The Arctic Tundra
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the Arctic Tundra and explain what life is like there.
Key learning points
- The tundra is a treeless landscape found at high latitudes.
- In the winter the tundra is frozen and dark and experiences 24 hours of darkness.
- Some of the ground in the tundra is permafrost, this is ground which is permanently frozen.
- Animals such as the Arctic fox and the polar bear can be found in the tundra.
Keywords
Tundra - a vast, flat, treeless region; a large-scale, global ecosystem
Permafrost - any ground that remains completely frozen
Adaptation - a process of change over time; a feature of a living thing that enables it to exist in a particular environment
Common misconception
Animals in the Arctic are camouflaged with white fur all year round.
The Arctic fox is camouflaged with white fur in winter and brown fur in summer.
Teacher tip
Explore adaptations of other animals found in the tundra.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Where is the Arctic region located?
Q2.What is the Arctic mainly covered by?
Q3.Which animal lives in the Arctic?
Q4.What is the climate like in the Arctic?
Q5.How long can the Arctic winter last?
Q6.What is happening to the Arctic ice due to climate change?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Do Arctic animals always stay white for camouflage throughout the year?
Q2.What is a tundra?
Q3.What is permafrost?
Q4.Which plant is best adapted to survive in the tundra?
To help you plan your 9 geography lesson on: The Arctic Tundra, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 geography lesson on: The Arctic Tundra, 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 3 geography lessons from the Ice and glaciers: How are cold places affected by a warming planet? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.