Gender gaps are more pronounced in the region than in other parts of the world. Boys in the region perform better than girls in science and mathematics, while girls outperform boys in reading.

Only a small percentage of students in the region perform well in science, reading, or mathematics. An almost insignificant number of students are top performers in all three subjects.

The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the characteristics of school infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, using information from TERCE comparatively around the concepts of sufficiency, equity and effectiveness. We start by enquiring whether the physical spaces whereLatin American children and youth study are adequate and sufficient to ensure learning. Next, we examine how school spaces are distributed, both according to the geographical area of the students and their socioeconomic and cultural status.

Half of the students in the region present low levels of performance. If all 15-year-olds who are outside of the education system or still in primary education were included, this proportion would be even greater.

Although several countries in the region improved their results, they must all accelerate their rate of improvement to achieve higher performance levels.

PISA is the principal international test that currently exists to measure and compare knowledge and skills of young people in the education system. In the 2015 edition, 72 countries and economies participated in the test.10 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean participated: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad andTobago, and Uruguay.

We do not live in a vacuum. Instead, we are connected to innumerable other living entities, and our individual vantage point is only one among many. When we hear people talk about protecting the land and the landscape that we enjoy, it may be helpful to consider that each of us has a personal environment, experienced from a particular point of view.

Climate change presents huge challenges for humankind. Yet within these challenges lie myriad opportunities for people of all ages, including professional opportunities in exciting, influential fields such as public administration, education, and engineering. The interviews in this chapter will help your students explore some of the possibilities for careers in the fields of climate change, environmental protection, and sustainability.

Once upon a time, there was a place with good soil for plants and good sources of water for wild animals. Many, many plants grew there, and many wild animals made it their home. People liked it too. In fact, so many people wanted it to be their home, they built a city. The world's big cities -that are now full of skyscrapers and wide concrete avenues, and where the only wild animals live in zoos- once looked very different. Many were farms. A few were jungles or swamps. A handful were desert oases. Even today, cities cannot be separated from the natural environment.

"You are what you eat." It's a familiar expression, but do youhave any idea how true it is? Food does a lot more than simply nourish our bodies; it's an essential part of who we are. When we gather together to
produce, prepare, and consume food, we are part of a community. The passing down of food traditions from generation to generation helps form our very identity. One of the best ways to learn about the history of different places and cultures is to eat the local food. How people eat shows us how