasenseof
ownership.Itprovidesthemwithahomeandresourcesthattheyneedtosurvive.

12. DoyouthinkmostAmericansagreewiththeviewpointexpressedbythewomaninthevideoclip?Explain.

PartIII(CurrentChallenges)
:
Use
www.theguardian.com/environment/amazonrainforest
toresearch
someofthecurrentchallengesfacingtheAmazonrainforest.Pleasebematureinhandlingphotographsof
nativepeople,astheirdressisquitedifferentfromours!

13. Choosearticlesthatinterestyouabouteachofthetopicsinthechart.Readthemandcompletethechart.
Challenge
Impact(2sentences)
PossibleSolutions(2sentences)
Deforestation
Chocolateplantationsarestartingto
Movethechocolateplantationsto

becomeaproblembecauseof
deforestation.MelkaGroup

somewhereelse.

Companieshaveillegallydeforested
nearly7,000hectaresofmainlyprimary
rainforestinPeruoverthelastthree
years.

Mining/Drilling

Thepriceofgoldhasbeenrisingandhasled Theycouldchangethechemicalstheyuse
toanincreaseofdeforestationofthe

tomoregreenproducts,thatway

amazon.
goldmininghasworsesideeffects

vegetationwillbeabletogrow.There

thenagriculture,livestockandillegal
logging,becauseminersusecyanide,

wouldbelessdeforestation.

mercuryandarsenic,whichcontaminates
watersourcesoverawiderareaandslows
theregrowthofvegetation.

Crime

AuthoritiesinPeruhaveevacuateda

Theyneedtobeabletocontrolthetribes

junglevillageafteritwasraidedbya

thatliveinthejunglebetter.

tribe.200menarmedwithbowand
arrowstookmachetes,rope,blanketsand
foodintheattack.

14. Goto
edition.cnn.com/2013/07/25/sport/football/footballbrazilworldcupmanaus/index.html
and
reviewthearticlethere.WhatchallengesdidtherainforestposeforBrazilinitseffortstoprepareforthe
2014WorldCup?
TheRainforesthasarainyseasonandthatbeginsinDecember.Thiscouldlastforareallylongtime.This
makesconstructionadifficultthingtoplan.Therewereotherpartsofthestadiumthatwerebeingbuiltin
differentareas,likePortugal,sotheydidnotalwayshaveeasyaccesstoallpartsofthestadium.

15. Howdidtheregionsemphasisonenvironmentalprotectioninfluencethestadiumproject?
ThestadiumhassomeEcofriendlyaspectstoit.Suchasthefactthatitwillbepoweredbysunlightand
thewind.