Amazon rainforest

Where can I find information about the Amazon rainforest?

(Years 5-8)

Colour photo of a forest in Peru showing the dense green trees. — Image: Amazon rainforest near Puerto Maldonado by Ivan Mlinaric on Flickr.

Entry last updated: 26/09/23

Introduction

A rainforest is a thick forest usually found in areas of warm temperatures, high humidity and heavy annual rainfall. The Amazon rainforest in South America is the world's largest rainforest. It covers 600, 000 sq km and 40% of Brazil's total area. Parts of it are found in Ecuador, Venezuela, Suriname, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Guyana, and French Guiana. It is home to many different species of plants and animals.

Epic resources

EPIC is a collection of online resources that have been put together especially for New Zealand school students. The resources below have lots of information about the Amazon rainforest.

Britannica School

This EPIC site has good articles, images and videos on the Amazon rainforest.

Select a level. (You can move up and down this level if you need to).
Enter 'Amazon rainforest' into the search box.
The article Amazon Rainforest has lots of information about the rainforest, its plants and animals, and its history.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6 pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

New Zealand Geographic Online

This EPIC site is an online version of the New Zealand Geographic magazine dating back to 1989. You can also access some current editions. It has stories, video, audio, and images.

Enter 'Amazon rainforest' into the search box.
The article Rainmaking has interesting information about how the Amazon rainforest makes its own rain.

National Geographic Kids

This EPIC site has reliable information, books, video, images and maps on science, nature, and culture.

Enter 'Amazon rainforest' into the search box.
The short video Destination World: South America takes you on a journey through the Amazon rainforest.
Entering 'Amazon rain forest' into the search box will give you more results.
The video River People follows the Bararsana people of the Amazon rainforest as they journey up the Amazon river.

Tips: Search words, or keywords, are the most important words in our question. Usually it’s better to leave out small words like ‘the’, ‘a’ and ‘of’ and just choose the main ones, eg Amazon rainforest. We can always change our keywords or add more if we need to eg Amazon rain forest.

General websites

There are many good websites about the Amazon rainforest. Here are some of our favourites.

Infoplease - Countries of the World

This reference and learning site has lots of information about different countries.

Enter 'Amazon rainforest' into the search box.
The article rainforests has information about rainforests and the plants and animals that live there.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

Science Kids Country Facts

This New Zealand site has fun, quick facts on a selection of countries.

Enter 'Amazon rainforest' in the search box.
Amazon Rainforest Facts has interesting facts about the Amazon rainforest.
You will also find links here to related information such as Fun Rainforest Facts and Amazon River Facts.
Watch the Amazon Rainforest Plants and Animals Video to learn about Amazon rainforest plants and animals.

Tips: Many web pages have links to further information or to other recommended sites. Following these links is a great way to find out more. This searching method is called “pearl growing” because you are picking up pieces of sand to make a beautiful pearl!

Khan Academy

This is a free to use site filled with educational videos on a range of topics. To browse, use the search feature or select 'Courses' at the top of the page. Khan Academy does not work in Internet Explorer.

This site has some interesting information about the people who live side by side with the flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest.

Enter 'Amazon rainforest' in the search box.
The article Amazonian peoples, an introduction, has some information about the Amerindians who live there.
It's also worth checking out the two video clips which interview a curator from the British Museum about how headdresses from two different tribes, the Mundurukú and the Kayapó give glimpses into their lives.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are.