The Amazon Rainforest
Know that the Amazon is Earth's largest tropical rainforest. The Amazon region extends across eight South American countries and French Guiana, which is part of France. Describe the Amazon River's water flow and use approximate species counts to discuss the region's variety of life.
What a learner can do afterwards
- State that the Amazon region reaches eight South American countries and French Guiana, and identify Brazil as holding the largest share
- State that the Amazon River has the world's greatest water flow and describe the estimate that the Amazon region holds roughly 10 percent of Earth's known species
- Give at least two approximate species counts for the Amazon region, such as about 40,000 plant species and 1,300 bird species
1 · Read
You have learned that the Amazon is in South America. It is Earth's largest tropical rainforest. The Amazon region reaches eight South American countries: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana and Suriname. It also includes French Guiana, which is part of France. Brazil holds the largest share.
The Amazon River carries more water each second than any other river. This is what largest by water flow means. It compares flowing water, not river length. The Amazon River and its many smaller rivers support life across the region.
The Amazon region is estimated to hold about 10 percent of Earth's known species. Percent describes a share out of 100. Ten percent is the same share as one out of ten. These are estimates, not an exact count of every species.
Compare bird kinds with bird kinds, and plant kinds with plant kinds. For whole-number counts, ignore commas and count digits. More digits means a larger count: 6,000 has four digits and 700 has three, so 6,000 is larger. A larger count means more kinds in that group. Counts for only two groups cannot tell you the total for every kind of life.
The Amazon is Earth's largest tropical rainforest. Its region reaches eight South American countries and French Guiana, with an estimated one in ten of Earth's known species.
Amazon teaching, questions and flashcards written for this dataset.
The flashcards were written for this dataset. The linked video, The largest river on Earth is actually in the sky, is a TED-Ed lesson by Iseult Gillespie.
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