2.2 Weather and Climate
29
Procedure
1. Give a group a metal tray or pan and clay.
2. Give each of the group instructions to come up with a mountain scene.
Small branches can be used to represent trees, while aluminum foil can be
used to create a lake’s appearance.
3. Give every group a sponge and ensure that the sponge is wet. Note:
Students should assume that it is a cloud filled with water and ready to
change to rain or snow.
4. When a cloud is wet, it is often heavy, and as the winds force it up, it
becomes cool. It does not have the ability to become lighter and rise over
the mountain. As this happens, there is a little amount of water left on the
other side. In case the mountain’s altitude is high enough, a desert will be
created on the other side.
5. Students should experiment with the mountain and sponge.
Conclusion
Students should be able to observe the effect of topography on climate and
weather.
Topography is closely related to the concept of altitude. With an increase in
altitude, climatic conditions change and become colder. Places found in high
latitudes or far away from the equator tend to experience significantly less sunlight
compared to those at low latitudes. Latitude provides the location of a place south
or north of the equator and is usually expressed through angular measurements that
range from 0 ◦ at the equator to 90 ◦ at the poles. Different latitudes receive a varying
quantity of sunlight and play a crucial role in determining the climate of a region. For
instance, the high latitude of a specific place or the farther it is from the equator, the
sharper the angle of the rays of the sun that reach it. This means that the sun’s rays
spread across a wider area. In this regard, higher latitudes usually receive less heat
compared to lower latitudes found closer to the equator. The quantity of sunlight and
precipitation influence the kinds of living organisms that may be found in a place.
There are various ecosystems found in climates experienced in varying latitudes.
The highest quantity of sunlight is often experienced at the equator, thus making the
area quite warm. Some of the ecosystems that highlight the influence of latitude on
climate are rainforests, deserts, savannah, chaparral, taiga, tundra, and grasslands.
Temperatures tend to drop when an area is farther away from the equator because of
the Earth’s curvature. In areas that are close to the poles, temperatures are usually
cooler because of the high amount of energy loss. Distance from the sea is another
crucial element that affects climate. Oceans tend to heat up and cool down at a
slower rate compared to land. This means that coastal locations tend towards being
cooler during the summer and warmer during the winter. For instance, Glasgow,
Scotland occupies latitude similar to Moscow, Russia, but tends to be hotter during
29
Procedure
1. Give a group a metal tray or pan and clay.
2. Give each of the group instructions to come up with a mountain scene.
Small branches can be used to represent trees, while aluminum foil can be
used to create a lake’s appearance.
3. Give every group a sponge and ensure that the sponge is wet. Note:
Students should assume that it is a cloud filled with water and ready to
change to rain or snow.
4. When a cloud is wet, it is often heavy, and as the winds force it up, it
becomes cool. It does not have the ability to become lighter and rise over
the mountain. As this happens, there is a little amount of water left on the
other side. In case the mountain’s altitude is high enough, a desert will be
created on the other side.
5. Students should experiment with the mountain and sponge.
Conclusion
Students should be able to observe the effect of topography on climate and
weather.
Topography is closely related to the concept of altitude. With an increase in
altitude, climatic conditions change and become colder. Places found in high
latitudes or far away from the equator tend to experience significantly less sunlight
compared to those at low latitudes. Latitude provides the location of a place south
or north of the equator and is usually expressed through angular measurements that
range from 0 ◦ at the equator to 90 ◦ at the poles. Different latitudes receive a varying
quantity of sunlight and play a crucial role in determining the climate of a region. For
instance, the high latitude of a specific place or the farther it is from the equator, the
sharper the angle of the rays of the sun that reach it. This means that the sun’s rays
spread across a wider area. In this regard, higher latitudes usually receive less heat
compared to lower latitudes found closer to the equator. The quantity of sunlight and
precipitation influence the kinds of living organisms that may be found in a place.
There are various ecosystems found in climates experienced in varying latitudes.
The highest quantity of sunlight is often experienced at the equator, thus making the
area quite warm. Some of the ecosystems that highlight the influence of latitude on
climate are rainforests, deserts, savannah, chaparral, taiga, tundra, and grasslands.
Temperatures tend to drop when an area is farther away from the equator because of
the Earth’s curvature. In areas that are close to the poles, temperatures are usually
cooler because of the high amount of energy loss. Distance from the sea is another
crucial element that affects climate. Oceans tend to heat up and cool down at a
slower rate compared to land. This means that coastal locations tend towards being
cooler during the summer and warmer during the winter. For instance, Glasgow,
Scotland occupies latitude similar to Moscow, Russia, but tends to be hotter during