World Cultures 11

Unit Latin America

Name:________________________
Block:_______
The Amazon Rainforest Internet Assignment

Purpose: This assignments goal is to expose you to basic facts about the Amazon rainforest as well as
introduce you to some of the wildlife and people that live inside it. You will also understand how the rainforest
affects the nations and people of South America and how it is facing unique challenges in the modern world.
Part I (Overview): Use www.worldwildlife.org/places/amazon and follow the directions carefully to
complete this assignment.
1. Review the photograph. Choose one descriptive word (adjective) that comes to mind and explain how it
relates to the image.
Really green there are a lot of trees and a black river running in-between the forest
2. Click on Overview and review the information, including the visuals. List the 8 nations that the
Amazon rainforest is located in.
- Brazil
- Colombia
-

Bolivia

Peru

Ecuador

- Venezuela
- Guyana
- Suriname

3. Click on Forest Habitat and review the information there, including the visuals. A forest can vary based
on several factors. What are these four factors?
latitude
- prevailing temperatures
-

local soil

- rainfall

4. What makes rainforests special?

Because they are so diverse in many ways like plants animals that live there pretty much everything there makes
a rainforest special.
5. Worldwide, how quickly is deforestation occurring? How quickly is it occurring in the Amazon? Use
statistics from the reading to explain your answer.
a. Worldwide they say that deforestation is more illegal that legal around the world
b. Amazon the amazon is just one of many rainforests that are being deforested
6. Scroll down to the Why They Matter section. Scroll through the three images and review the captions.
List and explain why rainforests matter.
a. Millions of people around the world depend on forests for hunting, gathering and medicine
b. Forest trees and other plants soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it away as
they grow and thrive
c. Eighty percent of the worlds known terrestrial plant and animal species can be found in forests,
and tropical rainforests are home to more species than any other terrestrial habitat
7. Return to the main page (www.worldwildlife.org/places/amazon) and scroll down to the Species section.
Choose three animals found in the Amazon and describe them in the chart.
Animal
Description
Giant panda
The rarest member of the bear family, pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high

Animal

Description
in the mountains of western China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo
Poison dart frog
Many other frog species camouflage themselves in the wild, but the poison dart
frog uses its brightly colored skin to warn predators that it is unfit to eat. The
frog's skin secretes a dangerous poison that can paralyze and even kill predators
Red panda
The red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat with a bear-like body and
thick russet fur. The belly and limbs are black, and there are white markings on
the side of the head and above its small eyes
Part II (Native Peoples): Use www.survivalinternational.org/about/amazontribes to learn about the native
peoples of the Amazon rainforest.
8. How many people live in the Amazon rainforest, and how are they organized?
More than 30 million people, including 350 indigenous and ethnic groups
9. To what extent have they had contact with outsiders? Explain your response.
Rarely because they rely on the amazon for all their resources
10. Create a t-chart that compares and contrasts your daily life with that of the people of the Amazon. Include
at least four points of comparison.

11. Why are land rights so important to the Amazon tribes? Read the text and watch the video clip in the Land
= Life section to answer this question.

12. Do you think most Americans agree with the viewpoint expressed by the woman in the video clip? Explain.

Part III (Current Challenges): Use www.theguardian.com/environment/amazon-rainforest to research

some of the current challenges facing the Amazon rainforest. Please be mature in handling photographs of
native people, as their dress is quite different from ours!
13. Choose articles that interest you about each of the topics in the chart. Read them and complete the chart.
Challenge
Impact (2 sentences)
Possible Solutions (2 sentences)
Deforestation
Takes valuable resources from the people
Destroy the machinery they use
and animals living in the amazon
Mining/Drilling

Crime

inefficient extraction processes lead to the

destruction of nature and wildlife, some
mining activities contribute to soil erosion
and water contamination.
Things like poaching and people get away
with it

Tell them to get off the land, or destroy or

sabotage their machinery
Put them in jail

14. Go to edition.cnn.com/2013/07/25/sport/football/football-brazil-world-cup-manaus/index.html and

review the article there. What challenges did the rainforest pose for Brazil in its efforts to prepare for the
2014 World Cup?

15. How did the regions emphasis on environmental protection influence the stadium project?