Suggesting that students in the intermediate grades can explore the world around them and practice valuable skills in spelling, reading, writing, communication, and language, this book presents cross-curricular units designed to integrate language-arts activities into the study of Central and South American cultures. The units in the book reach diverse needs by working through emotional memory, deductive reasoning, and multiple intelligences. Features of the book include: ready-to-use activities; emphasis on skills; reading texts; and group demonstrations. After an introduction on the role of language arts in social studies, units in the book deal with Mexico, Central America, Islands in the Caribbean (The West Indies), Peru, and Brazil. Appendixes list 11 additional resources on folktales and legends, annotations of 4 children's books about other cultures, and 8 web sites that offer general information. (RS)