Download Climate zones

Which of the following natural occurrences
would be most likely to have an impact on our
global climate?
A.
B.
C.
D.
An earthquake
A tsunami
A tornado
A volcanic eruption
MYP Unit Question: What should I wear today?
Area of Interaction: Environment
Learner Profile: Communicator
Standard: Understand how the distribution of
land and oceans affect climate and weather
Learning Standard: I’m learning about climate
because it is different from weather.
Opening:
Work Session:
Climograph
Closing: Study Jams - Clouds
Climate Zones
What’s the difference between
weather and climate?
Weather
Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at
a particular time. This condition includes
temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind and
visibility.
Climate
Climate is the average weather condition in an
area over a long period of time.
images of different climate zones
Baffin Island Sun
Photograph by John Dunn
The midnight Arctic sun never strays from the horizon in this time-exposed shot
of Nunavut's Baffin Island. Some parts of Nunavut endure 24 hours of light from
late April until late August and 24 hours of darkness from late October until mid-February.
In Brazil, which houses 30 percent of the remaining tropical rain forest on Earth, more
than 50,000 square miles of rain forest were lost to deforestation between 2000 and
2005.
The rain forest is nearly self-watering. Plants release water into the atmosphere
through a process called transpiration. In the tropics, each canopy tree can release
about 200 gallons (760 liters) of water each year.
Grasslands are found where there is not enough regular
rainfall to support the growth of a forest, but not so little as to
form a desert.
Tundras are among Earth's coldest, harshest biomes. Tundra
ecosystems are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on
the tops of mountains, where the climate is cold and windy
and rainfall is scant.
Deserts cover more than one fifth of the Earth's land, and
they are found on every continent. A place that receives
less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain per year is
considered a desert.
The Earth has three major climate zones. Each
zone has a temperature range that relates to its
latitude.
In each of these zones, there are several types
of climates because of the differences in the
geography and the amount of precipitation.
This creates different biomes, which are large
regions characterized by specific climates,
types of plants and animal communities.
World Climates
What affects climate?
Latitude—the higher the latitude, the cooler
the climate
Prevailing winds—carry different amounts of
moisture
Uneven heating of land and water
Ocean currents
Hey! Mars has climate zones, too!
Rainshadow
Windward
rainshadow animation
Leeward
Create a Rainshadow Diagram
Windward side (wet)
Leeward
(dry)
Average Temperature
8
35
7
30
6
25
5
20
4
15
3
10
2
5
1
0
0
Jan Feb
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Precipitation
40
Inches
Fahrenheit
●───●
Climograph for ________________ Latitude ______________ Longitude ______
Climate Choice activity pages 526-535
1. Make a graphic organizer including facts about
the 3 climate zones and biomes(independent).
2. Take Cornell notes on the 3 climate zones.
(independent)
3. Make diagrams with labels to illustrate the 3
climate zones. (independent or group)
4. Give a “McIntire-Butler” interactive lesson with
props on a climate zone (group)
•
•
•
location
biomes in each zone
Facts about temperature and precipitation