I have a free South America printable lapbook and unit study ideas. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages.
I created this unit study when we moved abroad to South America.
Later, I kept on adding to it along with learning about the Amazon Rain Forest.
I have several minibooks to help your child learn about the fascinating continent of South America and to study which countries interest them.
Also, understanding the culture of South America makes this unit study come alive.
South America is the fourth-largest continent. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the west, the Pacific Ocean.
The Andes Mountains range from north to south on the far western side of South America.
10 Geography Facts of South America
First, look at some facts about the geography of South America.
- Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest waterfall in the world.
- The Atacama Desert is the driest place in the world, and it’s located in Arica, Chile.
- Machu Picchu in Peru is the lost city of the Incas.
- Punta Arenas Chile) is the world’s southernmost city.
- The Amazon rain forest which borders several countries is the largest rain forest in the world. It is home to diverse plants and animals, as well as to many people such as the Yanomami and the Machiguenga.
- The Amazon River in Peru and Brazil is the second longest river in the world.
- Cotopaxi Ecuador is a volcano along the “volcano boulevard” of the Andes.
- Brazil is the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world.
- Falkland Islands is a group of over 100 islands in the southern Atlantic off the coast of Argentina.
- Peru is South America’s third largest country and the heart of the Inca empire from the 12th to 16th centuries.
Vocabulary Words for Studying South America
- Andes – A mountain system that stretches along the west coast of South America. The Ecuadorian Andes are known worldwide for their impressive mountains, volcanoes, and snow-capped peaks, some of the most famous of which are Cotopaxi and Chimborazo
- rain forest – A dense, broad-leaf, largely evergreen forest occurs mostly in tropical regions of the world that receive large amounts of rain.
- equator – An imaginary circle around Earth that divides the globe into two equal parts: the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The equator is used as the starting (or zero) point for measurements of latitude.
- deforestation – The removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use.
- forest floor – Bottom layer of the rain forest which receives little to no sunlight, with little plant life growing there.
- Tierra Caliente – The low-elevation forest zone in the mountains of South America
- Tierra Fria – The upper forest zone in the mountains of low-latitude South America
- Tierra Helada – The high-elevation zone in inter-tropical latitudes of South America
- Tierra Templada – The middle-elevation forest zone in the mountains of South America
Additionally, look at some of these wonderful books to add to your unit study.
Books About South America
Some of these books can be added for literature or just to learn about the area.
There are also some fun picture books which give your child a glimpse of life in the Andes.
13 Resources for a Study of South America
Add some of these fun books and resources to your study of South America.
An incredible variety of climates and biomes span the territory of South America. As a result, the continent contains some of the greatest biodiversity on Earth.
Rookie Read-About: Continents series gives the youngest reader (Ages 3-6) an introduction to the components that make each continent distinctive and exceptional. Readers will get to know each continents' geography, history, and wildlife. In this book readers learn about the continent of South America, including the geography, native animals, people and more.
A full-color, compelling book for ages 7 to 10 offers a deep dive into the three sophisticated ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica―the Aztecs, Maya, and Incas― through hands-on STEAM projects, essential questions, and loads of fascinating facts!
Why were there more than 3,000 steps built at Machu Picchu? Why did the Aztecs roam Mexico for nearly 200 years before finding a place to settle? How did the Maya study the movements of the stars and the planets? Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids takes kids ages 7 to 10 on a guided tour to experience the history, culture, economics, and daily life of the Aztecs, Maya, and Incas.
A man, his burros, and his books bring joy to children in remote Colombian villages in this inspiring book based on a true story by celebrated picture book creator Jeanette Winter.Luis loves to read, but soon his house in Colombia is so full of books there’s barely room for the family. What to do? Then he comes up with the perfect solution—a traveling library! He buys two donkeys—Alfa and Beto—and travels with them throughout the land, bringing books and reading to the children in faraway villages.
An Incan boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his ancestors.
In the sequel to On the Pampas, the author recalls her first year on the small Argentinian ranch purchased and managed by her mother, in an account that includes a visual dictionary of the Spanish words and geographical terms used in the text.
Atmospheric woodcuts illustrate this Newbery Award–winning collection of 19 South American folktales. Charles J. Finger heard the tales firsthand from native storytellers, whose fables of talking animals, witches, giants, and ordinary people in supernatural settings provide remarkable insights into regional values and culture. The first of the stories, "A Tale of Three Tails," tells of an age when the rat had a tail like a horse, the rabbit had a tail like a cat, and the deer's tail was plumed like the tail of a dog. "The Magic Dog" recounts an act of kindness to a stray animal that helps overcome a witch's curse. In "The Calabash Man," the creatures of the jungle assist a suitor in winning his bride, and in "El Enano," a greedy troll's insatiable appetite leads to his downfall. Packed with adventure and full of surprises, these and other stories emphasize the importance of hard work, courage, and loyalty.
In 1911, Hiram Bingham III climbed into the Andes Mountains of Peru and “discovered” Machu Picchu. While history has recast Bingham as a villain who stole both priceless artifacts and credit for finding the great archeological site, Mark Adams set out to retrace the explorer’s perilous path in search of the truth—except he’d written about adventure far more than he’d actually lived it. In fact, he’d never even slept in a tent.
With the memorable characters and plot twists she brings to her best-selling fantasies, acclaimed author Eva Ibbotson has written a hair-raising novel, set in turn-of-the-last-century Brazil.Accompanied by Miss Minton, a fierce-looking, no-nonsense governess, Maia, a young orphan, sets off for the wilderness of the Amazon, expecting curtains of orchids, brightly colored macaws, and a loving family. But what she finds is an evil-tempered aunt and uncle and their spoiled daughters. It is only when she is swept up in a mystery involving a young Indian boy, a homesick child actor, and a missing inheritance that Maia lands in the middle of the Amazon adventure she's dreamed of. Readers of every generation will treasure Ibbotson's lush historical adventure that harkens back to the beloved classics of Frances Hodgson Burnett and Louisa May Alco
Can you imagine living in a place where there is so much water some houses need to be built on stilts to protect them when the river rises? Or where it is so wet that some plants can grow on the sides of trees with their roots gathering water from the air? In This Place Is Wet, you'll find out all sorts of things about what it's like to live in the rain forest of Brazil. Try to imagine living there!
It is astonishing that Simón Bolívar, the great Liberator of South America, is not better known in the United States. He freed six countries from Spanish rule, traveled more than 75,000 miles on horseback to do so, and became the greatest figure in Latin American history. His life is epic, heroic, straight out of Hollywood: he fought battle after battle in punishing terrain, forged uncertain coalitions of competing forces and races, lost his beautiful wife soon after they married and never remarried (although he did have a succession of mistresses, including one who held up the revolution and another who saved his life), and he died relatively young, uncertain whether his
achievements would endure.
Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option...until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash
Mayans Aztecs Incas Coloring Book – Fun And Education For Adults and TeensMake the perfect gift for anyone who loves coloring! Enjoy this Mayans Aztecs Incas Coloring Book for Adults and Teens. Click the cover to reveal what’s inside!About this book:
- 40 original pages drawings of Symbols, Warriors, Masks and Mandalas.
Explore the Inca empire, including how the Incas survived in the mountains, how the empire was built, and why it disappeared.
A True Book: Ancient Civilizations series allows readers to experience what makes each ancient civilization distinctive and exceptional as well look at its influence on the some of the practices of the modern world. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study.
South America Printable Minibooks
Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free South America lapbook 27 page download.
- Animals of the Galapagos fan book which includes the Giant Tortoise, Lava Lizard, Marine Iguana, Green Turtle, Galapagos Penguins, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Blue-Footed Booby, and Blue-Banded Goby.
- Comparing Mountain Climate Zones
- Simon Bolivar Copywork
- Map of South America to label and one labeled
- Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Inca
- Negrinho – A dessert from Brazil
- How to Memorize the Countries of South America and Dependent
- Map Flags to put on your salt dough map
- 2 – The Galapagos Island layered book. One prefilled with facts and one blank to add your own information.
- Vocabulary Pocket and Vocabulary Words
More South America Unit Study Resources
- Appreciating the Culture of South America Through Dance
- Free Machu Picchu Mini Book & Completed South America Lapbook
- 6 South America Country Notebooking Pages
- How to Memorize the Countries of South America & Mountain Climate Zones Minibooks
- South America Unit Study– Colorful Free Printable Map
- South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants
- South America Unit Study resources
- 7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model
How to Get the Free South America Printable Lapbook
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