 Around the world, holidays are commemorated with indulgences and sweets. Carve out time with family this season to make a classic Brazilian holiday dessert.
Geography: Look at a world map and locate South America. Notice the enormous size of Brazil, the continent’s largest country and the fifth largest in the world. Brazil is the home to the Amazon River, which contains more water than any other on earth.
Social Studies & History: Discuss the language of Brazil. The most popular language in South America is Spanish. However, Portugal colonized Brazil in the 1500s; therefore, Portuguese is the national language.
Music & Art: Listen and dance to samba music, such as the classic album Getz/Gilberto. Create a mask like those worn during Carnival. Also, Capoeira, a type of dance that combines martial arts, gymnastics and game elements, is a popular and mesmerizing activity to watch or play. Grab a flexible partner and practice by doing cartwheels, turns and jumps, the basic moves of the dance.
Math: Just like the U.S., Brazil is divided into states. Count how many it contains.
Food: Explain that since Brazil is such a vast country, the cuisine is defined by each region and takes on many fashions and flavors. Constants throughout the country include rice and beans, tropical fruits (such as guava, papaya, pineapple and passion fruit), beef, seafood, root vegetables (such as yam and yuca), corn, coffee, cacao, sugarcane and nuts.
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