Welcome to the Amazing Facts about South America!

Introduction Imagine that you and a team of learners are presented with the task of describing an elephant. You are each blindfolded and guided to an elephant. Each of you touches a different part of the animal. Based upon what each of you explored, each will have a different point of view about elephants. Which is the truth? When we study complex topics, there is usually a lot more to a topic than we learn after a quick exploration. In the following WebQuest, you will use the power of teamwork to learn all about South America. Each person on your team will become an expert on some aspect of South America and then you will come together at the end to share and get a better understanding of the topic as a whole. Ayarbe,H.(2004, Aug). Judica's Jungle. Highlights for Children-Vol. 59 Issue 8, p 8-9, 2p, 4c, Retrieved September 24, 2007, from Primary Search database.

Let's read one an article about South America.

Judica's Jungle

{{wiki:dokuwiki-128.png|}}every day is an adventure for Judica, who lives in a small Amazon village in South America. 

Waking Up Stars fade in the purple morning light. The moon kisses the jungle's canopy, making room for the burning February sun. Urco Miraño, a little village in the Amazon, comes to life. The Amazon is the largest river in South America–and in the world! Animals, birds, insects, and fish make a chorus of noises. “Peep … buzz … squirsh … squirsh … splash.” Their song is accompanied by the rhythmic beat of tropical rain.

Judica wakes up to the sounds of the pigs scuffling under her cabin. She peeks out from her hammock, peering through the mosquito netting at her sister, Daisy. “Let's get the water,” she whispers.

Daisy gets up, and the two of them walk to the Napo River, a tributary of the Amazon River. The Napo flows by their cabin. Its waters swirl and dance downstream. The river gives them water to drink, fish to eat, and a place to take baths and wash clothes. Judica and Daisy are careful to stay near the shore. They are cautious of the swift current and dangerous animals: piranhas, anacondas, and electric eels.

Helping Out Judica lives in a home built on stilts to protect it from floods. She lives with her parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, and uncles. With 14 people in one house, there are many chores to do. Judica and Daisy take care of their little cousins when the family works in the fields. Judica also makes Yagua jewelry from seeds and fibers to sell on market day. Judica and Daisy are Yagua, a tribe in the Amazon with its own language and traditions.

The morning is cool and damp. Black clouds of hungry mosquitoes swarm the village at sunrise and sunset. They carry deadly diseases, like malaria, yellow fever, and dengue. Judica and Daisy are used to the mosquitoes, but they still get many bites. Sometimes people in the village get sick and have to go to see the shaman, the village doctor, for medicine.

After chores, Judica and Daisy play soccer, tag, or Pase el Lobo (a game like London Bridge) with friends. The children are happy because they are on school break. They go to school from April to December. All the children study together in the same building. They learn Spanish, math, religion, science, and geography.

Greeting Visitors Every day in Urco Miraño is an adventure. The children especially like to meet the boatman when he comes from Mazan, a little village four hours upriver. Mazan is where the people in Urco Miraño go to sell fish, vegetables, and the jewelry Judica makes. They also buy clothes, sugar, salt, and candy there. The children listen for the sound of the motorboat, putt-putting its way down the Napo River. Judica and Daisy slip down the muddy slope in bare feet.

“Chum!” shouts Judica, greeting the little boat. Judica speaks Yagua and Spanish. She says, “Chum!” or “Salud!” to say “Hello.”

“Visitors,” whispers Judica to Daisy. “Today we have visitors.” She and Daisy wave at them when they step out of the boat.

Apu Antonio, the chief of Urco Miraño, shows the visitors around the village. Judica and Daisy follow, excited to join the group.

Urco Miraño is tar from Mazan and other cities. Not many visitors come. These visitors bring interesting things: funny clothes, cameras, backpacks, journals, and photographs of their families and friends. Judica looks at the pictures of new places and people. She twists her dark wavy hair around her finger and smiles at one of the visitors.

Judica touches the freckles on the visitor's arms. She giggles. “You have so many dots!”

Making Friends Judica's family invites the visitors to have lunch. The house smells of damp wood and caramel-sweet bananas. Judica and her family eat fish two or three times a day: boiled fish, fried fish, fish soup, fish stew, grilled fish, and more! They also eat plantain–a kind of banana–and cassava, which is like a potato.

Lunch is the perfect time to get together with new friends. The Yagua even have a special drink that symbolizes friendship and is a big part of their parties and celebrations. Judica passes the drinking bowl to the visitors.

After lunch, the village sleeps. The sun bakes the muddy riverbanks into dry, crumbly cakes. Soon, dark clouds roll in, and thunder claps overhead. Rain pours down. Judica and her friends cut plantain leaves off the trees to use as umbrellas. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, they splash and giggle, running through the puddles and mud, happy for the cool afternoon rain.

The children race the river. It takes away the boatman and visitors. “Hasta luego!” they shout. “Until next time!” Judica watches the boat fade into the distance. Behind it, the fiery sun dips into the water, making room for the silver moon. Today was a great adventure.

Judica (second from left), Daisy (third from left), and their friends.

This is the school where all the children study. The grass in front is where they play soccer. To the left is a house on stilts.

The children of Urco Miraño run for cover with plantain-leaf umbrellas.

This man says it is much easier to wear traditional Yagua dress because then he doesn't have to do laundry. He weaves a new outfit two or three times a year. His wife chooses to wear clothes bought in Mazan.

Let's answer questions about our story:

1. Where does Judica live? 2. Describe her home. 3. What kind of shoes does she wear?