1. Climate Regions
Science 9.3

2. Standards
Science 6.4 e Students know differences in pressure, heat, air movement and humidity results in a change in weather.

3. Anticipatory Set
Suppose you lived for an entire year near the equator. It would be very different from where you life now. The weather, amount of sunlight, and seasons would be new to you. You would be living in another climate region.

4. Language of the Discipline
Rain Forest
Humid subtropical
Savanna
Subarctic
Desert
Tundra
Steppe
Permafrost
Chaparral

5. Input/ Climate Regions
Scientists classify climates according to 2 major factors: Temperature and precipitation
Tropical rainy
Dry
Temperate continental
Polar
There are 6 main climate regions
Temperature marine
Highlands

6. Tropical Rainy Climates
The tropics have 2 types of rainy climates: Tropical wet and tropical wet-and dry
Often have afternoon thunderstorms which are triggered by midday heating.
Prevailing winds- trade winds bring moisture from the oceans
Rain forests contain half the worlds species of land plants and animals

7. Tropical Wet-and-Dry Receive less rain that tropical climates
They have distinct dry and rainy seasons
Savannas
Florida’s southern tip

8. Dry Climates
Dry= the amount of precipitation that falls is less than the amount of water that could potentially evaporate.
Includes arid and semiarid climates
Arid- deserts can be hot and sandy others can be cold and rocky. Only specialized plants can survive the dryness and extremes of hot and cold.
Deserts- receive less than 25 centimeters of rain per year

9. Semiarid
Steppe is dry but gets enough rainfall for short grasses and low bushes to grow.
Prairie or grassland
Great Plains of the United States are an example.

10. Temperate Marine Climates
3 types:
Marine West Coast- coolest temperatures, humid ocean air brings mild, rainy winters. Thick forests grow here
Mediterranean – Drier and warmer climates. Chaparral vegetation grows there.
Humid subtropical- wet and warm but not as constantly hot. Winters are mild (more rain than snow)
All 3 types have mild winters

11. Temperate Continental Climates
Only found on continents in the Northern Hemisphere and include humid continental and subarctic.
Humid Continental- shifting tropical and polar air masses bring constantly changing weather. They receive moderate amounts of rain the summer. Small amounts of rain or snow in the winter

12. Subarctic
Subarctic climates lie north of the humid continental climates. Summers are short and cools. Winters are long and bitterly cold.
Wood products are an important part of this economy. Large mammals live in the forest as well.

13. Polar Climates
Polar climate is the coldest climate region and includes the ice cap and tundra climates.
Ice Cap- Greenland and Antarctica. The average temperature is below or always at freezing. It is always covered in snow or ice and the air is dry.
Tundra- Short, cool summers are followed by bitter winters. Tundra soil stays constantly frozen (permafrost). Plants: mosses, lichens and wildflowers

14. Highlands
Temperature falls as altitude increase, so highland regions are colder than the regions that surround them.
Increasing altitude produces climate changes
Decreasing altitude produces climate changes
Mount Rainer in Washington is an example

15. Modeling
I am going to show you how to fill in the worksheet. Lets look at the first climate region.
We are going to fill in our logical notes by answering the questions located on the left side of the worksheet.
I am going to model how to correctly fill in Tropical Rainy Climates

16. Checking for Understanding
Fill in your logical notes for the “Dry” climate region.

17. Guided Practice Independent Practice
Guided Practice – complete temperate marine and temperate continental on your worksheet.
Stop! Have your worksheet/notes checked.
Independent Practice: Complete the rest of your worksheet/logical notes.