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Year 5 - Geography

Features of the Amazon rainforest

South America: why does the Amazon matter?

Unit Summary

This unit explores the Amazon rainforest as a region in South America. Pupils learn about its location, climate and biodiversity, investigate how people live and work there, and consider the global importance of protecting tropical rainforests.

Lesson Summary

You can use geographical and scientific vocabulary to describe key features of the rainforest.

Key Notes

  • The rainforest is a type of environment or biome, with a distinctive climate and ecosystem.
  • The rainforest has four very different layers: forest floor, understory, canopy and emergent.
  • The rainforest is a very important ecosystem and provides a habitat for millions of plant and animals, including humans.
  • Different sources of information can be used to investigate the location and features of rainforests.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • tropical rainforest: Tropical rainforests are areas of dense forest found close to the Equator where it is warm and there are high levels of rainfall.
  • climate: Climate is an average of weather conditions (e.g. rain, sun, wind) in a place taken over a long period of time (usually 30 years or more).
  • biodiversity: Biodiversity means all the living things in an ecosystem or area.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils think that our knowledge about the Amazon rainforest comes only from research.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.

The rainforest is a type of environment or biome, with a distinctive climate and ecosystem. The rainforest has four very different layers: forest floor, understory, canopy and emergent.

2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'tropical rainforest'

Tropical rainforests are areas of dense forest found close to the Equator where it is warm and there are high levels of rainfall.

3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils think that our knowledge about the Amazon rainforest comes only from research. Correction: Point out that Indigenous peoples have been living in the rainforest for thousands of years and have a lot of knowledge about it.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 5 Geography guide library.