South America

South America is a continent of marvels, mysteries and magic: the amazing diversity of plant and animal life found in the Amazon rain forest and the Galapagos Islands, the fascinating traces of past civilizations such as the Incan stronghold at Machu Picchu and Easter Island’s massive stone figures, and the unique form of storytelling called magic realism, which combines the commonplace with the fantastic and surreal. Learn more about South America’s history, culture and natural resources through these direct links on The Times Launch Point Web site: https://https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/

Here are the best sites for getting your schoolwork done or for just having fun.

Level 1

Amazon Rain Forest School Web Site: Let the students of Amazon River Elementary School teach you about their lives and culture through stories, photos, arts and games.

https://www.ccph.com/ares/site/index.html

Secrets of Lost Empires: Easter Island: Located off the coast of Chile, Easter Island is known for its immense monoliths carved from volcanic rock. Explore this remote island and find out about scientists who tried to discover how ancient peoples moved these massive monuments into place.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/easter/

The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu: Take a four-day journey along the Inca Trail. Explore the ancient ruins at Machu Picchu and find out why the llama was the animal best suited for transportation in the Andes Mountains.

https://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Photos/SouthAmerica/Peru/IncaTrail/

Level 2

South America in the Electronic Passport: Simon Bolivar was known as “the liberator” for helping Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia win their independence from Spain in the early 1800s. This well-organized collection of resources teaches many important facts about the history, economy, culture and geography of South American countries and territories.

https://www.mrdowling.com/712southamerica.html

Virtual Galapagos: Take a multimedia tour of the Galapagos Islands. View interactive maps, read modern-day expedition reports and adventures from the past, and learn about environmental issues that challenge the islands’ intriguing life forms.

https://www.terraquest.com/galapagos/intro.html

Encarta: South America: South America’s geography is defined by the Amazon River, the second largest river in the world, and the Andes Mountains, the second highest mountain range in the world. This site provides useful perspectives on the region and the individual countries of South America.

https://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg;=2&ti;=761574914

Level 3

Library of Congress: Country Studies: Learn about the geography, history, government, economics and cultures through these extensive guides to countries of South American.

https://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html#toc

South America: Daily News and Current Events: Keep up-to-date on events in South America through this online newspaper available in English and Spanish editions.

https://www.southamericadaily.com/

South America for Visitors: South America boasts a long history of artistic achievement beginning with the pre-Colombian musicians, ceramicists and metalworkers on up to such revered modern-day authors as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Pablo Neruda. Explore the sights, sounds and artistry of South American culture through this collection of resources.

https://gosouthamerica.about.com/travel/gosouthamerica/

Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This column was designed by Nora Croix, Joe Fragassi, Frank Padilla and Anna Manring.

EXPLORER’S QUEST

The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.

How rainy is the Amazon Rain Forest?

CLUE: See South America in the Electronic Passport

Find What You Need to Know: Have a project on California history? Need help doing a math problem? Launch Point covers more than 150 topics for getting your schoolwork done. Go to https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/ for the full list of subjects and direct links to the best Internet sites.

Answer to last week’s Quest: Stephen E. Ambrose recommended Douglas Southall Freeman’s biography of Robert E. Lee for learning storytelling techniques.