3º ESO. UNIT 6 & 7: Climate diagrams.

What types of climate are these diagrams? (Clue: they are from the temperate zone).
Answer at the end of the post

(Climate diagrams taken from http://www.educaplus.org/climatic/)

Answer

If these climate diagrams are from the temperate zone, the four possible climates are: Continental, Mediterranean, Chinese and Oceanic.

Diagram number 4: Continental climate.

The climate number 4 is easy to identify since Continental climates have very cold winters and hot summers, thus, the only diagram which has temperatures below 0ºC is number 4. We also can observe the range of temperature: the Continental climate is the one from the temperate zone with the highest range of temperature and in this case, the diagram with the highest range of temperature is number 4. The average annual temperature and precipitation are also similar to the normal levels of this climate (mean annual temperature between 0ºC and 10ºC, and precipitation between 300-1000mm). The diagram also shows that the wettest months are Summer's ones.

Diagram number 3: Oceanic climate.

In number 3, the range od temperature is the lowest one, and looking at the diagram we observe that the reason for this is that winters are mild and summers are cool. The annual precipitation is around 1000mm and the mean annual temperature, 10.9ºC, is comprised between 10ºC and 18ºC. Rain is constant throughout the year although less in summer (but summers are not arid months).

Diagram number 2: Mediterranean climate.

We observe that summer months are arid (the temperature line is higher than the precipitation line) and that the mean annual temperature is between 10ºC and 20ºC, with mild winters (never under 10ºC) and hot summers.

Diagram number 1: Chinese climate.

Although the mean annual temperature is quite similar to the Mediterranean climate, it cannot be this type of climate because summer moths are the wettest ones. Also, the annual precipitation is very high and isn't comprised in the Mediterranean range (from 300mm to 1000mm), so this diagram belongs to a Chinese climate.

* If you want to know the location of climates on Earth you can go to this link: http://www.oup.com/images/es/pdf/9788467327779.swf

3º ESO. Units 6 & 7: How to make and interpret climate diagrams.

How to make a climate diagram

A climate diagram is a graph that reflects the climate in a place.

1. Draw the months on the  horizontal line.  Use a scale so that 5 mm represents one month.
2. Draw two vertical lines: put temperature on the left line and make 1 cm represent 10°C. Put precipitation on the right line and make 1 cm represent 20mm rainfall.
3. Mark on the temperature data and connect the data together with one red line.
4. Mark on the precipitation data and draw 12 separated blue columns.   

How to interpret a climate diagram

For interpreting a climate diagram you have to answer these questions:

•  What is the average temperature in the hottest month? and in the coldest month? What is the range of temperature? The range of temperature is the numerical difference between the minimum and maximum values of temperature observed in a given location.

          An insignificant range of temperature is <5ºC (Range of temperature for Equatorial climate is this one)

          A low range of temperature is <10ºC. (This is the range for Tropical climates)

          A medium range of temperature is between 10 and 18ºC (Oceanic's range is around 10ºC)

          A high range of temperature is >18ºC (Continental climate's range is >20ºC)

•  How is the rainfall distributed through the year? What month or season are the most humid? And the driest ones? Are there arid months? Arid months  are months when the temperature line is higher than the precipitation line. These months are dry.  Humid months are months when the precipitation line is higher than the temperature 
• Which type of climate do you think this climate diagram is? Where is it located in? (Location: northern or southern hemisphere, coastal or inland, geografical region, etc)
•  Which type of vegetation is the most common in this place?

Information taken from Wikipedia and http://ieslamadraza.com/elena/websociales/geography3eso/climate/climate3.html

Example:

The hottest month is August, with 24ºC and the coldest month is January with 13ºC, so this is a climate from the northern hemisphere. The range of temperature, 11.8ºC is a moderate one, almost a low one.
There are five arid months, being July the driest month, with no precipitation at all. The driest months are November, December and January.
This climate is a Mediterranean one for these reasons: the annual average temperature is 18.2ºC so it is in the range of this climate's annual temperatures, which are between 10ºC-20ªC and also the range of temperature is the appropiate for a  Mediterranean climate ; the annual precipitation, 606mm, is also within the range (300mm-1000mm) and precipitation fall in all seasons except summer.
As this range of temperature is a low one and winters are so mild (the coldest month is 13ºC ), this Mediterranean climate is a coastal one with a very dry summer (July and August).

Mediterranean climates are located in the Temperate Zone, arround the Mediterranean coast, also in the western coast of continents, such as California, Chile and in some regions of the coast of South Africa and Australia.

1º ESO. UNIT 9: Mesopotamia´s city-states.

1. Read carefully the text given in class and answer these questions:

a) Are the same a civilization and a city-state? Why?

b) What was Sumer?

c) Why did Sumerians use mud as their main building material?

d) What is a ziggurat? Why did Sumerians built them?

2. True or false? Correct false statements about the text given in class:

a) Children went to the school in Mesopotamia.

b) The first rulers of Mesopotamia were priests and priestesses but later kings ran the government.

c) Sumerian merchants sold to other cities Mesopotamian products such as copper, tin and timber.

d) The upper class of Sumerian society were kings, priests and civil-servants.

e) Sumerian city-states were isolated because they were always at war with one another.

f) A city-state is part of a bigger state.

g) Most people in Sumer were artisans and skilled workers.

h) The lower social class of Sumer were slaves

1º ESO. Unit 8: Prehistory.

1. Put in the correct chronological order these events, from the oldest to the most recent:

Neolithic Age started.
Cave art appeared.
People lived from agriculture and livestock.
Homo erectus discovered fire.
Megaliths are built.
Palaeolithic Age started.
Writing appeared.
Homo habilis made stone tools.
Wheel was invented.
Metal Ages started.
Neanderthals buried their dead.
Homo sapiens appeared.


2. True or false? Correct false statements and turn them into true ones.

a)      Prehistory comprises three periods: Lower Palaeolithic, Middle Palaeolithic and 

      Upper Palaeolithic.

b)      In the Neolithic Age human beings became nomadic.

c)      In the Metal Ages human beings used stone instead metals to make tools.

d)      Palaeolithic Age comprises three periods: Palaeolithic Age, Neolithic Age and 

      Metal Ages.

e)      In the Palaeolithic Age people were sedentary and lived in huts.

f)        Palaeolithic means “tools made of stone”.

g)      Fire was discovered in the Neolithic.

h)      Weapons, jewels and food were placed in prehistoric burials.

i)        In the Upper Palaeolithic the climate changed and became extremely cold.

j)        In the Palaeolithic it was believed that supernatural forces could help or punish 

       human beings.

k)      Main changes in the Neolithic Age were: polished utensils, livestock and 

       agriculture.

l)        Animal raising and agriculture made it impossible for people to live in a fixed 

      place.

m)    Pottery was created in the Metal Ages.

n)      The Neolithic villages comprised a palisade, huts, ovens, storehouses, animal 

       pens and cropland.

o)      The use of copper marked the beginning of the Metal Ages.

p)      In the Metal Ages there were important technical changes, such as textiles and 

       pottery.

q)      In the Metal Ages wealth was divided equally. 

1º ESO. Unit 8. Prehistory definitions.

Pottery: all fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed. It also is the craft or activity of making objects out of clay.  

Cave art: are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, and the term is used especially for those dating to pehistoric times. The purpose of the Palaeolithic cave paintings is not known. The evidence suggests that they were not merely decorations of living areas, since they are often in areas of caves that are not easily accessed. 

Some theories give them a religious or ceremonial purpose.

Hoe: a longhandled implement having a thin, flat blade usually set transversely, used to break up the surface of the ground, destroy weeds, etc.

Sail:  an area of fabric, like canvas, with fittings for holding it in any suitable position to catch the wind, used for propelling certain kinds of vessels or ships.

Pen: a small enclosure for domestic animals for confinement or safekeeping.

Sickle: an implement for cutting grain, grass, etc., consisting of a curved, hooklike blade mounted in a short handle.

Wheel: circular objects which enable vehicles to move along the ground.

Textile: any fabric or cloth produced by weaving, knitting or felting.

Thread: a fine cord of flax, cotton, or other fibrous material spun out to considerable length, especially when composed of two or more filaments twisted together, used in sewing, weaving, etc.

Hand mill: grinding tool made from stone used for grinding grain into flour;  it consists of two stone pieces, a base which is a flattened big stone, and a small rounded stone usually hand held. The process of grinding is simple: moving the rounded stone backwards and forwards to crush the grain on the larger flattened stone. 

3º ESO. Units 6 & 7: Britain's climate.

Activity: fill the gaps with the information from your book.

Britain has a variable climate because weather changes from day to day and to forecast it accurately is difficult. Britain’s climate characteristics are 1……. winters, cool summers and rain spread evenly throughout the year. This type of climate never has any extremes (it is never too cold or too hot and rarely too wet or too dry) and for this reason is called equable or 2…………..

Britain’s climate varies between the north and south, and east and west.

Temperature

Most of the British Isles lies between latitudes 3………………………………….. This is far from the Equator, so the sun is only powerful enough to give moderate average temperatures. Winters, though, are much warmer than expected for such a high latitude

Winter

• Temperatures in winter are highest in the 4……….. and decrease 5……………………. This is caused by a warm ocean current called 6………………………………, which warms west coasts. Another reason is that the prevailing south-westerly winds blow across the relatively warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean raising west coast temperatures.

• Temperatures are highest in south-west England. This is mainly because the area is almost surrounded by the sea which in winter is 7………….. than the land.

Summer

• Temperatures in summer are highest in the south and decrease 8……………………. This is mainly because the sun is at a higher angle in the sky in the south, providing more heat.

• Temperatures inland are higher than those near the coast. This is because land warms up quickly in summer while 9…………… remains cool keeping temperatures in coasts relatively low.

Rainfall

             The annual rainfall totals are highest in the 10……………………. (especially of Scotland) and decrease rapidly to the 11………………………... Reasons for this are:

•   Mainly because the prevailing winds are from the west and are laden with 12………… when they blow landwards from the 13 .....................   

•  Most rain-bearing depressions approach from the west, so 14 ....... receive more rain.
•  North-west Scotland is particularly wet because high land receives 15…………………

There is also a contrast in the seasonal distribution of rainfall:

• Places in the west receive most rain in winter because of 16…………………………….. Depressions approaching the British Isles from the south-west are more frequent in winter.

• Places in the east get most rain in summer. Britain is too cool for 17…………………… apart from places in the east and southeast which have the highest summer temperatures. Thus, July is often the wettest month in the east of Britain due to this type of 18…………..