A Broad Study of Brazil
Submitted by: Sandra Carrasco
Endorsed by: Don Descy
Mankato State University
Date: May 19, 1997
Description:
Students will be given plenty of texts, maps, etc. on Brazil and through research they
will learn about geography, culture, race, religion, history, and language.
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Goal:
To increase knowledge over diversity meanwhile practicing research, writing, art, and
collaborating skills.
Objectives:
- The students will be able to write a report about what they have learned and liked about
Brazil.
- The students will do group presentations over a topic of their interest.
- Groups will have done a map and be able to locate important cities and bodies of water
in Brazil and present it to the class.
Background Information:
This is not a one day lesson plan since it is on a broad study of Brazil. The lesson
plan is spread over a three week period and directions are given per week not per day. A
study of Brazil can bring excitement into the classroom as they learn about this exotic
country. However, you will need informational books over Brazils culture, race,
celebrations, geography, history, cities, and the capital. You will also need to create a
worksheet of questions over these diverse topics.
Concepts: Students will:
- Be more conscious over diversity.
- Acknowledge the benefits of researching.
Materials:
- 4 or more informational books about Brazils history, language, culture, celebrations and
race.
- A topography and political map of Brazil
- 5-6 copies of a map of Brazil (one copy per group)
- 5-6 white cardboard sheets (one sheet per group)
- Color pencils
- Media that will actually show Brazil in pictures preferably a video or film.
- worksheets of questions which you have composed. (one worksheet per student.)
- Any items that integral of Brazil e.g. pictures or animal figures found in the Amazon.
Procedure:
First Week
First day:
Introduce topic:
- Tell students they will learn about Brazil.
- Give a brief description of Brazil.
- Show the location of Brazil on a global map.
Follow the next procedure and explain it to the students:
- Students they will be working with a group to do a presentation and a map.
- Students they will make an individual report on Brazil and will be responsible to hand
in two rough drafts and a final report.
- Write deadline on the board along with instructions, and go through them daily at the
beginning of the lesson until the unit is over.
- Students will select their group (may want to give a brief lesson over respect and
responsibility.)
- Explain that it is important that they pick a group who will help them get a good
grade and that sometimes their best friend will not be a good option.
- Have them select a group of four members whom they will work with.
- Display pictures or items found in Brazil (students can help or you may want to do this
- alone at a separate time.)
Lesson for the rest of the week:
-
- Once they are arranged in groups give out a book per group and one worksheet of the
questions per student. They should rotate books around the room until all of the questions
of the worksheet are answered.
- They should write down the name of the book, and page number afterthey have written
their answers explain that this is useful because they may need more information on a
specific question when they do their essay.
- When they are done with their worksheets half of the class should start working on their
individual report and should share the books that are available to them. Hand out
the maps to the other half of the class so they can start making their own. Explain that
they should only label important cities and color in the topography with color pencils.
- By the end of the week rough drafts of reports should be done and handed in, worksheets
should be answered, and maps started.
Second Week:
- Have students edit and add to their revised rough drafts, when they are done with them
they should hand them in. If some of the students are done earlier than others have
them work on the maps.
- Groups should know be given the time you feel is necessary for them to finish their
maps.
- Groups should next select a topic they will present to the class for 10- 15 minutes,
they should than ask for your approval to research the topic.
- Students should next work on their presentations (give ideas to them if they have
trouble).
Third Week:
- Select a date of presentations and announce it.
- Give students back their second second rough draft, and have them add and edit for the
last time. Let them keep their final copy until they do their presentation in case
they need information from them fortheir group presentation.
- Students should finish preparing for their presentation.
Before the day of the presentations:
- Tell the students they should introduce themselves before the presentation, and not to
forget to take their map up to talk about it.
- Select a chosen method to figure out the order of the group presentations and make sure
all the students know the order in which they will present.
Assessment:
- students will do their group presentations and during or after the presentation show
their maps to the class, they should be able to point out main bodies of water and cities
if asked.
- Students will hand in a researched paper they developed on their own and should hand in
at the end of class. (You will need additional materials)
These are a few ideas to add to the excitement of the study of Brazil. You can add this
to your lesson:
- You can organize a Brazilian carnival for them and provide them music, snacks,
etc. you can have them make masks out of construction paper, and staple an elastic
band to their masks.
- If available you can show them a video of Brazil, organize a trip to Brazil.
- Invite a native of Brazil or a person who knows lots about Brazil and have them do a
presentation and speak to the students.
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