Brazil+Activities

toc = = = = = = = Early Elementary =

Travel to the Amazon: (Ideas taken from [|Crayola])

__Activity:__

Have students imagine that they are visiting the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. Have them brainstorm what types of animals or sites they would see. After brainstorming, have students r esearch information about Brazil, which contains the largest rainforest in the world. Find descriptions and pictures of animals, birds, and insects who live only in this part of the world. Have students display their findings on a poster board. Draw a square on white paper and draw five more squares. Use scissors to cut them out. On each square, draw, color, and label a unique creature found only in the Amazon rainforest. Have students show lots of details so others can see how different these creatures are from those that are familiar. Arrange the six pictures in an artistic way on poster board. Student can also create a classroom book with the various animals they researched.

__ Alternative Activity: __

Have students engage in the same research on the Amazon Rainforest or Brazil as a whole country. Rather than creating a poster board or classroom book, have students create a glogster including various information on the country of Brazil. Have students include information about Brazil's geography, economic, culture, government, and history. To do so visit [|Glogster] and have your students be creative as they please!

= Upper Elementary =

Salt Dough Maps of Brazil:

__Recipe for dough (makes about 2-3 maps)__: 3 cups of not self-rising flour, 1 1/4 cup warm water (add one cup first and add as needed), 1 cup of salt

__Preparation:__ Mix flour and salt and hand mix in water (should be like a clay substance). It can be prepared the night before and put in the fridge over night. Have students trace the outline of Brazil on cardboard.

__Activity:__ Give each student an index card and tape the cardboard and index card together. Give each student a ball of dough right in the middle of Brazil. Show the students how to use their hands to stretch out the dough to fill the country. When students are done creating their map, the students will participate in labeling various parts of their country. Use colored pins to mark important places in Brazil. For example, have the students label major cities, landmarks, rivers, etc. While students are completing the activity at their desk, place a projected version on the board. Students come up and indicate where that landmark, etc. is located. After placing the push pins, they must add it to their map key (notecard). When students have completed their map, allow the maps to dry for 24-48 hours. The next day, review everything on the map and allow them to paint Brazil if they wish to.

= Fine Arts Activity =

Homemade Rainsticks: (ideas taken from [|Lesson Plans Page])


 * After learning more about the Amazon Rainforest have students research the type of music, animals, and sounds that may be found in the Rainforest. After elaborating on these topics, students can participate in creating their own rain sticks to mimic the sounds of a Rainforest. Students can use these rain sticks to create their own rhythms. **

__ Materials (Per student): __ One 1-1/2 inch mailing tube (or heavy cardboard tube), One pound of 1-1/4 inch nails, Wide tape if tube has no stopper, wrapping or contact paper, election of rice, sand, unpopped popcorn, lentils, dried beans, sea shells or small gravel (enough to fill each tube ¼ way from the top), funnel, hammer, Map of Brazil

__ Procedures: __ 1. Pass map of Brazil around and ask them to find the Amazon River. Explain that this is a very rich area in Brazil for rain forests. Explain that rain forests are where more species of plants and animals live than in all the rest of the world's ecosystems combined. The rain forest is home to thousands of known and yet to be discovered species of plants and animals. However, due to logging and agriculture, they are being destroyed at an alarming rate. The destruction of the rain forests causes many problems, such as causing the greatest number of plant and animal extinctions ever experienced on the earth. There are many more problems caused by destruction of the rain forests too, but by becoming aware of this problem, maybe we can do something to help.

2. Tell students that they will make a rain stick that mimics the sounds of the rain forests. - Close one end of tube with wide tape - Pour in selection of gravel, or etc. till it fills tube approximately ¼ inch from the top of the tube. - Close other end of tube with tape. - Decorate outside of tube with wrapping paper or contact paper.

3. Demonstrate that the stick can be slowly turned end to end to simulate the sound of the rain forests.

__ Additional Step (which must be done by an adult): __ The nails can be hammered into the rain stick, and the other items in the tube will bounce against them as they roll up and down the tube, creating more sound. Hammer the nails into the rain stick in a spiral formation, about 1 and 1/2 inches apart up and down the tube. Screws may be a better option however, as they will hold themselves in the tube better (screw these in with a screwdriver). Or, you can just tape over the nails so they won't come out.


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 * = General Information ||= Geography ||= History ||= Culture ||= Political Systems ||= Economics ||= Activities ||= Teacher's Page ||