Latin America - Grade 7

The Adventure
Following their time tracking friends who have mysteriously disappeared, students travel deep into the jungles of Latin America to find exquisite pyramids, artifacts, and ancient observatories. Students' comprehension skills increase as they dig deep into the content-rich text and explore the fascinating civilizations of Latin America. Opportunities for written and artistic expression ensure that students develop and practice the skills needed to communicate effectively.

Archaeological Finds
The diverse cultures of Latin America are explored by middle-school students as they become archaeologists and inspect artifacts to make inferences about ancient civilizations. They reinforce critical-thinking skills by making predictions about cultural traditions. Developing cause-and-effect skills, students participate in a real-life debate to discover the pros and cons of using archaeological sites for commercial purposes.

The Amazing Aztecs
In the second week of Latin America, students explore the mysterious world of the powerful Aztecs. Re-creating an Aztec calendar strengthens students' abilities to sequence and follow written directions. Students read for detail as they learn to create sandstone etchings. Likewise, they respond to text through the expressive arts, studying tribal ceremonies and making warrior headdresses like those worn by the Aztecs.

Jungles of the Mayan Empire
Traveling deeper into the jungles of MesoAmerica, students investigate the mathematical theories of the Mayans. They use context clues to read about Mayan artistic and architectural feats. As they research the Spanish conquest, students draw conclusions about this influential event upon the Mayan culture. Students use their knowledge of graphic sources to create a "cultural organizer" in which they compare and contrast attributes of three great civilizations.

The Grandeur of the Incas
In week 4, students embark on a journey to the mountains of Peru. Students have multiple opportunities to read for details in fiction and nonfiction texts related to Incan customs and geography. They write for a purpose and publish original creation myths reflecting the curiosity of the Incas. Finally, students draw conclusions by developing a scenario for the demise of the Incan civilization.

Skills and Strategies:

	Comprehension of text
	Word recognition
	Use of graphic sources
	Reading for pleasure and information
	Writing to communicate ideas

Benefits:

	Improves reading performance
	Aligns with state and national standards
	Develops reading comprehension strategies and essential
	word-attack skills
	Strengthens phonological awareness and letter-sound
	correspondences
	Includes relevant, high-interest content and concepts
	Provides ongoing student assessment
	Allows teachers to focus on the quality of instruction with
	explicit daily lesson plans
	Engages and motivates teachers and students

Each Classroom Receives:

	Comprehensive Curriculum Guide with daily lesson plans
	Content-related instructional materials
	Built-in assessment tools
	Suggestions for parent and community involvement
	Voyager Adventure Books

Parent Connection:

Parent Guides (English or Spanish)

Model:

	Single grade-level program for grade 7
	Up to 4 hours of learning adventures per day for 4 weeks,
	Total of 80 hours

Curriculum Support
Available through the Customer Support Hotline at 1-888-399-1995 between 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (CST).