National Council for Geographic Education
Curriculum & Instruction Committee
Geography Club
Submitted by: Steve Pierce
[email protected]
Third Year
Third Month Activities
Geography for Life: National Geography Standards
The World in Spatial Terms
Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and
technologies to acquire, process, and report information.
Standard 3: How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments
onEar
t
h’
ss
ur
f
a
c
e
.
Places and Regions
Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.
Physical Systems
Standard 8: The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’
s surface.
Human Systems
Standard 9: The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on
Ear
t
h’
ssurface.
Thi
sMont
h’
sAct
i
vi
t
i
es
I. Map Scraps Warm-up
Challenge your map skills and knowledge by identifying the place shown on
each map scrap. Use clues on the map scrap and an atlas to help identify the
place and answer the questions.
II. Activity: South America
Three student activities on South America accompany this month’
s material.
There are also some Internet resources on the Amazon region.
III. Geo-Questions
Test your knowledge of South America with these questions.
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Third Month
Page 1 of 8
I. Warm-up Activity: Map Scraps
Exami
nee
ac
h“
MapSc
r
ap”andt
r
yt
ode
t
e
r
mi
nethe location. Use an atlas and
other reference materials to answer the questions.
Map Scrap 3-3-1
Map: American Automobile Association
Questions
1. Whats
t
at
e
’
spanhandl
ei
ss
hownont
hi
smaps
c
r
ap?
2. What five states are shown on this map scrap?
3. Name the flat plains region that lies south of the area shown.
4. What river forms much of the border between Oklahoma and Texas?
5. What mountains lie west of the area shown?
Map Scrap 3-3-2
Questions
1. The land on the map scrap lies east of which
sea?
2. Name the four countries shown on this map
scrap.
3. Which gulf separates one of the countries from
the other three?
4. Rus
s
i
a’
ss
e
c
ond-largest city lies at the eastern
of the gulf. Name the city.
5. What large peninsula lies east of the countries
on this map?
Map: National Geographic Society
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Third Month
Page 2 of 8
II. Activity: South America
Note to teachers/sponsors: The activities that follow are suggestions. You are
encouraged to adapt them as you need to, so they are useful to the ages and
abilities of your group. Feel free to “
pi
c
kandc
hoos
e
”f
r
om t
he
s
eac
t
i
vi
t
i
e
s
.Al
s
o,
use them as springboards to other activities that fit the interests of your students.
Introduction
South America is a continent of diverse landscapes and people, teeming cities and
largely uninhabited rainforests and deserts. This activity will lead students to
explore the land and people of South America.
Materials
 Student Activities that accompany this month. Note: Inca Odyssey is a
separate file listed with this month’
s activities on the Geography Club
webpage.
 Outline map of South America
Internet Resources
PBS Journey into Amazonia
http://www.pbs.org/journeyintoamazonia/index.html
A great Amazon resource from PBS - with particular emphasis on the flora and fauna
(plants and animals) of the Amazon region.
Amazon Life
http://library.thinkquest.org/20248/inicio.html
Information, maps, and graphics about the Amazon; use the links on the left to
navigate.
Student Activities
1. Where Do People Live?
2. Country Descriptors
3. Inca Odyssey (separate file listed with this month’
s activities on the
Geography Club webpage)
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Third Month
Page 3 of 8
Country Descriptors
Categorize the following terms under the country each describes. Each term can be
used only once and only four terms can be used for each country.
Patagonia
Caribbean Sea
Sucre
Lake Maracaibo
Caracas
Tierra del Fuego
Lima
Word List
Atacama Desert
Buenos Aires
Isthmus of Panama
Machu Picchu
Bogotá
Rio de Janeiro
Altiplano
Easter Island
llanos
Lake Titicaca
Orinoco River
Sao Paulo
landlocked
Rio de la Plata
Brazil
Chile
Atlantic Ocean
Santiago
Angel Falls
La Paz
Mt. Aconcagua
Amazon River
Cusco
Venezuela
Argentina
Bolivia
Peru
Colombia
Taken from: South America: A Resource Notebook © 2006 Steven C. Pierce. Used by permission
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Third Month
Page 4 of 8
Where Do People Live?
Where In this activity students will examine Sout
hAme
r
i
c
a’
spopul
at
i
ondi
s
t
r
i
but
i
on
to determine where most of the population is clustered. They will also make a
connection between where people live and climate, natural vegetation, and physical
features.
Internet Resources
Map of South America Day and Night
http://www.irisentoreopreis.nl/sa_day_night.shtml
Map of South America at Night
http://www.nwhiker.com/SAnight.html
Engage Students
Begin by showing students an image of South America at night. Ask the following
questions:
1. What do the heaviest concentrations of light represent?
2. Is there a pattern to the concentrations of light?
3. Whatdoe
st
hi
si
maget
e
l
lusaboutwhe
r
eSout
hAme
r
i
c
a’
sl
ar
ge
s
tc
i
t
i
e
sar
e
located?
4. What areas of South America have low population as indicated by few or no
lights?
Student Activities
1. Cons
t
r
uc
tac
har
tofSout
hAme
r
i
c
a’
sc
ount
r
i
e
sandpopul
at
i
ons
.Li
s
tt
he
m on
the chart from highest to lowest population.
2. Cons
t
r
uc
tac
har
tofSout
hAme
r
i
c
a’
sl
ar
ge
s
tc
i
t
i
e
s
.Li
s
tt
he
m ont
hec
hart
from highest to lowest population.
3. Locate these cities on a map. Are most of the cities located near the coast or
farther inland?
4. What physical features, climate, and natural vegetation are prevalent in the
inland regions of the continent?
Taken from: South America: A Resource Notebook © 2006 Steven C. Pierce
Used by permission
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Third Month
Page 5 of 8
III. Geo-Questions
Test your knowledge of South America with these questions.
1. The Pampas and Patagonia are found in which South American country?
2. What mountain range dominates the continent of South America?
3. Which two national capitals are located on the Rio de la Plata?
4. The national capital of which country is located almost on the Equator?
5. What navigable lake is located high in the Andes on the Peru-Bolivia border?
6. Thewor
l
d’
shi
ghe
s
twat
e
r
f
al
li
sl
oc
at
e
di
nVe
ne
z
ue
l
a.What is the name of this
waterfall?
7. Which Andean country is known for its Incan heritage and the ancient city of
Machu Picchu?
8. What vast river basin dominates the northern part of Brazil and parts of several
other South American countries?
9. Thewor
l
d’
sdr
i
e
s
tde
s
e
r
ti
sl
oc
at
e
dal
ongChi
l
e
’
sPac
i
f
i
cc
oas
t
.What is the name
of this desert?
10.
Which South American country is connected to North America at the Isthmus
of Panama?
11. Which South American country was once a colony of Netherlands?
12.Whi
c
hl
andl
oc
ke
dc
ount
r
y
’
snor
t
he
r
nr
e
gi
oni
spar
t
l
yc
ove
r
e
dbyani
nt
e
r
i
orpl
ain
called the Gran Chaco?
13.Oil is a major export of which northern South American country?
14.Tierra del Fuego is a region located in southern Argentina and which other
country?
15.Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are two major cities of which country?
16.What is the name of the high plain located mainly in Bolivia between separate
ranges of the Andes Mountains?
17. Which political unit of South America remains a colony of a European country?
18.On which river will you find the Iguaçu Falls?
19.What physical feature do coastal Norway and coastal Chile have in common?
20.
The Islas Malvinas, claimed by Argentina, are administered by the United
Kingdom and known by what name?
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Third Month
Page 6 of 8
ANSWERS
I.
Map Scraps
Map 3-3-1
1. Oklahoma
2. Colorado, Kansas,
Oklahoma, New Mexico,
Texas
3. Llano Estacado (Staked
Plain)
4. Red River
5. Rocky Mountains
Map 3-3-2
1. Baltic Sea
2. Finland, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania
3. Gulf of Finland
4. St. Petersburg
5. Scandinavian Peninsula
II.
South America
Inca Odyssey
Location of the Inca Empire
1. The Inca Empire was centered in Peru, and
included parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and
Argentina.
2. Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire.
3. The height of the empire was from 1458 1533.
4. Machu Picchu is the lost city. It was
rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham.
Conquest of the Inca Empire
1. Francisco Pizarro led the Spanish.
2. 1533
3. Atahualpa was the leader of the Inca
Empire.
4. Battle of Cajamarca
Discovering Inca Achievements
1. Quechua
2. A quipu is a series of knotted cords used for
accounting and census purposes by the Inca.
Information on a quipu was carried by runners
from city to city.
3. The Inca had a far reaching system of roads
throughout their mountainous realm.
Runners carried messages. Llamas were used
a pack animals. Rope suspension bridges
spanned rivers and steep valleys. The Inca did
not use the wheel.
4. The Inca grew potatoes, corn, squash,
beans, peppers, peanuts, and cassava.
5. The Inca used stone for building. Macchu
Picchu is an example of their expert stone
work
Country Descriptors
Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
Sao Paulo
Atlantic Ocean
Amazon River
Venezuela
Caracas
Lake Maracaibo
Orinoco River
Angel Falls
Chile
Santiago
Atacama Desert
Easter Island
Tierra del Fuego
Argentina
Buenos Aires
Patagonia
Rio de la Plata
Mt. Aconcagua
Bolivia
La Paz
landlocked
Altiplano
Sucre
Peru
Lima
Cusco
Machu Picchu
Lake Titicaca
Colombia
Bogotá
Isthmus of Panama
llanos
Caribbean Sea
Where Do People Live?
Engage Students
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Third Month
Page 7 of 8
1. The presence of lights indicates
concentrations of people, thus more
light generally means larger cities.
2. Concentrations of light are found more
in coastal areas or near the coast.
3. Most major cities are located on or
near the coast.
4. The interior of South America,
particularly the Amazon Basin and
southern Argentina are sparsely
populated. The Andes Mountains also
have few people.
Student Activities
1. Student charts will vary
2. Student charts will vary
3. Most are located within 150 miles of
the coast.
4. The Andes Mountains, the tropical
rainforest of the Amazon Basin, and
desert regions such as the Patagonia in
southern Argentina are in areas with
low population.
III.
Geo-Questions
1. Argentina
2. Andes Mountains
3. Buenos Aires, Argentina and
Montevideo, Uruguay
4. Quito, Ecuador
5. Lake Titicaca
6. Angel Falls
7. Peru
8. Amazon River
9. Atacama Desert
10. Colombia
11. Suriname
12. Paraguay
13. Venezuela
14. Chile
15. Brazil
16. altiplano
17. French Guiana
18. Parana River
19. fjords (glacially carved inlets)
20. Falkland Islands
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Third Month
Page 8 of 8