Brazil and the U.S.: A Comparison
Objective
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Compare and contrast data regarding Brazil and the United States.
Material
- Library materials and/or Internet access
Activities
- Put up chart paper on the board or a wall and have it serve as the first column for Knowledge (K) which represents what the students already know about Brazil.
- Explain to the students that they may put their hands up to volunteer any information that the students may know about Brazil.
- Give hints about what the students may know if they are at a loss for ideas (size, language, status, climate, etc.). Some examples:
- The U.S. is big. Brazil is big.
- People in the U.S. speak English. People in Brazil speak Portuguese.
- There are beaches in Brazil. There are beaches in the U.S.
- Brazil has a tropical climate. The climate in the U.S. varies is generally temperate.
- The U.S is a major world power. Brazil is considered to be a developing nation.
- The major sport in the U.S. is football. The major sport in Brazil is soccer.
- Write the students' thoughts on the chart paper.
- Provide guidance to the students as a whole group during their input.
- Hang more chart paper on the wall in order to record what the students would like to know (W column).
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- Explain to students that their requests on what they would like to know about the U.S.A. will be recorded on one paper and what they would like to know about Brazil on another. The wants for one country should be the same as the other because the students are to contrast/compare.
- Explain to the students that time will be taken to discuss their thoughts to make sure that all are clear on what the students want to know.
- Divide students into research teams or pairs.
- Explain that the students are to use available library and/or Internet sources to find the answers to their requests to what they would like to know.
- Explain that students are to record their answers on the chart paper under the L column representing what they learned.
- Have the groups of students come back together as a whole class to report/read and discuss what they have learned.
- Direct each groups to report on their discoveries.
- Culminating Activity
- Direct students to write a brief essay (approximnately ten sentences) describing what they learned about the similarities and/or differences between Brazil and the United States.
