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.
The word full came to mind because the trees are so close together it doesnt look like there is much room for
anything else.
2.
Click on Overview and review the information, including the visuals. List the 8 nations
that the Amazon rainforest is located in.
-

Brazil

- Colombia

Bolivia

- Venezuela

Peru

- Guyana

Ecuador

- Suriname and French Guiana

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?

4.

Latitude

Rainfall

- Local soil
- Prevailing temperatures

What makes rainforests special?

They are the most biologically diverse and complex forests in the world. Rainfall is abundant and temperatures
are always warm.
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 Some 46-58 million square miles of forest are lost each year
equivalent to 48 football fields every minute.
b. Amazon The Amazon lost at least 17% of its forest cover in the last half
century due to human activity.
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. Forests provide a vast array of resources to all of us, including food, wood,
medicine, fresh water, and the air we breathe. Without the trees, species can disappear, the
natural water balance can become disrupted and the ecosystem that supports the human
population can fall apart.
b. Forest trees and other plants soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and
store it away as they grow and thrive. This is 7 times the amount that humans emit.
c. 80 percent of the worlds species live in forests.

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
Black Spider Monkey

Macaw

Description
Jaguars are strong swimmers and climbers and require large areas of tropical rain
forest and stretches of riverbank to survive. Hunting and habitat loss due to
deforestation continue to threaten the survival of these marvelous cats.
The black spider monkey, also known as the Guiana or red-faced spider monkey,
is found in eastern South America in areas north of the Amazon River. They are
one of seven species of spider monkeys found in Latin America and one of the
largest primate species in South America. They are relatively small animals.
Macaws are highly intelligent, mate for life and can live up to 60 years. The
vibrant color and pattern of their feathers make them a popular species in the
illegal pet trade, which has devastated populations of wild exotic birds.

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 Amazon is home to 1 million Indians. They are divided into over 400 tribes, all with their own language,
culture, and territory.
9.

To what extent have they had contact with outsiders? Explain your response.

Many people have had contact with others for more than 500 years and others have had no contact at all. There
are high possibility of disease getting to then through contact. Survivals most urgent campaigns in the Amazon
are for the Nukak, two thirds of whom have died in the 20 years since contact.
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
I get my food from the supermarket.
I stay where I am and I have lived here
all my life.

I dont know the whole area around

me.
Animals like monkeys are not pets
here and I dont think anyone would
breastfeed a wild monkey and think of it as
family.

Amazon daily life

They hunt and fish for their food.
The Nukak They are constantly on the
move, spending just a few days in any one
place.
Every valley, stream and trail is
inscribed on their mental map.
The Aw tribe takes monkeys in as
family members and they will not be eaten if
they are taken in by the tribe. They also
breastfeed them.

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 is the only thing tribes in the Amazon have. They live on nature, planting, and many other things. The land
they take up is not much because theres only 19,000 people in the tribe. They need to defend the land they have
because if its taken away, they cannot live.
12.
Do you think most Americans agree with the viewpoint expressed by the woman in the
video clip? Explain.
I dont think most Americans agree that no one is better than the other. People in America are very egocentric
people and they think theyre better than others. For example, most white Americans look down on black
Americans because they have no respect for their culture or the way they live.
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
Deforestation

Mining/Drilling

Crime

Impact (2 sentences)
Ezequiel Antnio Castanha operated a
network that illegally seized federal lands
and he was detained. The agency says that
he took part in 20% of the Amazons
deforestation.
US Hunt Oil is cutting seismic lines in
Harakbut tribes land. There is either a
natural rockface or a sculpture made by the
tribe and the oil company doesnt care if
they tamper with it or not.
So far, 4 men have been murdered by
loggers because they are defending their
land. This impacts the tribes negatively
because people are trying to cut down trees
in their home and people are also dying
because of it.

Possible Solutions (2 sentences)

One solution is what Brazil did to this man.
It was good to detain him and investigate
the network so he couldnt take anymore
land in the Amazon.
US oil companies need to have more respect
for other countries cultures. Everyone
deserves respect, especially populations that
have nothing but their culture.
Deforestation needs to stop because
peoples homes are there. Also, people dont
need to be killed just because they are
defending where they live and the people.
People need more respect for the tribes.

14.
Go to edition.cnn.com/2013/07/25/sport/football/football-brazil-world-cupmanaus/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?
The backyard of the arena for the World Cup is the Amazon Rainforest. People are concerned about tampering
with the safety of the forest and its people. Also, when the rainy season comes in Brazil, it will be during
construction and might ruin a lot of things.
15.

How did the regions emphasis on environmental protection influence the stadium project?

They talked about using natural resources like water, sunlight, and the wind to help with construction. Also,
people demanded to know everything going on so there is no secret damage being done.