Climate, Landscapes and Life: The Tropics - Discovery Education

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Climate, Landscapes and Life: The Tropics Themes Objectives Introduction to Vocabulary Earth’s climatic regions, natural vegetation, habitats, and human modification of the landscape are major themes in Geography and Earth Science curriculums. In Climate, Landscapes and Life: The Tropics, students will visit the world’s many tropical regions, learn the climatic influences that shape each of them, and gain insight into the human cultural history of the various locales. Overview The Earth’s tropics lie in lands near the equator whose climatic regions are based on their latitude, altitude above sea level, and the seasonality and amount of precipitation they receive. These regions have very little seasonal change in temperature and, at lower elevations, are always warm. Students will learn the locations of tropical regions around the globe, the factors of climate and geography that shape each region, their natural vegetation, habitats, and human-modified landscapes. Regions through which this program guides students include the rainy tropics, the wet-dry and monsoon tropics, tropical and subtropical deserts, and tropical highlands. These are illustrated by such locales as lush, humid rainforests filled with arboreal wildlife, highly industrialized cities, and the world’s largest desert. In addition, students learn geographical terms that help them identify and locate the various regions, and to understand processes integral to different tropical locales. The human geography of these diverse lands is represented through the agricultural activities, styles of architecture, livelihoods, handicrafts, music and cultural traditions found in each region. • To show the geographical locations of the various tropical regions around the world • To provide an overview of the natural vegetation, wildlife habitats, and humanmodified landscapes found in the world’s major climatic zones • To examine the practice of shifting cultivation employed in the rainforests of the rainy tropics, and its effect on the natural vegetation of the region • To illustrate the seasonal patterns of rainfall and drought that govern the climates of the wet-dry and monsoon tropics • To explore the areas of human population in the tropics and the different types of land use employed by that population • To illustrate the role that altitude plays in determining climate Introduction to the Program To prepare students for, Climates, Landscapes and Life: The Tropics, discuss with them what comes to mind when they think about regions called “the tropics.” Write on the board any ideas generated by the group; expect them to include such descriptions or items as: heat, humidity, rain, sunshine, the equator, palm trees, sandy beaches, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Florida, islands, hurricanes, rainforest, tropical fruits, endangered species Discuss the list with the class. Explain that they will be viewing a video in which they will see many of the things they mentioned, along with additional facts and details about the tropical regions of the planet. Write the following words on the board and explain that they will be referenced in the video. Some students may be unfamiliar with the terms. If the meaning of any word is unclear to the group, ask volunteers to use an appropriate reference source to check the term and report their findings to the class. alluvial, arboreal, climate, exotic river, monsoon, montane, savanna, seasonality, selva, shifting cultivation Discussion Ideas Lead students in a discussion of how the climates in the tropical regions affect the living organisms found there. Ask them to consider the types of adaptations necessary to survive in the rainy tropics, or in a tropical desert. What adjustments do they think they would have to make to their lifestyle if they were suddenly transported to a climate radically different from their current one What human-generated modifications to their environment do they know of Which do they believe to be justified, and which - if any - do they think may not be justified with regards to their effect on the environment Focus Ask students to think for a few moments about the climate and land use in your community and in your state. How do they think those things impact the region and their lives Tell them to keep these thoughts in mind as they view the program and to determine for themselves how the climate and land use in the various tropical regions impacts the living organisms found there. Let them know you will discuss these and other aspects following the screening. 6 © Copyright 2002 • AIMS Multimedia • Climate, Landscapes and Life: The Tropics • #2650
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES Writing and Connection to Biology The tropics are vibrant, sensual regions. Ask students to use their five senses and their imaginations to explore the tropics. Have students each choose a tropical region, then work individually to write a paragraph, short essay, or short story answering such questions as: What would you see there ... colors, shapes, people, animals, plants, buildings What tastes would you expect ... sweet, sour, spicy, bitter What smells would you expect ... odors that assault you, fragrances that entice What sounds would you expect ... languages, music, traffic, animals, waves, quiet noises or loud ones What would you expect to feel ... would the air be warm or cool ... windy or calm ... rainy or dry ... what textures would your surroundings have, your food ... how do you think your emotions would feel Encourage students to use highly descriptive, picturesque language in their writing. Ask for volunteers to share their writings with the class. BIOLOGY 30-60 Minutes Meeting Individual Needs Have students work alone or in small groups to look up the words alluvial, drought, monsoon, and tropical in the dictionary or other resource. What are the definitions of the words What is an example of each (alluvial refers to soils that have been deposited by running water, as in a river delta; drought refers to an extended period without rainfall, and can be experienced in desert regions; a monsoon is a wind which brings torrential rains, particularly in south and south east Asia; tropical refers to regions that lie between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, have little seasonal change in the length of days and nights, and sea level temperatures that do not drop below freezing, such as Hawaii, most of Mesoamerica, South America and Africa.) 35 Minutes Connection to Geography and Earth Science Hurricanes are truly the storms of the tropics, and the period of June 1 through November is “hurricane season” in the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and the eastern and gulf coasts of the United States. Have students work in small groups to define and explain: what a hurricane is, where and how hurricanes are formed; the roles played by warm, humid ocean air, wind patterns, and air pressure play in the formation of a hurricane; the parts of a hurricane; the size of a hurricane as defined by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and the damages caused by one; and storm rotation (the Coriolis effect). Assign a team to track the hurricanes of the current season. Post a large map of the tropics in the room and have the team plot each storm’s latitudinal and longitudinal progress. They can also keep an eye out by way of the many Hurricane Watch websites on the Internet. Request that the team, or its spokesperson report periodically to the class. Extended GEOGRAPHY EARTH SCIENCE Connection to Multiculturalism and to Foreign Language Classes In most of the countries of the tropics the national language is a tongue other than English. Ask students who are fluent in (or who are studying) a language spoken in the tropics to compose a short paragraph in that language describing a day in the life of people from that region and to provide a translation into English. Ask for volunteers to first read their paragraphs in the original language, followed by their English translation. 45 Minutes FOREIGN LANGUAGE Connection to History The various regions of the tropics are lands rich in history. Divide the class into four groups, assigning each group one of the four tropical regions: rainy tropics, wet-dry and monsoon tropics, tropical and subtropical deserts, and tropical highlands. Have each group research their region to create a timeline of significant historical occurrences, then have a volunteer from each group present their findings to the class. HISTORY 60 Minutes 7 © Copyright 2002 • AIMS Multimedia • Climate, Landscapes and Life: The Tropics • #2650
Page 1 and 2: Climate, Landscapes and Life: The T
Page 3 and 4: FEATURES INTRODUCING THE ATM Your A
Page 5: ADDITIONAL ATM FEATURES Vocabulary
Page 9 and 10: Name VOCABULARY The following words
Page 11 and 12: Name CHECKING COMPREHENSION (CONTIN
Page 13 and 14: Name WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE TROP
Page 15 and 16: Name TRUE OR FALSE Place a T next t
Page 17 and 18: Name TEST Fill in the blank or circ
Page 19 and 20: ADDITIONAL AIMS MULTIMEDIA PROGRAMS
Page 21 and 22: ANSWER KEY for page 10 CHECKING COM
Page 23 and 24: ANSWER KEY for page 12 WORD SEARCH
Page 25 and 26: ANSWER KEY for page 14 TROPICAL REG
Page 27 and 28: ANSWER KEY for page 16 VOCABULARY M
Page 29: ANSWER KEY for page 18 TEST (CONTIN

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