Exploring South America Lesson Plan

Title: Exploring South America
Grade(s): 4-8
Subject: Geography
Technology: PowerPoint Presentations
Estimated time for Completion: 6-8 weeks (based on one class per week)

OVERVIEW
Understanding the cultures, traditions and societies of South American countries is the goal of this activity. Like the United States in North America, each country in South America has its own government, social structures, institutions and unique attributes (e.g. Language, holidays, foods, etc.). This project requires student research into a specific South American nation and through analysis, to present their findings in relationship to what they know about their own country.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE:
Ability to navigate the Internet and use a word processor.
Previous experience with PowerPoint or other presentation software tools would be helpful.

TEACHER PREP TIME: 1 – 2 hours
Review the websites in Explore. Review the PowerPoint Presentations tutorials.

DELIVERABLES:
Students will create a multimedia presentation using PowerPoint to present findings and demonstrate applied understanding of a specific South American country.

EVALUATION / GRADING:
Students will be evaluated using a PowerPoint Presentation Rubric

TIME MANAGEMENT TIP
Limit the number of slides students must prepare. (e.g. 6-8 slides)

Break the class into three groups and have each group focus on one area of expertise.

Your best friend from your school has just told you that their family is moving to South America.   
Your friend's mother is being sent to South America to start a new exporting company. The company exports several agricultural goods: coffee, soybeans, and sugar.

Your friend is both excited and frightened because he/ she know nothing about South America.

To help ease their concerns, your class decides to research South America.

Which South American country would be a good place for your friend to live and for his/her mother to start the new exporting company?

How will you share the information you find with your best friend so that they can become more comfortable with their pending move?

To complete this activity you will need a computer with Internet access and PowerPoint.

These websites will help you answer questions posed in Explain and to prepare your project.

Review PowerPoint Presentations tutorials from Nortel LearniT.

Other Websites

http://www.settlement.org/cp/english/
Canadian Cultural Profile Site

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
CIA Factbook

http://www.atlapedia.com/index.html
Altapedia

PowerPoint Resources

EXPLAIN

Use Resources links to answer these questions specifically related to Geography Expert:

1. Find a map of South America and include it in your presentation.
2. Where is South America located in comparison to your country?
3. Name the country you are researching and show where it is located in South America?
4. What other countries and major bodies of water surround the country?
5. What are some of the major landforms and water forms of the country?
6. Describe the climate and terrain (landscape) of the country.
7. List some of the major cities in this country and include pictures in your presentation.
8. List some of the major agricultural products and industries of the country. Include some pictures of these.
9. List the major exports and imports of the country.

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Cultural Expert:

1.What is the population of the country?
2.What are the languages spoken in this country?
3.What religions are practiced in this country?
4.What ethnic (cultural) groups live in this country?
5.Describe the culture of the country.
6.What are some of the foods unique to this country?
7.Describe family life in this country.
8.What is education like in this country? For example, Is education important in this country? Is education free? How long do children attend school? Does the majority of the population obtain some kind of education?
9.What are some of the major sports and recreation in the country?

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to History/Government Expert:

1.Give a brief description of any historical dates celebrated each year. For example, Independence Day.
2.Describe the flag of the country. Include a picture.
3.What type of government does the country have?
4.In which city is the capital located? Include a picture.
5.What is the leader of the country called?
6.Who is the current leader of the country and how long have they been in office?
7. Briefly describe any significant historical events that have occurred in this country.

Last Name, First Name of Author (if known). “Title of work/article/page.”  Title of Complete Document (if applicable). Date last modified.  URL (date visited).

1. Using the text information that you have storyboarded on each slide and discuss what visual (graphic) image conveys it best.
2. Using Google Images Search or your word processor, look for an image that you will use for your slide. Typically you will not want to use more than one image per slide.
3. Using PowerPoint you will create your slides.  Begin by creating your text, using bullets or numbers to organize the information you will share.
4. Add images or objects to your slides.
5. Review your slides and consider how you want your best friend to see them presented. Consider using some slide animations (builds) or transitions (NOTE: be careful, too many or too ‘glitzy’ can be distracting to your audience if they undermine the information that you want them to see and understand).
6. Review your set of slides for the presentation you will make to your best friend and your classmates. Remember, your presentation is meant to achieve the goal of sharing important information to help your audience  understand a country new to them so that they will be able to appreciate it as a new home.

Criteria	Unsatisfactory	Needs Improvement	Satisfactory	Exemplary
Research	Limited research, from limited sources	Somewhat well research from somewhat varied sources.	Well researched, from various sources	Thorough research from varied sources presenting different points of view
Storyboard / planning	Limited planning evident	Some planning evident	Planning evident	Thorough planning evident
Content	Lacks detail	Some detail	Good detail	Excellent detail
Technology Use to Demonstrate Understanding	Technology use with little purpose	Technology use with some purpose	Technology use with purpose	Intuitive technology use with specific purpose
Overall Final Project	Inconsistent and inappropriate aesthetics and technical functionality	Somewhat consistent and appropriate aesthetics and technical functionality	Consistent and appropriate aesthetics and technical functionality	Consistent, creative and appropriate aesthetics and technical functionality

From what you’ve learned through your research (and your classmates presentations) discuss how the vast distances and the topographical features, especially the Amazon Basin and the Andes Mountains affect quality and quantity of railroad systems.

Discuss whole regions in South America or in your country that may not have any transportation system at all.

Because the limited transportation system of South American countries affects the way the people live, ship goods and visit each other, use your Storyboard form to either create new slides.

You might want to consider adding narration to your slide presentation.

To learn how to add narration to your PowerPoint presentation you can view the Nortel LearniT tutorial on how to do this. You will need a microphone to use with your computer. Your narration could address transportation issues in the South American country you have profiled or serve to further emphasize information that you have already displayed visually on each slide.