Physical geography of North and South America
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the key features of the physical geography of North and South America, including a range of landscapes and biomes.
Key learning points
- There is a diverse range of landscapes in North and South America.
- There is a diverse range of biomes in North and South America.
- The key physical features of North and South America can be investigated using a variety of resources.
Keywords
Physical geographical feature - A physical geographical feature is natural and has not been built by humans.
Landscape - A landscape is an area and its landforms and features that can be seen when viewed from another place.
Biome - Biomes are regions of the world with places that have similar climates, vegetation and animals that have adapted to living there.
Common misconception
The landscape in North and South America is mainly the same.
Use lesson to emphasise the diversity of landscapes in these continents.
Teacher tip
Digital maps, images and videos could be used to explore some of the landscapes and biomes in North and South America in more detail.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these countries has a tropical climate?
Q2.Which of these countries has regions that have a polar climate?
Q3.Which of these is not a physical geographical feature?
Q4.Which of the following physical geographical features is no longer found in the UK?
Q5.What is a landscape?
Q6.What is a vegetation belt?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which country is Death Valley in?
Q2.Which mountain range stretches across the western edge of South America?
Q3.__________ are regions of the Earth whch have similar climates, landscapes, plants and animals.
Q4.Which of these is not a biome?
Q5.Which type of biome is found in the northernmost part of North America?
Q6.Match each biome with its description.
little rainfall and vegetation
found in cool climates with moderate rainfall
area of open land with grasses, shrubs and sometimes trees
found in areas of high rainfall
To help you plan your 5 geography lesson on: Physical geography 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: Physical geography 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.