This week’s country in our Around the World in 11 Weeks series is Peru! Learn about the Amazon River and Rainforest, the Andes Mountains, Machu Picchu and more! Check out all the resources below to study Peru and grab the FREE printable portion.
Note: For ideas on how to organize your unit study, visit the Around the World in 11 Weeks main page.
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Printable Unit Study
The printable portion of the unit study contains Peru Notebooking Pages, a Map Scavenger Hunt, a Following Directions activity, a math activity about Peruvian currency, Famous People notebooking pages, and book summaries. Grab it below! (22 pages)
Videos About Peru
This video gives a great overview of the history of Peru. (6 min.)
Here is a comprehensive video, especially for older students, from Geography Now! (19 min.)
Research More About Peru
Ducksters has a variety of information about Peru including information about the geography, economy, and government. You can research more about the Inca Empire and other early tribes of Peru on Ducksters, too.
National Geographic Kids has a slideshow of related pictures, fast facts, the history of Peru and more.
Kiddle has a lot information about Peru along with many colorful pictures.
Hands On Activities
Llamas have been used as pack animals in the Andes Mountains for hundreds of years. Make this fun llama craft and watch this video. You could also draw a llama with this tutorial.
Panpipes and flutes are popular in Peruvian music. Make this panpipe from straws and then listen for the pipe and flute sounds in Peruvian music.
Learn about the Nazca lines drawn in desert sand in Peru with this short video and then make your own art project with lines in the sand.
Learn about the Amazon River and Rainforest and make your own rainforest diorama. Or make your own live rainforest with this kit:
Make Peruvian Food
Rice and beans, also known as tacu tacu, are a staple in Peruvian culture and this recipe is often served with a fried egg and steak on top.
Ceviche is another popular Peruvian food and is made with white fish. Here is a simple recipe to try.
Another simple meal would be to roast a chicken in the Peruvian style. You could serve rice and beans on the side.
For dessert, make Tres Leches, also known as ‘milk cake’.
Famous Peruvians
Mario Testino, photographer: Research
Play Peruvian Music
Find a Peruvian playlist on your favorite streaming service or listen to this collection from youtube.com.
Learn Spanish
Spanish is the national language of Argentina. Rock ‘N Learn has several videos to teach children Spanish vocabulary.
They also have Spanish videos for older students.
There are many videos reading children’s books in Spanish. Here is a set of videos with English and Spanish subtitles.
Duolingo is another free way to learn Spanish.
Non-Fiction Books About Peru
Fiction Books About Peru
Elementary school:
Older Elementary/Middle school:
Movies About Peru
PBS series, Passport to Latin America, has 2 thirty minute episodes about Peru.
Nova has a few episodes related to Peru, including those about the Inca civilization and Machu Picchu.
The Emporer’s New Groove is an animated film about an Incan emporer.
Tad, The Lost Explorer, is another animated film set in Peru and introduces children to some of the archaeological sites there.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold, features a grown up Dora and her friends on an adventure in the Peruvian Amazon.
For Adults: If you have older high schoolers or are just interested in a grown-up movie night, The Motorcycle Diaries follows revolutionary, Che Guevara, through South America.
"Go to" Peru
Study the Biomes
You could add on a Rainforest Unit Study to your study of Peru since the Amazon River and the surrounding rainforest begins in Peru.
Or, for a full year of biome studies:
Download Printable Activities
Don’t forget to grab the printable portion of the Peru Unit Study:
Get the Unit Study
Subscribe to receive your unit study!
What other activities have you used to learn about Peru? Let us know!
Other ideas for learning about countries around the world:
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