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.
Healthy. In the picture there are an abundance amount of trees and vegetation that represents the fact that the
forest in the picture is very healthy and lively.
2. Click on Overview and review the information, including the visuals. List the 8 nations that the
Amazon rainforest is located in.
- Bolivia
- Peru
-

Columbia

- Ecuador

Venezuela

- Guyana

Brazil

- 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?
- Local Soil
- Prevailing temperatures
-

Rainfall

- Latitude

4. What makes rainforests special?

Rainforests play a major role in controlling climate change because they act as a carbon sink, soaking up the
carbon dioxide that is released by people.
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 46-58 billion square miles are lost per year
b. Amazon 17% of the forest has been lost to deforestation in the past decade
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. People depend on the rainforest for a handful of things including hunting, gathering, medicine,
forest products, and small-scale agriculture.
b. The forest trees soak up the carbon dioxide and store it away
c. Many terrestrial plants and animals are inhabited in the Amazon forest
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
Jaguar

Description
The Jaguar is near threatened, grow up to 6 feet in length, inhabits forests and
grasslands, they are strong swimmers and climbers, and deforestation has threated

Sloth

their way of life.

Sloths are sluggish tree dwellers who are located in Central America and South
America. They eat leaves, twigs and buds and are excellent swimmers. They are an

Asian Elephants

important part of the internal tropical rain forests ecosystems.

Asian elephants are endangered with a mere population of 20,000 to 25,000, they
grow to about 11 feet and 11,000 pounds. They inhabit the forest, are extremely

social, and spend about 19 hours a day eating.

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?
The rainforest is home to around 1 million people who split up into about 400 tribes each with their own
language, culture, and territory.
9. To what extent have they had contact with outsiders? Explain your response.
Some tribes have had contact with outsiders for over 500 years while other tribes have never had contact
with outsiders. The reason being is because outsiders tend to take away their land and disrespect their
territory.
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.
My Daily Life
Go to the store to get fruits and vegetables
No issues with land
Go to the store to get meat or fish
Have access to modern day medicine and education

Daily life of Amazon People

Gather or grow their own vegetables and fruits
A lot of issues with land and outsiders
Hunt for their own meat and fish
Also have access to modern day medicine and education

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.
Land rights are very important to Amazon tribes because then they have a right to grow and build whatever
they want on their land. Also by having their own land rights outsiders are not allowed to take away their
land or resources.

12. Do you think most Americans agree with the viewpoint expressed by the woman in the video clip? Explain.
Yes because throughtout the video the women express their viewpoints and American people would be able
to sympathize with their opionions.

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
Not only does deforestation destroy the forest For starters people could only chop down
it also destroys the homes of many tribes that trees when absolutely needed not just for
inhabit there. Deforestation is also destroying things our countries dont need. Also, if we
the homes of many endangered animals.

could get the support of major industries we

would be able to stop deforestation or halt it

Mining/Drilling

Illegal mining is very harmful to the

for a long period of time.

Make mining illegal unless they are major

environment and is increasing the infectivity industries that have a permit to mine in

Crime

of malarial. The stagnant water that is a

certain areas. Also dont illegal drill/mine

product of the illegal mining is attracting

where misquotes are prone to inhabit.

misquotes and increasing malaria cases.

Many countries governments are getting

Dont neglect the protesters just because they

accused of neglected their citizens that are

are sticking up for something they think is

protesting. Many of the protesters are taking a wrong. Also, if the government wants control
stand against deforestation and illegal mining. over the protestors allow them to take a stand
but assert guidelines.
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?
Instead of having a year to prepare for the World Cup they only have a few months because around
December the Amazon rainforest experiences heavy rainfall which could increase floods. Also, many other
parts of the stadium have to be built elsewhere because of the forests location which is a hassle.
15. How did the regions emphasis on environmental protection influence the stadium project?
They are harnessing the Sun and the wind to create power for the Stadium which is eco-friendly and
they are also using ample rainwater to water the pitch.