Climate of North and South America
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use climate data to investigate and describe different climates in North and South America.
Key learning points
- There is a diverse range of landscapes and several major river systems in North and South America.
- There is a diverse range of climate zones in North and South America.
- There is a diverse range of biomes and vegetation belts in North and South America.
- The key physical features of North and South America can be investigated using resources including atlases and maps.
Keywords
Weather - The weather of a place is the day to day condition of the atmosphere, e.g. sunny, snowing, warm etc.
Climate - Climate describes the average weather conditions over a long period of time.
Latitude - Lines of latitude are imaginary lines on Earth showing position north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.
Equator - The Equator is an imaginary line encircling Earth at 0° latitude and is an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole.
Common misconception
Earth is significantly closer to the Sun at the Equator.
Revisit pupils’ prior learning about the Earth and space in science.
Teacher tip
Use an inflatable globe and a torch to model how sunlight is distributed differently at the Equator and at the poles.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match these countries with their continents.
South America
North America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Q2.What measures how far north or south a location is?
Q3.Which of these is not a line of latitude?
Q4.The Equator is at latitude.
Q5.Which of these is not a description of the weather?
Q6.What type of climate does the UK have?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the climate?
Q2. Which two ways of presenting data are combined in a climate graph?
Q3.What type of climate does Greenland have?
Q4.What type of climate does Costa Rica have?
Q5.The sun’s rays are more concentrated at the __________.
Q6.Manaus, in Brazil, is near the Equator. Choose two descriptions of the climate there.
To help you plan your 5 geography lesson on: Climate of North and South America, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 geography lesson on: Climate of North and South America, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 geography lessons from the North and South America: how diverse are their places and landscapes? unit, dive into the full primary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.