our new topic is a geography topic titled: window on the
TRANSCRIPT
Our new topic is a geography topic titled:
Window on the World
During this topic, we will be learning about our world and making comparisons between where we live, Spain (as we learn how to
speak Spanish in school) and .
Just like we would normally do in school, can you have a think about each of our key questions. You
can write each of the key questions out onto a piece of paper and then write a little paragraph to support
your answer.
What do you already know?
Don’t worry if you don’t know very much right now at the beginning of our topic as by the end of our topic, I’m sure your brain will be bursting with
knowledge.
What is a continent?
A continent is a large, solid landmass.
What are the continents?
The continents are typically defined as:
North America
South America Antarctica
Australasia
Africa
Europe
Asia
Why are North and South America considered two different continents?
Even though it is man-made, North America and South America
are separated by the Panama Canal.
Panama Canal
What is a country?
A country is usually smaller than a continent and has its own government and boundaries.
Australia and Antarctica are both continents and countries.
Many countries can exist in one continent. For example, the USA, Canada, and Mexico are
three countries in the continent of North America.
Where is your country?
Where Do You Live?
Where is your continent?
City=
State/Region=
Country = ntry
Continent =
Where Do You Live?
City=
State/Region=
Country = ntry
Continent =
Where Do You Live?
Europe
United Kingdom
North East of England
Gateshead
5th January 2021L.O: To locate the equator and the tropics
Top or Bottom?
Where is the UK?
How would you
describe its position on
the Earth?
We are here!
Top or Bottom?
Each part of the globe is called a hemisphere.
The top part is the Northern Hemisphere.
The bottom part is the Southern Hemisphere.
How would you describe the UK’s position on the
Earth now?
What other countries can you locate?
What do you think hemisphere means?
What’s in the Middle?
What is between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
Photo courtesy of Cburnett, WikiMedia Commons - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
The red line marks the Equator.
The Equator divides the globe into two equal halves.
All About the UKName of Country:
Capital City:
Population:
Official Language(s):
Average Rainfall:
United Kingdom
London
64 million
English
770 – 2000mmper year
So, where is Spain?Name of Country:
Capital City:
Population:
Official Language(s):
Average Rainfall:
Spain
Madrid
48 million
Castilian - Spanish
1,240 mm (49 in) per year
What Would the WeatherBe like at the Equator?
Photo courtesy of Cburnett, WikiMedia Commons - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
What do you
notice about
countries on
the Equator?
What was the average temperature and rainfall in the country you chose to research?
Firstly, can you draw a line on your map to show where the equator is? If you don’t have a
printer- can you use your finger to draw an imaginary line across the screen?
Using an online map, can you label the continents?
Take a look at the countries that make up the continents above and below the equator.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Just checking…
What is that
red line?
Photo courtesy of Cburnett, WikiMedia Commons - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
But what about the faint white lines you can see?
What is the
half above it
called?
What about
the part below
the red line?
Lines Around
LAtitude - Lines Around
the Earth!
Photo courtesy of Pearson Scott Foresman, WikiMedia Commons - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
Lines of latitude (also known as parallels)
circle the Earth from east to west.
These invisible lines are all the same
distance apart. One line to the next is
known as 1 degree.
Each degree of latitude is separated into
smaller divisions called minutes.
There are 60 minutes in 1 degree.
Each minute is divided into 60 seconds
(not always included within the co-
ordinate).
As you can see from the diagram, the
Equator lies at 0 degrees.
Lines Over
LOngitude - Lines Over
the top of the Earth!
Photo courtesy of Pearson Scott Foresman, WikiMedia Commons - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
These are the lines which run
north and south and are known as
lines of longitude or meridians of
longitude. These lines are
measured in the same way as the
lines of latitude.
Lines of longitude are not equal
distances (equidistant) from each
other.
Where Are the Tropics?
The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern Tropic, marks the most southerly latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead.
The Tropic of Cancer, or the Northern
Tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth
that marks the most northerly position at
which the Sun can be directly overhead.
It currently lies around 23.4° north of the Equator.
It currently lies around 23.4° south of the Equator.
Can you now add the tropic of cancer and tropic of Capricorn to your map?Use your finger to draw imaginary lines if you don not have a printer.
What Is It like in the Tropics?
Between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the weather is hot all year round.
Rainfall can be very varied in tropical locations – some areas have very little rain, some have a rainy season and some have fairly consistent rainfall throughout the year.
Rainforests have
an average monthly rainfall
of at least 60mm.
Click each habitat to find out more:
tropical rainforests;
tropical coniferous forests;
tropical dry forests;
tropical grasslands.
When you’re ready to move on, click here!
Tropical Rainforests
*Precipitation – water falling from the sky as rain, sleet, snow or hail.
Tropical rainforests are located in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. These
areas are constantly warm and experience an average precipitation* of at least 60mm
every month. There is no dry season in these forests.
Due to this climate, the tropical rainforests are lush and full of life. The world’s
tropical rainforests are
home to over 15 million species
of plants and animals. Look
carefully, and you might spot the
breath-taking Blue Morpho Butterfly
or the Scarlet Macaw fluttering
through the trees, or even the
Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth
hanging around in the canopy.
Tropical Coniferous RainforestsTropical coniferous rainforests are mostly found in North and Central America, but there are some in Asia. They take their name from the huge range of conifer trees that grow in these areas. Conifers are trees that grow cones, such as pine trees and Douglas firs.
These forests are home to many birds and butterflies that have left cooler climates to spend the winter months here (migrate). The trees overhead provide a heavy canopy, or cover, which means that it is dark on the forest floor. Many fungi and ferns grow here.
Temperatures in tropical coniferous forests are usually steady throughout the year and precipitation levels are low.
Tropical Dry Forests
Most of the trees in these forests are deciduous. This means that in the dry season, their leaves die and drop off, allowing them to conserve their water supply. Animals that are found in these areas include: monkeys, parrots, deer and large cats.
These forests, like tropical rainforests, are warm all year round and can receive several thousands of millimetres of rainfall each year. However, unlike tropical rainforests, tropical dry forests also experience long dry seasons.
Tropical dry forests grow in many locations around the world, including southern
Mexico, central Brazil and along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru, Southeast Asia and in
India.
Tropical Grasslands
Despite these conditions, many wild animals survive there. For example, in the savannas of Africa, elephants, giraffes, zebras and wildebeest thrive on their diet of grasses, while in Australia, emus live off the grasslands.
Although they are hot and generally dry, tropical grasslands can receive between 900mm and 1500mm of rain per year. However, the dry season lasts for up to nine months of the year and because of this, few trees and shrubs can grow in tropical grasslands.
Tropical grasslands are sometimes referred to as ‘savannas’. They are huge areas that are almost completely covered by grasses. They grow between tropical forests, mountains and deserts. Tropical grasslands are found in Africa, Asia, India and Australia.
Comparing the UKand the Tropics
What is the weather like
in the UK?What is the weather like in the
tropics?
Photo courtesy of Michael Cory , Pauline Eccles (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
Comparing the UKand the Tropics
How would the weather in the tropics be different to
the weather in the UK?
How would the weather in the tropics be similar to the weather in the UK?
• There are no cold seasons
• It is always hot
• It feels very humid or sweaty
• Some areas have lots of rain all year round
• Some areas are very dry all year round
• It is hot when it rains
• It never snows
• The sun shines every day
• Sometimes we have a lot of rain here;
we can have big rain storms as you do
in the tropics
• It can be hot in summer in the UK (but
not as hot as the tropics!)
The UK climate
is very different
to a tropical
climate!
How does Spain differ to the UK and the tropics?
Have you ever been to Spain?
What was the weather like?
Spain is famous for the weather and many British families visit Spain throughout the year for a sunny holiday.
In the summer months, Spain experiences very high temperatures and often has very little rainfall. Making it
the perfect sunny holiday destination!
However, just like our country, there can be times when Spain experiences cooler climates and even heavy rain. But, this doesn’t happen as often as it does here, where we live.
There are three different climate zones in Spain, due to its large size. If you were to visit, you can generally expect a Mediterranean climate, this means there will be hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
Rain generally falls mostly in spring and autumn. The mountains surrounding the mountainous land have a higher rainfall and often experience heavy snowfalls in winter.
North of the mountainous land, areas such as Cantabria, have a maritime climate. This means the climate there is different to mainland Spain, with cool summers and mild winters. The weather is often cloudy with frequent rainfall.
Can you complete the following table using all of your knowledge or the U.K, Spain and the tropics?
Think about the location of each country and how this location effects the climate.
If you have a printer you could print the worksheet out but if not, you could use a pencil and a ruler to
draw your own table on a piece of scrap paper.
Weather on Average Similarities and Differences
Reasons why
U.K
Spain
The Tropics
Weather on Average Similarities and Differences Reasons why
U.K The U.K climate is seasonal. Often, the summer months are dry and warm but
rarely hot and humid. In the winter months, there is usually
heavy rainfall and often snow too.
Unlike Spain, the U.K experiences cold winters and mild summers.
The U.K does not experience hot and humid summer days regularly due to it’s position and distance from the equator.
Spain Hot and often humidLittle rainfall in the summer
Some rainy and cooler seasons
Unlike the U.K, Spain experiences hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
Unlike the tropics, there is snow in mountainous areas of Spain.
Spain experiences a seasonal climate but during the summer months, the weather is mostly hot (but not very hot!) and has
a slightly cooler climate during the winter months because it is situated closer to the equator than the U.K
The Tropics
Very hot and humidNo cold seasons- always hot
Unlike the U.K and Spain, some areas have lots of rain all year round and some
areas are very dry all year round. It is hot when it rains
It never snowsThe sun shines every day
The tropics are always hot because they are close to the equator.