Photo of a person dressed in a colorful, fantastic costume

YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images

Article Options

Presentation View
Teaching Resources

What's Up, World? Brazil

Learn about life in this South American country.

Each February, about 20,000 kids in Brazil put on glittering costumes and dance to the thumping beat of drums. Huge crowds gather to watch them dance in Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil. It’s all part of the country’s biggest dance competition for kids: the Children’s Parade. 

The dancers who compete in the Children’s Parade are students in samba schools. These are schools where people of all ages learn a dance called samba. Samba is a joyful traditional dance that is very popular in Brazil. The top samba schools compete to see who is the best.

Preparing for the Children’s Parade is a lot of work! Kids create and practice their dance moves all year. They also help make their floats and outfits. 

When the big day comes, the crowd cheers for the dancers and judges choose the winner. 

This parade is just one example of the many exciting things to do and see in Brazil. Read on to discover more!

Shutterstock.com

Creature Feature

Many fascinating creatures live in the Amazon River, which flows through Brazil. One of them is the Amazon River dolphin, which  weighs up to 450 pounds. These dolphins all have gray skin when they’re born, but the males turn pink as they get older!

Say Hello: Most people in Brazil speak Portuguese. If you want to say hello in Portuguese, say olá (o-la).

Let's Eat!

Shutterstock.com

Many kids in Brazil say their favorite dessert is brigadeiro (bree-gah-DAY-roh). This chocolate treat covered in sprinkles is a big hit, especially at birthday parties.

CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images

Celebrate

The Children’s Parade is part of Carnival, a five-day celebration in early spring. Filled with music, dancing, and parades, this annual tradition draws millions of visitors from all over the world. During Carnival, about 80,000 people come to the “Sambadrome” to watch up to 5,000 dancers and musicians at a time. 

Cultura Creative RF/Alamy Stock Photo

Fun and Games

Soccer is the most popular sport in Brazil. Kids grow up dreaming of playing for their country—and that has paid off. Brazil’s men’s team has won the World Cup, the biggest soccer competition, more times than any other country! 

Shutterstock.com

Amazon rainforest

Look At This!

The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest. More than half of it is located in Brazil. The Amazon is home to billions of trees and animals. For example, more than 1 out of every 10 bird and butterfly species live there. 

Map It Out

In what direction would you travel to get from Brazil’s capital to Rio de Janeiro?  

Jim McMahon/Mapman®
  1. Why does the author write that preparing for the Children’s Parade is a lot of work?
  2. What are three facts you can learn about Brazil from the map?
  3. Based on the article, photos, and captions, what might people do on a visit to Brazil?
videos (1)
Skills Sheets (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Games (1)
TEACHER SUPPORT (1)
Text-to-Speech