New
New
Year 4

Mountains and their features

I can recognise and name the key features of a mountain landscape and describe the conditions found on Mount Everest.

New
New
Year 4

Mountains and their features

I can recognise and name the key features of a mountain landscape and describe the conditions found on Mount Everest.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A mountain is classified as over 600 metres high and groups of mountains form a range.
  2. Mountains have common physical features: peak, ridge or arete, tree line, snow line, glacier, scree.
  3. Mount Everest, at 8848m, is the highest mountain on Earth and poses unique challenges for those who climb it.

Keywords

  • Peak - A peak is the highest point of a mountain.

  • Arête - An arête is a narrow ridge of rock between two valleys.

  • Altitude - Altitude is height above sea level or ground level.

Common misconception

Pupils assume that it is warmer at the summit of a mountain because you are 'closer to the sun'.

There is low pressure at altitude which means that air is thinner at the summit of a mountain. The thin air causes the cold temperatures.

Research Hillary and Tensing’s 1953 expedition to Mount Everest. Use this research to create a storyboard of their expedition.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and what other country make up the United Kingdom?
Correct Answer: Wales, Cymru
Q2.
Order the layers of Earth starting with the outermost layer
1 - Crust
2 - Mantle
3 - Outer core
4 - Inner core
Q3.
What are tectonic plates?
Correct answer: Huge pieces of Earth's crust
Huge pieces of Earth's mantle
Huge pieces of Earth's outer core
Huge pieces of Earth's inner core
Q4.
How are mountains formed?
When tectonic plates diverge (move apart)
Correct answer: When tectonic plates converge (move towards one another)
When tectonic plates move side by side
Q5.
The point where two tectonic plates meet is called a....
Correct Answer: tectonic plate boundary, plate boundary
Q6.
Which continent is Mt Everest located in?
Europe
Africa
North America
South America
Correct answer: Asia

6 Questions

Q1.
The highest mountain on Earth is called...
Correct Answer: Mt Everest, Everest, Mount Everest
Q2.
The highest point of a mountain is called its...
Correct Answer: Peak, Summit
Q3.
Groups of mountains are called a....
mountain group
mountain cluster
Correct answer: mountain range
Q4.
Height above sea or ground level is called...
Correct Answer: altitude
Q5.
A mountain is classed as over...
400m high
500m high
Correct answer: 600m high
700m hight
Q6.
Match the mountain feature to its description
Correct Answer:Glacier,a slow moving body of ice

a slow moving body of ice

Correct Answer:Scree,loose rock found on the side of a mountain

loose rock found on the side of a mountain

Correct Answer:arete,a narrow ridge of rock between two valleys

a narrow ridge of rock between two valleys

Correct Answer:snow line,the altitude on a mountain above which some snow remains on the ground

the altitude on a mountain above which some snow remains on the ground