Peru fact file
Research Peru: where it is, what it is known for, three interesting facts, and a drawing.
Browse all fact file country
Peru reading map
Explore Peru through fiction set in Cusco, a biography of Pachacuti, an opinion piece about Machu Picchu visitor limits, and an informational textile reading.
13 readings
Peru reading map
Read about Peru through a biography of Pachacuti, an argument about visitor limits at Machu Picchu, and an informational textile reading. Compare a real person’s biography with a writer’s position, then identify how the informational textile reading serves a different purpose.
My Cusco Diary: The Sun FestivalLower Elementary · Diary Entry • FictionPeru
The Rainbow Birds of PeruLower Elementary · InformationalPeru
Pachacuti: The Earth-Shaker of the AndesUpper Elementary · BiographyPeru
The Golden Potato: Making Peru's Papa a la HuancaínaUpper Elementary · How-To / Procedural • Functional TextsPeru
The Mystery in the Dust: Peru's Nazca LinesUpper Elementary · InformationalPeru
Wings Over the CanyonUpper Elementary · Reader's TheaterPeru
Saving the Sanctuary: Why Machu Picchu Needs Stricter Visitor LimitsMiddle School · Opinion Piece • Opinion / ArgumentativePeru
Simón Bolívar: The LiberatorMiddle School · BiographyPeru
The Dancing Stones: Inca Engineering at Machu PicchuMiddle School · Report • InformationalPeru
The Floating Worlds of Lake TiticacaMiddle School · Explanatory Article • InformationalPeru
The Lady of the Desert: Maria Reiche and the Nazca LinesMiddle School · BiographyPeru
The Mighty Amazon River: A Lifeline of BiodiversityMiddle School · Report • InformationalPeru
Threads of the Andes: The Heritage of Peruvian TextilesGrade 7 · InformationalPeruPeru printables & worksheets
Compare biography details with the Machu Picchu opinion piece, and collect subject information from the textile reading.
Build a Peru workbook Pro
One PDF with the reading passages, puzzles and worksheets you pick — start from a grade level and adjust from there, with the answer keys at the back.
Peru KWL chart
Write what you already know about Peru, what you want to find out, and what you learned.
Browse all kwl chartPeru story map
Plan a story set in Peru: characters, setting, problem, what happens first, next, and last, and how it ends.
Browse all story mapCompare two things from Peru
Use a Venn diagram to compare two places, landmarks, animals, traditions, or other features from Peru.
Browse all compare two things from peruPeru acrostic poem
Write an acrostic poem using the letters in the name Peru.
Browse all acrostic poemPeru word game worksheets
Printable word puzzles built from Peru words — download as PDF, answer key included.
Easy word search
8×8 grid · 6 words across and down · answer key included
Medium word search
10×10 grid · 8 words with diagonals · answer key included
Tricky word search
12×12 grid · 10 words with backwards words · answer key included
No printer at hand? Play the Peru word search right here on screen — free.
About Peru
Peru is home to Machu Picchu, a famous 15th-century Incan citadel situated high in the Andes Mountains.
The Amazon rainforest covers more than half of Peru's total land area, hosting incredible biodiversity.
Lake Titicaca, located on the border of Peru and Bolivia, is considered the highest navigable lake in the world.
Peru readings about people, places, and heritage
These selections use fiction, biography, opinion, and informational writing to connect readers with Peru. They focus on named subjects and places, so each should be read for its own scope. The visitor-limits argument gives one viewpoint on Machu Picchu; readers can compare it with the biography and informational textile reading.
Separate an imagined diary from biography
Pachacuti: The Earth-Shaker of the Andes is an Upper Elementary biography about a real person. My Cusco Diary: The Sun Festival is a Lower Elementary fictional diary entry. Ask students to compare the diary’s narrator with the person at the center of the biography and support the distinction with text evidence.
Read a claim and an informational topic
The Middle School opinion piece Saving the Sanctuary: Why Machu Picchu Needs Stricter Visitor Limits presents a position readers can identify and examine for reasons. Threads of the Andes: The Heritage of Peruvian Textiles is informational and labeled for 7th grade. Have readers compare the argument’s claim with details in the informational text, while keeping each topic distinct. A facts-and-opinions organizer can support the opinion task, and a fact file can hold attributed information. Explore South America for more place-based readings. For broader geography topics, browse the geography reading collection.
Peru reading map FAQ
Which selection is a biography?
“Pachacuti: The Earth-Shaker of the Andes” is an Upper Elementary biography.
How does the Cusco diary differ from the Pachacuti biography?
“My Cusco Diary: The Sun Festival” is fiction, while the Pachacuti selection is a biography. Compare the diary narrator with the real person presented in the biography.
What is the Machu Picchu selection’s text type?
It is a Middle School opinion piece arguing for stricter visitor limits.
Which passage discusses Peruvian textiles?
“Threads of the Andes: The Heritage of Peruvian Textiles” is an informational reading labeled for 7th grade.