· Web viewStudents should complete the following modified materials for the 7th grade social...

SPECIAL EDUCATIONGRADE 7 SOCIAL STUDIESWeeks 7 & 8 – (May 18–29)

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Students should complete the following modified materials for the 7th grade social studies course, including the embedded assessment items. Overview of South AmericaSouth America: Human geography Many people are leaving Venezuela to go to other countries in Latin American

Overview of Oceania

Australia and Oceania: Human geography


South America: Human geographyBy National Geographic Society, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.14.17

Kids pick teams before playing a pickup soccer game at Botafogo beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 31, 2014. Photo: AP Photo/Felipe Dana

South America is the area south of Panama. It is the fourth largest continent.

The Americas are named after Amerigo Vespucci. He sailed with Christoper Columbus. He said the Americas were not part of the East Indies. He said they were a separate landmass.

Today, South America is divided into many countries and territories.

South America has many native, or indigenous groups. Their ancestors were there before the Europeans.

Map of South America. Map: Cacahuate, modified by Joelf and Globe-trotter/Wikimedia.


The first humans in South America probably arrived from Asia. They crossed the Bering Land Bridge into North America. Then, they migrated south. Another possibility is that they came to South America in a boat. They might have come across the Pacific from Polynesia.

At least 22 million people in South America are part of an indigenous group.

Indigenous communities are located across the continent of South America.

Photo: Fábio Rodrigues Pozzebom/WikimediaCultural Geography: Historic Cultures

The Inca Empire is the best known native culture of South America. The Inca Empire began in 1438 in the city of Cuzco, Peru.

To connect its empire, the Incas built a huge network of roads. It was made up of two main north-south roads. One ran along the Pacific coast and another through the Andes mountains.

Spain and Portugal colonized South America. They brought slaves from Africa. South America became a mix of African, native and European cultures.

Different parts of the continent developed their own cultures. A gaucho culture developed in Argentina. Gauchos were cowboys. Like the North American cowboy, the gaucho was seen as independent, strong and honest.

Quechua women near Cuzco, Peru. Cuzco is where the Incan Empire was established in 1438.


Contemporary Cultures

Religion is very important South African countries. The Catholic Church is the strongest influence. People of many different religions live in South America.

The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a Christian festival. It is held every year. Carnival is also a huge party. It attracts millions of tourists. Carnival at Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2014. Photo: Nicolas de Camaret/Wikimedia.

Political Geography

The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed in 1494. It gave Spain and Portugal all lands outside of Europe. Spain started colonies in most of South America. Portugal colonized present-day Brazil.

Catholic missionaries came from Europe. They wanted to convert people. The missionaries developed writing systems for indigenous languages such as Quechua, Nahuatl and Guarani. Marriages between European colonizers and native populations created the mestizo class. Mestizos are people of mixed indigenous and European ancestry.

In 1959, communists took over in Cuba. Under Communism, the government owns all property. People have few freedoms. The United States worried that communism would

spread through Latin America. The U.S. helped overthrow communist leaders in five South American countries.

Dictatorships replaced the communist governments. In a dictatorship, a leader holds all the power. These dictators arrested thousands of people, and killed many of them. The United States helped these dictators. During Argentina's military dictatorship, a period also known as the Dirty War, from 1976-1983, about 30,000 people disappeared. A movement called the 'Mothers of Plaza de Mayo' began, where the mothers of disappeared people

protested against the dictatorship in public. Here, a woman walks past a street mural honoring the mothers. Photo: Wikimedia


Contemporary Issues

Other countries have had a huge effect on South America. Today, the continent is trying to reduce their influence.

Electricity and oil are important industries in South America. Some countries think the government should control them. Others think private companies should own them.

Many believe that government control makes life better for people. Poor people support it. Others say it has made services worse. They say it gives too much power to the government.

Some South American countries have privatized industries. In these countries, the government has sold factories to private companies. They now produce more goods. However, more people lost their jobs. Also, prices went up. A little boy sits among his family's belongings packed in the back of a vehicle as he waits for his parents to leave the mining camp in anticipation of a government crackdown in La Pampa in the Madre de Dios region in Peru, Friday, May 2, 2014. Some people at the illegal gold mine worked up to the last minute while they feared authorities would arrive any moment as part of a government crackdown on illegal gold mining since a nationwide ban on illegal mining took effect April 19, 2014. Photo: AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd.

Future Issues

In South America today, more poor people live in cities than in rural areas. It is causing many problems.

Housing, crime and transportation problems are just a few of the challenges. Many cities in South America have huge slums. These are very crowded areas. People in slums tend to be very poor. Living conditions can be unsafe. Homes may not be very sturdy. Services like

electricity, water and sewage may not be reliable.

When cities get larger, it can hurt the environment. Every second, an acre of Amazon rain forest is burned down.


Trees are cut down for their wood. Rain forests are turned into ranches, farms and towns. As a result, air and water become polluted.

The continent's poorest people live in the mountains. Most of them are native groups. Countries spend very little on their education, health care and homes. South America is home to cities that are growing larger and larger as people migrate from the countryside. In many cities, poorer residents are crowded in slums, like the Petare slum in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo: Wikimedia.

Climate change will be another big issue. The Earth is warming up. It is caused by burning fossil fuels. These are natural fuels, like oil and gas. One way to stop global warming is to burn fewer fossil fuels. Brazil has promised to cut back.

Countries in South America are working hard. Some of them are leading in renewable energy. They are finding new ways to make fuel, such as solar and wind power. These are less harmful to the environment. In this photo taken on Sept. 22, 2011, local environmental enforcement officers measure illegally cut timber in Paragominas in the northern state of Para, Brazil. Paragominas has become a pioneering 'Green City,' a model of sustainability with a new economic approach that has seen illegal deforestation virtually halted. Photo: AP Photo/Andre Penner.


Quiz 1. Read the introduction [paragraphs 1-6].Circle or star the paragraph that explains HOW humans first came to South America.

2. Read the paragraph in the section "Political Geography."Catholic missionaries came from Europe. They wanted to convert people. The

missionariesdeveloped writing systems for indigenous languages such as Quechua, Nahuatl and

Guarani.Marriages between European colonizers and native populations created the mestizo

class.Mestizos are people of mixed indigenous and European ancestry.

What question is answered in this paragraph?(A) How are mestizos treated in South America?(B) How was the mestizo class of people created?(C) How successful were Catholic missionaries?(D) When did missionaries first arrive in South America?

3. Read the sentence from the section "Contemporary Issues."Other countries have had a huge effect on South America. Today, the continent is trying to reduce their influence.

Which word could replace "influence" WITHOUT changing the meaning of the sentence?(A) responsibility(B) interest(C) power(D) trouble

4. Read the paragraph from the section "Future Issues."Countries in South America are working hard. Some of them are leading in renewable energy. They are finding new ways to make fuel, such as solar and wind power. These are less harmful to the environment.

Fill in the blank.A "renewable energy" is ____.

(A) energy made from oil and gas(B) energy that hurts the environment(C) energy produced in South America(D) energy made from sun and wind

Many people are leaving Venezuela to go to other countries in Latin AmericanBy Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.12.18


Image 1. A group of Venezuelan immigrants rests near the bus terminal in Boa Vista, Brazil. Photo by: Gui Christ/The Washington Post

BOA VISTA, Brazil — People from Venezuela are moving into Boa Vista, a city in Brazil. Venezuela and Brazil are both countries in South America. This is changing the lives of people in Boa Vista.

It is hard to get food or medicine in Venezuela. This is why many Venezuelans have left their country.

Brazilians Don't Want More Migrants To Come

People in Brazil are worried about an increase in crime with all the people coming. They are worried that their lives will change.

People in Boa Vista used to feel sorry for the migrants. Migrants are people who go to another country. They go because they can't stay in their country. They are often escaping war and hunger at home. Now Boa Vistans feel angry. They want things to stay the same. They are scared they might lose their jobs.


There was an anti-migrant protest in Boa Vista. The people who live there don't want more people to come to the city.

A Rarity No More

Boa Vista's newest and fastest-growing migrant area is Rondon No. 1. The area is made of plastic shelters.

Image 2. A map of Venezuela, which also shows where Bao Vista, Brazil is. Photo by: Washington

Post.

Boa Vista is the first big city across the border from Venezuela. Venezuela earns money from selling oil. The country has not been able to sell the oil for a good price. The government has also made bad decisions. By the end of the year, 1 in 5 people in Boa Vista could be Venezuelan.

On a recent afternoon, Venezuelans grilled arepas, which are corn cakes. Salsa music blared on radios as people chatted in Spanish. It feels almost like a Venezuelan neighborhood, said 38-year-old Marisol Martinez.

She sends most of the money she earns to her children. She wants to earn enough to bring her children to Brazil.

Maria Suely Silva Campos is the governor of Roraima state. Boa Vista is the capital. Campos asked the Brazilian Supreme Court to close the border. It ruled against her, but she said she is determined to stop the flow of migrants coming in. Image 3. Venezuelan migrants wait in line to receive food donations at Simon Bolivar Square in Boa Vista, Roraima state, Brazil, on

Feb. 17, 2018. Photographer: Andre Coelho/Bloomberg


Coping With Immigrant Surge

In 2015, there were 53 Venezuelan students in Boa Vista's schools. This year, there are almost 2,300. The schools do not know how to deal with the students. The students only speak Spanish and the schools only teach in Portuguese.

The school leader is Hefrayn Lopes. The Venezuelan children need to learn to fit in, Lopes said. They need to learn Portuguese.

Boa Vista did not get enough help from the government to help the migrants. Many Venezuelans are arriving hungry. Many are sick, too.

For Boa Vistans, the newcomers represent a culture shock. On a recent afternoon at a town market, a Venezuelan musician picked up his guitar and began singing a Venezuelan song. Venezuelan customers tapped their feet and sang along.

But the festive atmosphere did not carry a few stalls down. "It's like they have no limits," complained Nelle de Maciel, a Brazilian seamstress.

Many in the city also fear the Venezuelans will take their jobs. Venezuelans are charging less money for their work than Brazilians. They just want to make some money to send to their families. They are willing to work for less money than some of the Brazilians are. This is why some people are worried about losing their jobs.

Valmor Saldenia is a fruit seller. He sells corn for 30 cents an ear. He says he has lost business. He blames the Venezuelan migrants.

Nearby, Robert Jimenez, 37, was selling corn for about 16 cents an ear. He came from Venezuela to Brazil two months ago. He was almost starving.

Despite his low prices, it is hard to bring in Brazilian customers. "They fear us," he said. At the end of a recent 17-hour workday, he had not sold a single cob or eaten a meal. Asked how he was doing, he said, "Excellent. I'm still alive."


Quiz1. Which sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-2] explains why Venezuelans are moving to Brazil?

(A) Venezuela and Brazil are both countries in South America.(B) This is changing the lives of people in Boa Vista.(C) It is hard to get food or medicine in Venezuela.(D) This is why many Venezuelans have left their country.

2. Read the section "Coping With Immigrant Surge."Select the sentence from the section that explains a problem Venezuelan students now face in Boa Vista's schools.(A) In 2015, there were 53 Venezuelan students in Boa Vista's schools.(B) This year, there are almost 2,300.(C) The students only speak Spanish and the schools only teach in Portuguese.(D) The school leader is Hefrayn Lopes.

3. Finish the sentence below.One MAIN idea of the article is that ____.

(A) Brazilians in Boa Vista do not speak the same language as the migrants from Venezuela(B) Brazilians in Boa Vista are worried that the migrants will change their way of life(C) Brazilians in Boa Vista made shelters in their town for the migrants from Venezuela(D) Brazilians in Boa Vista asked the Brazilian Supreme Court to close the border to migrants

4. A MAIN idea of the article is that people in Boa Vista are angry about migrants moving to their town.Which key detail from the article supports this MAIN idea?

(A) There was an anti-migrant protest in Boa Vista.(B) It feels almost like a Venezuelan neighborhood, said Marisol Martinez.(C) The schools do not know how to deal with the students.(D) Even with his low prices, it is hard to get Brazilian customers.


Australia and Oceania: Human geography By National Geographic, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.20.17

Dugout canoes, introduced by Macassan sailors hundreds of years ago. Northern Territory, Australia. Photo by: Auscape/UIG/Getty Images.

Oceania is a region made up of thousands of islands. It sits in the Pacific Ocean, a huge body of water larger than all of the land on Earth combined.

Australia, the smallest continent, takes up much of Oceania. There are two other major landmasses. One is the country of New Zealand. The other is the island of New Guinea. One half of the island is the nation of Papua New Guinea.

Oceania also includes three island regions: Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia (which includes the U.S. state of Hawaii). They are each made up of many islands. Some are independent nations. Others belong to countries like France and the United States. Map of Oceania based on the United Nations classification. Map: Tintazul/Wikimedia.

Historic Cultures Indigenous cultures in Oceania are closely tied to the sea.


Polynesian culture, for example, developed as sailors explored the South Pacific.

Beginning about 1500 B.C., sailors began moving east from New Guinea. The farther they traveled, the more advanced they became. Polynesian culture also used an advanced traveling system. It was based on the stars, oceans and birds. Polynesians could farm. Then they took the plants and animals to islands that didn't have them. This allowed Polynesians to build communities all over the islands of the South Pacific. Their culture continues today.

Indigenous cultures of Oceania also changed their environments. As they explored the South Pacific, Polynesians brought farming to different islands.

In another example, the Maori people affected New Zealand's forests and animals. In about 500 years, Maori cleared about half of New Zealand's forests for farming.

Nearly 40 kinds of birds died out during this time. This was because of forest clearing, hunting and new animals. Dogs and rats were introduced to the islands of New Zealand by the Maori.

The native people of Australia are called Aborigines. Aboriginal Australians often had strong relationships with their environment. They developed stories to explain how the land changed over time. Many of these stories turned out to be mostly true.

Nambassa, Australia, in 1981, Arnhemland and Torrest Strait dance company. Reports say that aboriginals feel the need to abandon their traditions in order to succeed in Australia. Photo: Nambassa Trust and Peter Terry/Wikimedia.

Contemporary Cultures

The ocean continues to affect modern cultures in Oceania. Cultural groups and practices focus on uniting their separate locations and small populations.


Papua New Guinea has more than 700 indigenous groups and 850 languages. Almost all of the land in Papua New Guinea is traditional, tribal land. The government recognizes that this belongs to the indigenous community.

Rugby is a very popular sport all over the continent. The rugby games between these countries help bring people together.

Tourism is Oceania's largest business. It brings jobs and money to the Pacific Islands. Tourism also can hurt. It can lead to overcrowding. People have caught too many fish in the waters. Pollution from boats and the islands can harm the ocean. Huli Wigman from Papua New Guinea. Photo: Nomadtales/Wikimedia.

Historic Issues

Europeans began coming to Oceania in the 1500s. They took over many of the islands. Today, many countries in Oceania have majority European populations and a strong European culture. English is the main language around most of the continent.

Indigenous populations were treated harshly by European people. Indigenous groups have never completely recovered.

Starting in the 1940s, the U.S., Great Britain and France tested bombs in Oceania. These tests had terrible impacts on people and the environment. A mushroom cloud rises after a heavy explosion on board USS Lexington, May 8, 1942. Photo: U.S. Navy.

Contemporary Issues

Over the last half-decade, Oceania's indigenous groups have tried to get more rights. The Maori Party represents the rights of the Maori in New Zealand. It works to make sure Maori can get jobs and health care.

Aboriginal Australians, like the Maori, have often been treated as less important than the white population. Aborigines are more likely to get sick. They are also more likely to go to prison or be jobless. Their life expectancy is almost 20 years less than nonindigenous people.


Future Issues

Oceania will be greatly affected by climate change. That is because of its climate and land.

The people of the continent's small islands mostly live near the coasts. They are in danger because of sea level rise. Warming temperatures have severely damaged many ecosystems. They have also led to major droughts. Glaciers are melting faster, too. That increases the height of the sea level.

Oceania is trying to stop the effects of climate change.


Sea level is the base level for measuring elevation and depth on Earth. These hotel bungalows in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, have stilts to take them inches above sea level. Photo: Tryfon

Topalidis/Wikimedia.


Quiz1. Read the paragraph from the section "Contemporary Issues."

Aboriginal Australians, like the Maori, have often been treated as less important than the white population. Aborigines are more likely to get sick. They are also more likely to go to prison or be jobless. Their life expectancy is almost 20 years less than non-indigenous people.

What conclusion can you make based on this paragraph?(A) People are helping Aborigines.(B) Life is hard for many Aborigines.(C) Maori are treated better than Aborigines.(D) Aborigines are becoming more healthy.

2. Read the section "Contemporary Cultures."Which sentence from the section helps you understand HOW tourism can hurt Oceania?

(A) Almost all of the land in Papua New Guinea is traditional, tribal land.(B) The rugby games between these countries help bring people together.(C) It brings jobs and money to the Pacific Islands.(D) Pollution from boats and the islands can harm the ocean.

3. Look at the image in the section "Historic Cultures."HOW does this image help you understand Polynesians better?

(A) by showing how they decided what to bring to islands(B) by showing a part of their advanced traveling system(C) by showing how they changed their environments(D) by showing a game they played while traveling

4. Look at the image in the section "Future Issues."Based on the image and the sentences in that section, what do we know about the buildings in the image?

(A) They are part of indigenous culture.(B) They have experienced major drought.(C) They are threatened by sea-level rise.(D) They are damaging sea ecosystems.

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