Geography
Ms. Avar
Point Value:
/ 5 / / Exploring South America / Full Name:______
Period #:______
Today’s Date:______
Assignment #: ______

Instructions: Do NOT START YET!! Listen for instructions to complete this assignment.

(If you were absent, you will need to make an appointment to see the sample binder for information)

This may be the world’s fifth largest country, but it’s number one when it comes to one of the world’s largest freshwater fish. The fish, known as the pirarucu or the paiche, is impressive – it can grow to a length of 10 feet and a weight of 250 pounds – but its diet is what really sets it apart. It’s a fruit eater, lunging out of the water to grab fruit from overhanging tree branches. This fish provides more than food. The indigenous people use its tough scales and bony tongue as tools. You hear Portuguese, not Spanish, being spoken. Portuguese is the national language for only one country in all of Latin America.

WHERE ON EARTH ARE YOU??? ______

Once you have decided where you are, you will move with your group to your country’s information page and, together, research the information you will need to answer the following questions. WAIT FOR MS. AVAR TO SAY YOU CAN GO EXPLORING!

Exploration One:

a. Is the Amazon the longest river in the world? Explain.

b. What are some interesting facts about the Amazon?

Exploration Two:

a. What IS the Greenhouse Effect?

b. Today the rainforest is being cut down for logging and farming at an alarming rate. What does this

have to do with the Greenhouse Effect?

Exploration Three:

a. Who were the first to process rubber?

b. What happened in the late 1800s and 1900s to these people?

c. Why is there a higher demand for rubber?