E
H
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I
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WHAT ISN?
AMAZO
UNIT OVERVIEW
In this unit, children find out about the Amazon region of
South America, considering what it is like to live in the
region, as well as how it is being damaged and how it can
be protected. The unit builds on previous work the
children may have done in Key Stage 1 on rainforests, and
the unit of work on North America, earlier in this series.
CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES
In this unit the children will:
đƫExtend their knowledge and understanding beyond
their local area to include South America
đƫDevelop their use of geographical knowledge,
understanding and skills to enhance their locational
and place knowledge
đƫLocate the world's countries using maps, and
concentrate on their environmental regions, key
physical and human characteristics, countries and
major cities
đƫUnderstand geographical similarities and differences
through the study of human and physical geography
of a region in South America
đƫDescribe and understand key aspects of physical and
human geography
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mapping to locate countries and describe features
studied.
CROSS-CURRICULAR LINKS
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Ĩ!//+*ƫĂĩĎƫ.!/!.$ƫ/'%((/Čƫ*+0!ġ0'%*#Čƫ*+*ġ
chronological reports (Lesson 3)
Maths: direction and compass points, distance (Lesson 1)
Science:ƫ$%00/ƫ* ƫ ,00%+*ƫĨ!//+*ƫĂĩĎƫ/00!/ƫ+"ƫ
matter – properties of liquids (Lesson 3)
Computing:ƫ)'%*#ƫ*ƫ*%)0%+*ƫĨ!//+*ƫćĩĎƫ!ġ/"!05ƫĢƫ
using the internet safely and effectively for research
(Lesson 3)
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(Lesson 4)
This unit also includes many opportunities to explore
issues involving sustainability and global warming.
24
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WHAT IS THE AMAZ
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MAP WORK
This unit has lots of opportunities for both using and
creating maps at a range of scales, particularly during
Lesson 1. During this unit, children will begin with world
maps, before moving on to maps of South America and
Brazil. This allows them to develop their skills in locating
and describing features studied.
FIELDWORK
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unit does lend itself to opportunities for local area
fieldwork. Children can investigate their local area,
considering its change in their locality, as well as
studying any protected areas using the same enquiry
process as their study of the Amazon region.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Amazon is a vast region that spans eight countries:
Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela,
Guyana and Suriname, as well as French Guiana (an
overseas territory of France). The Amazon River Basin is
home to the largest rainforest in the world and covers
almost 40% of South America.
The region consists of a variety of ecosystems including
rainforests, seasonal forests, deciduous forests, flooded
forests and savannahs. However, the region is most
renowned for its rainforest, which covers most of
the Amazon Basin. 5,500,000 square kilometres of the
basin are covered by the rainforest, 60% of which is in
Brazil. The Amazon represents over half of the planet’s
remaining rainforests and has an estimated 390 billion
individual trees comprising of 16,000 species.
UNIT 3 WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THE AMAZON?
The Amazon is home to an estimated 10% of all species
found on Earth. Scientists estimate that there are at least
40,000 plant species, 427 types of mammal, 1,300 types
of bird, 378 types of reptile, 400 types of amphibian, and
around 3,000 types of freshwater fish.
The Amazon is also home to more than 30 million
people, and about 9% of these are indigenous people –
350 different ethnic groups, more than 60 of which still
remain largely isolated.
The Amazon River is the largest river by discharge of
water in the world – greater than the next seven largest
rivers combined. It is the second longest river in the
world after the Nile, and has the largest drainage
basin in the world – about 7,050,000 square kilometres
– which accounts for approximately one-fifth of the
world’s total river flow.
The Amazon has a tropical climate, which is typical in
areas close to the equator (12 degrees north or south of
the equator). There are only two seasons: wet and dry.
The region is undergoing change due to commercial
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hydro-electric schemes, road building (Trans-Amazon
highway), logging and forest clearance fires.
The Amazon region is globally significant both ecologically
and environmentally, but it is also an important comparison
to many areas of the UK, which are also special and
threatened. There are currently 1,150 species and 65 habitats
on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, which is a published list
of conservation priorities that are under threat because of
their rarity and rate of decline.
KEY VOCABULARY
đƫContinent, country, region: an area that is defined
by certain unifying characteristics, which may be
physical, human, or cultural
đƫHuman features: created by humans, e.g. roads,
houses, canals
đƫLocation vocabulary: e.g. longitude, latitude,
Tropic of Capricorn, north, east, south, west
đƫPhysical features: naturally occurring e.g. rivers,
mountains
đƫPrimary source: information from the actual time,
place or event, e.g. photos, video, eye-witness
accounts
đƫSecondary source: a source which presents
information originally presented elsewhere, e.g.
a school textbook, and encyclopedia etc
đƫRainforest: a tropical forest which has a high
annual rainfall
đƫRiver: a natural watercourse, flowing towards the
sea, an ocean or a lake.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING AREA
Create an ‘Amazon Enquiry Centre’ in the classroom,
where children can pose their own questions about the
Amazon, with the resources to research the answers.
Provide a selection of books, photographs, artefacts
(such as everyday items that originate in the rainforest:
brazil nuts, coffee etc.) leaflets and suggested websites.
Create a tree display on the wall and provide the
children with blank leaves in two colours. Ask the
children to write their research findings on a leaf and
add it to the tree. Challenge children further by asking
them to write information relating to human geography
on one colour and physical geography on another.
Pose several enquiry questions to get the children
started, e.g. Where is the Rio Hamza? (The Rio Hamza is
an underground river, or aquifer, running 4km below the
Amazon.) See the Voyagers website for more ideas.
ASSESSMENT
All children can:
đƫUse an atlas, map or globe to locate the Amazon
rainforest and Amazon River
đƫExplain some of the ways in which the Amazon
rainforest is valuable
đƫCorrectly use some of the key vocabulary
đƫUnderstand how they can play a role in preserving
the environment
đƫName at least one animal that lives in the Amazon
and describe how it has adapted to its habitat.
Most children can:
đƫIdentify and name some of the countries in which
the Amazon is located
đƫChoose and use appropriate sources for
geographical research
đƫExplain the value of the Amazon rainforest and some
ways in which it can be protected
đƫDescribe some similarities and differences between
their local area and a region in South America
đƫDescribe what the climate is like in Amazonas.
Some children can:
đƫEvaluate and refine the effectiveness of their
research methods
đƫCorrectly use all the key vocabulary
đƫUnderstand that communities change over time.
25
UNIT 3 WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THE AMAZON?
MAZON?
A
E
H
T
IS
E
1. WHER
OBJECTIVE
SUCCESS CRITERIA
đƫI know the eight countries
that the Amazon region
spans.
đƫI understand that ‘The
Amazon’ may refer to a
river, a river basin or a
rainforest region.
đƫI can locate the Amazon
basin and Amazon
River on a map of South
America.
RESOURCES
đƫBlank world map
đƫDigital blank map #1
đƫDigital blank map #2
đƫDigital sticky note tool #1
đƫDigital sticky note tool #2
đƫA class set of atlases
đƫMap of South America
đƫModelling clay in a range
of colours
đƫCocktail sticks
đƫAn introduction to the
Amazon River.
đƫTo understand what the Amazon is and where it is located
ACTIVITIES
Ask the children what they know about the Amazon. Get the children to work
in pairs or small groups to share their initial ideas. Direct the discussion by
posing questions such as:
What is the Amazon?
Where is the Amazon?
What is it like there?
You may wish to use a digital sticky note tool, such as primarywall.com or
padlet.com, to share ideas and discuss any misconceptions.
Establish that ‘The Amazon’ may refer to a region, a river, a rainforest or a river
basin. Provide pairs with an atlas and ask if the children can find the Amazon
River and rainforest, revising how to use an atlas to find a specific location. Ask
them which continent and countries it is in.
Using either a blank world map or a digital resource, revise the names
and locations of continents and oceans. Encourage the children to use
geographical language to describe the location of South America, making
reference to its global location (in comparison with other continents, the
equator and the Tropic of Capricorn), its size and its latitude. Ask the children
in pairs to use an atlas to identify key features of South America, such as key
cities, Tierra del Fuego and the Andes (the source of the Amazon River is in
the Peruvian Andes).
Give pairs or small groups an atlas, a blank map of South America and modelling
clay of various colours (excluding blue and green). Ask the children to use the
coloured modelling clay to outline the borders of the countries in South America,
using cocktail stick flags to add labels. You may wish to give less able children a
copy of a simpler map rather than an atlas.
Give the children blue and green modelling clay, and ask them to add an
additional layer by marking the Amazon basin in green and the Amazon River
in blue. Some children may wish to add some tributaries too.
Show the children the short video clip introducing the river and explain that they
will be finding out more about the region in the coming weeks. Still working in
groups or pairs, challenge the children to use as much geographical vocabulary as
possible to describe the location of the Amazon. Give them some time to prepare
their description. You may wish to model this yourself first. Support less able
children by providing a word list.
ARD
O
B
A
L
L
A
!
Hold an informal contest: which group can speak for the longest without
repetition? Which group uses the most geographical words?
Extension: Challenge the children to make a plasticine map of the UK without using a base map. Can they do this
without looking at a map? Can they add any settlements or physical features of the UK to their map? What
important features do they feel should be included? Give the children appropriate paper or digital maps to allow
them to add to their UK map. Finish the activity by allowing the children to peer-assess each other’s work.
26
A WALK
E
K
A
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D IT BE LIK AINFOREST?
L
U
O
W
T
A
H
2. W
MAZON R
A
E
H
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H
G
U
O
THR
UNIT 3 WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THE AMAZON?
OBJECTIVE
SUCCESS CRITERIA
đƫI know that the Amazon
has a wet and a dry
season.
đƫI can describe how the
climate in the Amazon is
different to the climate in
the UK.
đƫI understand that animals
are adapted to their
habitat, and can give at
least one example of an
animal from the Amazon
rainforest.
RESOURCES
đƫClimate charts for your
local area
đƫClimate charts for Manaus
đƫAmazonian mammals
đƫComparing human and
physical features
đƫResearch sheet plan
đƫInformation sheet plan
đƫCreating a mind map #1
đƫCreating a mind map #2
đƫAccess to internetenabled computers or
tablets.
đƫTo understand the Amazon’s climate and how the native animals are
adapted to it
ACTIVITIES
Explain that during this lesson, the children are going to imagine what it might
be like to walk through the Amazon rainforest. Ask the children if they have ever
been on a walk through a forest in the UK. Ask them to describe the experience
to their partner, using all of their senses. Ask the children to feed back their
experiences, and record their responses in the form of a class list poem.
Ask the children what the weather was like during their walk. Hopefully
you will get some contrasting examples, but if not, draw out the idea that
the weather will have been different on different days and during different
seasons. Explain that ‘weather’ is the given conditions on a particular day, but
‘climate’ refers to average weather patterns in a given place. Ask the children
what they think the climate is like in the Amazon rainforest.
Establish that the Amazon doesn’t have four seasons as in the UK (in the
Amazon, the variation in temperature between day and night is bigger than the
variation in temperature at different times of the year). However, there is a wet
and a dry season. See online resource bank for a useful summary and graph.
Provide the children a simple climate graph for Manaus and their local area
and ask them to write a description of the climate in both localities, noting the
key differences.
Identify the plants and animals that the children may have observed in a
British forest. Would the children expect to see similar or different plants and
animals in the Amazon rainforest? Why? Establish that plants and animals
are adapted to their environment, giving a few simple examples to illustrate
this point.
Ask the children what plants and animals they would expect to see in the
Amazon rainforest and why. Using the BBC website Amazonian mammals ask
the children to work in pairs to research an Amazonian animal of their choice,
finding out how it is adapted to its habitat. Ask the children to produce a
poster about their chosen animal. Allow the pairs to share their findings with
the rest of the class and create a class display of their posters.
Ask the children to imagine walking through the Amazon rainforest. Ask them
to describe the walk to their partner, referring to all of their senses. Record
their responses in the form of a class list poem.
SET SAIL
!
Extension: As a class, decide on 5 categories for a class game of Amazon Animal Top Trumps (e.g. length, level of
endangerment, number of teeth etc.) Ask each child to create two cards including an image. Once finished, collate
the cards into a pack and place them in the ‘Amazon Enquiry Centre’ for children to explore independently.
27
UNIT 3 WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THE AMAZON?
ANAUS
M
IS
T
A
H
3. W
LIKE?
OBJECTIVE
SUCCESS CRITERIA
đƫI know the key human and
physical features of
Manaus.
đƫI can describe some of
the ways in which Manaus
differs from where I live.
đƫI understand how to
research a distant city.
RESOURCES
đƫLiving in Manaus with
Carlos
đƫLife in Manaus
đƫThe Meeting of the
Waters
đƫLiquids that don’t mix
đƫPhotos of Manaus
đƫNon-fiction books about
cities from around the
world
đƫAccess to internetenabled tablets or
computers
đƫModelling clay
đƫA set of atlases.
đƫTo research and write a report about the Amazonian city of Manaus
ACTIVITIES
Explain to the children that this lesson is going to focus on a region of Brazil
within the Amazon basin – the state of Amazonas and its capital, Manaus.
Support the children to locate Amazonas and Manaus using a digital mapping
tool (e.g. Google Maps), and add it to their modelling clay map from the
previous lessons.
Introduce or revise the concepts of primary and secondary sources with the
children (the key vocabulary at the beginning of this unit for definitions). Ask
the children to think of primary and secondary sources that they could use
to develop a better understanding of what life is like in the Amazon. Create a
class mind map of the primary and secondary sources the children suggest.
Explain that the children are going to research the Amazonian city of Manaus,
and work in groups to write a non-chronological report about the city. Show
the children a selection of books from the school library on different cities. Ask
them to identify the pages or sections which relate to the geography of the
cities. What type of information is included?
Support them to identify information on a range of physical and human
geography such as: location, population, climate, landscape, rivers, settlement
and land use, industry and trade, transport, energy, food, water, environment,
leisure and tourism. Ask the children what textual features have been used
to explain the geographical ideas, e.g. explanatory text, diagrams, maps,
photographs, fact boxes etc.
Show the children the first three minutes of the video ‘Life in Manaus’ and the
clip ‘The Meeting of the Waters’ (see extension for explanation). Ask if there are
any specific geographical features of that they feel should be included in a
report about Manaus e.g. the Meeting of the Waters.
Share the mind map of sources created earlier in the lesson and ask the
children to decide which sources would be best suited for this research task.
Support the children to choose and use appropriate sources, and to take
appropriate notes. Give the children time to research their section and
encourage them to write at length. They could also accompany their writing
with appropriate maps and illustrations. Each group presents their report to
the class, sharing what they have learnt about Manaus and about researching
the geography of a distant city.
GO FORT
H!
Mix it up: The Meeting of Waters is the confluence between the Rio Negro – a river with dark water – and the
sandy-coloured Rio Solimões. These rivers run side-by-side without mixing for 6 km. The reasons for this
phenomenon are the differences in temperature, speed and water density between the two rivers. Can the children
work out the reasons for this phenomenon for themselves? Can they pour two different liquids into a tray without
them mixing? What liquids could they try and why? The easiest is with liquids of different densities such as corn
syrup, washing up liquid, vegetable oil and water. See the video ‘Liquids that don’t mix’ for an example.
28
REST?
4. D
UNIT 3 WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THE AMAZON?
N RAINFO
O
Z
A
M
A
E
H
IVE IN T
O PEOPLE L
SUCCESS CRITERIA
đƫI know that communities
can change over time.
đƫI can explain ‘shifting
cultivation’.
đƫI understand that there
are differing communities,
both urban and rural in
the Amazon basin.
RESOURCES
đƫLife in the Amazon
đƫAmazonian communities
đƫIdeas organiser:
Advantages and
disadvantages
đƫShifting cultivation
đƫStoryboard outline.
OBJECTIVE
đƫTo understand what life is like in the Amazon and how it is changing
ACTIVITIES
Review learning from the previous lesson about Manaus. Explain that during
this lesson the children will be learning about smaller communities in the
rainforest. Tell them that some estimates say there are approximately
30 million people living in the Amazon rainforest, with 3.8 million of these
people living in Amazonas. While many of these people live in Amazonian
cities (1.7 million people live in Manaus alone), many live in smaller
communities in the rainforest, including several uncontacted tribes.
Show the children first 12 minutes of the video ‘Life in the Amazon’ (NB Please
note after 12 minutes the video goes on to explain a quite unpleasant coming
of age ritual so please ensure you stop the video at 12 minutes.) Explain that
the tribes living in the Amazon are indigenous to the area and their ancestors
lived in the Amazon long before settlers from Europe arrived. The people of
the rainforest traditionally live sustainable lifestyles, using the natural resources
found in the rainforest for food, clothing and housing.
One of the farming techniques used by some Amazonian communities is called
‘shifting cultivation’. Show children a short animation which explains this farming
process (it will also give them ideas for their own animation later in the topic).
Ask the children to draw a series of labelled diagrams in a storyboard format
to explain ‘shifting cultivation’. This could be presented on paper or digitally
using programs such as Comic Life or Explain Everything. Despite the fact that
shifting cultivation has no adverse effects on the environment, communities are
being asked to stop using this previously sustainable farming technique. Ask the
children to think with a partner why this might be. Allow the children time to
share their ideas and then explain that, due to deforestation and the destruction
of large parts of the rainforest, there is less land available. This has resulted in
‘shifting cultivation’ being less sustainable than it used to be, and some people
of the Amazon are being encouraged to farm just one piece of land continuously.
They are being offered incentives to do so, such as electricity, better schools and
healthcare for their families, as well as training on farming techniques that will
avoid the need for fallow years.
Ask the children to write a list of advantages and disadvantages for the
Amazonian communities for living a nomadic or a settled lifestyle. Encourage
the children to think about the physical and human effects, such as the
protection of the rainforest, traditional lifestyles, education etc.
H!
T
R
O
F
O
G
A day in the life: Ask the children to compare life in a small rainforest community with life in Manaus. What are
the similarities and differences? Ask the children to write a diary entry for a child in each location, describing
their day. Ask the children to think about all of the things they might have in common with children in both
places, and discuss their ideas as a group.
29
UNIT 3 WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THE AMAZON?
?
MAZON
A
E
H
T
T
C
E
PLE PROT
N PEO
5. HOW CA
SUCCESS CRITERIA
đƫI know why the Amazon is
important.
đƫI can explain some of the
reasons why deforestation
is occurring in the
Amazon.
đƫI understand how
the Amazon is being
protected and can
suggest what else might
be done to protect it.
RESOURCES
đƫProtecting the Rainforest
ideas organiser
đƫAmazon flooded forest
images
đƫSWOT: ideas organiser
đƫThe Rainforest: A Status
Report
đƫDeforestation in the
Amazon
đƫWhy the Amazon is
important
đƫCharts relating to levels of
deforestation.
OBJECTIVE
đƫTo understand how the Amazon is being damaged and how it
can be protected
ACTIVITIES
Review what the children have learnt so far about the Amazon. Divide the
class into pairs and ask the children to talk to their partner about why they
think so many people believe the Amazon is important. Ask them to note
down their ideas. Give each pair a copy of The Rainforest: a Status Report. Ask
the children to read the report and add any further ideas to their notes.
Show the children two short videos: Why the Amazon is important and
Deforestation in the Amazon. Hand out a selection of charts relating to levels of
deforestation (choose ones appropriate to their ability), which show the rate of
rainforest destruction. Underneath each chart, ask them to write what they have
deduced about deforestation from the data displayed. You may also wish to show
the children aerial photos of the Amazon, showing deforestation over time.
Reasons for the deforestation of the rainforest are numerous, but include:
mining, cattle pasture, hardwoods, housing, agriculture, roads and medicines.
Ask the children to investigate one of these causes of deforestation by looking
at the issue from various perspectives. (The children can use the ideas organiser
provided for help with this.) This will help the children see why people might
choose to destroy areas of the rainforest, and to support them in thinking about
how and why this might develop in the future.
Ask children to recall what they learnt about the climate of the Amazon in
Lesson 2. Deforestation has been linked to reduced rainfall: evaporation from
the trees, driven by the sun, generates the rain. Explain to the children that
protecting the rainforest is complicated, as there are lots of people with
different needs and lifestyles to consider.
One of the ways of protecting the forest is to designate areas as National
Parks, where the forest is protected. In Brazil there are 19 National Parks in the
Amazon, which cover just 5% of the total area. The UN has also passed
resolutions making it illegal to trade endangered animals.
Ask the children to research ways in which the rainforest can be protected by
looking at the work of various charities, such as: Rainforest Concern, Rainforest
Trust, Greenpeace, Rainforest Alliance or The Amazon Charitable Trust. Give
the children the Protecting the Rainforest ideas organiser to complete.
Y!
O
H
A
D
N
LA
Homework: Ask children to research which everyday products have ingredients that originate in the rainforest. Ask
them to look around their homes and make a list of the items they find. Some of the rainforest plants play a big
part in our diets, and many medicinal plants come from the Amazon. This reinforces the point that, as well as being
vital to driving climate, the rainforest is also a unique genetic storehouse for both food and medicine. With parental
permission, ask children to bring some products into school and display them in your Amazon Enquiry Centre.
Products include: rubber, coffee, pineapples, potatoes, chocolate, tapioca, banana, mango, brazil nuts.
30
UNIT 3 WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THE AMAZON?
HOULD WE
S
Y
H
W
:
H
INIS
6. THE BIG F THE AMAZON?
PROTECT
SUCCESS CRITERIA
đƫI can communicate my
geographical ideas in an
animation.
đƫI can explain how I can
help to protect the
Amazon rainforest.
đƫI can explain the value of
the Amazon rainforest.
RESOURCES
đƫPhotos of children making
animations
đƫMaking an animation
đƫDigital cameras
đƫAnimation or moviemaking package I Can
Animate
đƫAnimation or moviemaking package iMovie
đƫAnimation or moviemaking package
đƫSpecies and habitats that
are conservation
priorities.
OBJECTIVE
đƫTo make an animation showing the value of the Amazon, and how it can
be protected
ACTIVITIES
Explain to the children that they are going to use what they have learnt about
the Amazon to make a short animation, which can be shared on the school
website or in an assembly. Tell them that the animation must explain where the
Amazon is, and its value to the wider world. They should end their animation by
suggesting ways that we could help to protect the Amazon rainforest.
Give the children clear, differentiated criteria based on the geographical
knowledge and skills you would like them to use. This should be more detailed
than the above success criteria, and will help to ensure that their focus
remains on the geographical learning, rather than the ICT. Criteria may include
vocabulary to be used, definitions that should be included and geographical
processes to be explained.
Explain to the children that they will create a stop-motion animation, like the
animation about ‘shifting cultivation’ that they saw in Lesson 4. Stop-motion
involves taking still photos and then putting them together to make a film.
They will then be able to add music and a voice over. Show the children the
Making an Animation video clip.
Ask the children to work in small groups to plan their animation, making a
simple storyboard for the images and a script for the voice-over. Following
this, the children will need to make their props for their animation. Simpler is
usually better here, so props are best made from paper or card. However, some
adventurous children may wish to use modelling clay.
Once everything is prepared, the children need to take several photos of each
‘scene’. It is advisable to keep the camera still for the entire process, either by
using a tripod or suspending it above the children’s work space. Once the
children have taken all of their photos, upload them into the movie-maker
package of your choice and add music, text and voice-overs.
When the children have finished their animations, give them time to assess
their finished product against the geographical criteria you provided initially.
What have they done well? How could their work be improved? See an
example of a stop-motion animation on the Voyagers online resource bank.
'S
JOURNEY
END
Extension: Ask the children to consider why their local area is valuable, how it is being damaged and what they
are doing to protect it. In either a fieldwork lesson or as a homework project, go out into the local area and ask
the children to take photos and field sketches to support their ideas. Rather than an animation, children could
make a short live-action film about their local area.
The Natural England website provides a list of UK species and habitats which are conversation priorities.
31