Do Now: If you were to go on vacation to a place you had never been, what information would you like to know so you could pack the right clothes? Write in full sentences and give specific examples in your answer.

Aim: How can we evaluate the relationship between the environment and humans?

Climate• The usual weather patterns that occur

in an area over a long period of time.• Includes temperature, rainfall, wind

patterns etc.• Six major climate zones: polar,

temperate, arid, tropical, Mediterranean and mountainous

Give 3 factors that will influence climate based on the map.

Climate is determined by 3 factors• 1. Proximity/distance from/to equator-the closer a

place is to the equator the more intense the sun and temperature is generally hotter. The further a place is from the equator and closer to the North or South Pole the colder it its.

• 2. Proximity to Oceans/Seas-Large bodies of water keep temperatures more moderate. Water tends to cool off and heat up more slowly than the land nearby

• 3. Elevation- higher elevations lead to cool temperatures

The Six Climate Zones1.Polar

• Northern areas of the world closest to the Earth’s Poles and furthest from Equator

• Much of the land is made up of large ice caps• Have cold temperatures and large annual

snowfall • Very few humans inhabit due to climate• Ex. North Pole (The Artic) and Antarctica

(south Pole)

2. Temperate• Variety of climates due to mixing warm and

cold air masses.• Approximately halfway between equator and • Variety of weather patterns.• Most people live in a mid-latitude climate

zone.– Ex: North America and Europe

3. Arid (Desert) • Close proximity to equator• Little or no rainfall=Arid (less than 10 inches

per year)• Very hot during the day• Very cold at night• Most of the World’s deserts are along the

equator• Extremely cold winters– Ex: Sahara Desert

4. Tropical

• Located near and along the equator.• Little temperature change from year to year.• Tropical Rainforests: warm and wet most of

the year.– Ex: Amazon Rainforest

• Tropical Savanna: warm and dry part of the year, warm and wet the other part.– Ex: African Rainforest and Amazon Rainforest

5. Mediterranean

• Winds from the Mediterranean sea create a comfortable warm winters and cool summers

• Closer to the equator than to the North Pole

• Example: Greece, Italy and Egypt

6. Mountainous

• Often have high mountains that remain cold at the peak year round.

• Elevation• Make trade and travel difficult• Examples: Andes Mountains and Himalaya

mountains

Adaptation• Human beings are incredibly adaptive to the Climate

and physical features in 3 Major ways.• 1. Genetically- a very slow process that takes

100,000 of years (examples height, skin color and sickle cells)

• 2. Technologically- Technology is any adaption, invention, or tool to Earth’s geography. (examples: Writing, irrigation and subways)

• 3. Culture- or a way of life develops that is rooted in a places geography and access to technology (Amazon Indians, Inuit and Chinese)

Impact and effect of humans on the environmentRead the handout and explain each in your own words. Also, state what do you think is the root

cause.

DO NOT WRITE ON THE HANDOUT!Human Impact Own words Root causeIrrigation

Terrace farming

Roads

Effects on the environment

Deforestation

Global warming

Desertification

Acid rain

Summary• 1. How does Climate influence

humans?• 2. How are humans influencing

climate and geography?• 3. How can we evaluate the

relationship between the environment and humans?

Application Activity• You are a member of a UN committee to study the

effects of human impact on the environment. You are required to visit the 8 following locations. For each location, list the clothing and the reason that you would pack for each location.

1. Nile River – irrigation system2. Andes Mountains – terrace farming3. Silk Road4. India – Pollution5. Amazon – Deforestation6. Polar ice caps – global warming

7. Sahel, Africa – Desertification8. Switzerland – Acid rain