Climate 2 and Vegetation

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1 2 Section Step-by-Step Instruction Objectives Social Studies 1. Learn what climate zones the United States and Canada have. 2. Identify the natural vegetation zones of the. Reading/Language Arts Learn how to make predictions about what you read. Prepare to Read Build Background Knowledge In this section students will learn about the climate and vegetation of the United States and Canada. Have students preview the headings and visuals of this section with the following question in mind: What would best describe the climate and vegetation of the region I live in? Use the Think-Write- Pair-Share participation strategy (TE, p. T36) to share students responses. Set a Purpose for Reading Preview the Objectives. Read each statement in the Reading Readiness Guide aloud. Ask students to mark the statements true or false. Have students discuss the statements in pairs or groups of four, then mark their worksheets again. Use the Numbered Heads participation strategy (TE, p. T36) to call on students to share their group s perspectives. Teaching Resources, Reading Readiness Guide, p. 103 Vocabulary Builder Preview Key Terms Pronounce each Key Term, then ask the students to say the word with you. Provide a simple explanation such as, Just as Montana is a state in the United States, Alberta is a province in Canada. Climate 2 and Vegetation Section 2 Prepare to Read Objectives In this section you will 1. Learn what climate zones the United States and Canada have. 2. Identify the natural vegetation zones of the. Taking Notes As you read the section, look for details about climate and vegetation. Copy the chart below and write each detail under the correct heading. Tundra Climate and Vegetation Grassland Desert Scrub 18 Predict Point out the. Tell students that predicting is making an educated guess. Remind students that a prediction can be revised at any time if they discover it is not accurate. Model the skill by pointing out the title of the map on page 20 of the Student Edition. Make a prediction about what students will learn from the map. (I predict that students Forest Target Reading Skill Predict Making predictions about your text helps you set a purpose for reading and remember what you read. Before you begin, preview the section by looking at the headings, photographs, and maps. Then predict what the text might discuss about climate and vegetation. As you read the section, connect what you read to your prediction. If what you learn doesn t support your prediction, change it. Key Terms tundra (TUN druh) n. a cold, dry region covered with snow for more than half the year permafrost (PUR muh frawst) n. a permanently frozen layer of ground below the top layer of soil prairie (PREHR ee) n. a region of flat or rolling land covered with grasses province (PRAH vins) n. a political division of land in Canada On a hot and sunny February morning, a reporter left his home in Miami Beach, Florida, and headed for the airport. Wearing lightweight pants and a short-sleeved shirt, he boarded a plane to snowy Toronto. Was he forgetting something? Surely he knew that the temperature would be below freezing in Canada. He did, indeed, know all about the bitter cold that would greet him when he got off the plane. But he was going to research an article on Toronto s tunnels and underground malls. He wanted to find out whether people could really visit hotels, restaurants, and shops without having to go outside and brave the harsh Canadian winter. A climate-controlled shopping center in Toronto, Ontario will learn about the patterns of tornadoes in the United States.) Give students Preview and Predict. Have them complete the activity in groups. Teaching Resources, Preview and Predict, p

2 Climate Zones Climate is weather patterns that an area experiences over a long period of time. Climate zones in the range from a desert climate to a polar climate. Factors such as latitude, or a location s distance north or south of the Equator, mountains, and oceans all affect the climates found in different regions. Climates of Canada Generally, the farther a location is from the Equator, the colder its climate. Look at the climate regions map on page 5 of the Regional Overview. Notice that much of Canada lies well north of the 40 N line of latitude, a long way from the Equator. Therefore, much of Canada is very cold! Ocean Effects The ocean affects Canada s climates, too. Water heats up and cools down more slowly than land. Winds blowing across water on to land tend to warm the land in winter and cool the land in summer. Therefore, areas that are near an ocean generally have milder climates. Also, winds blowing across the ocean pick up moisture. When these winds blow over land, they drop the moisture in the form of rain or snow. Being a great distance from the ocean also affects climate. Inland areas often have climate extremes. Find Winnipeg, in Canada s Interior Plains, on the climate map. Winter temperatures here are very cold, averaging around 0 F (18 C). Yet summer temperatures run between 70 F and 90 F (20 C and 32 C). Mountain Effects Mountains are another factor that influence climate. Winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean rise as they meet mountain ranges in the west. As they rise, the winds cool and drop their moisture. The air is dry by the time it reaches the other side of the mountains, and it warms up as it returns to lower altitudes. This is called the Chinook effect. The area on the side of the mountains away from the wind is in a rain shadow. A rain shadow is an area on the dry, sheltered side of a mountain, which receives little rainfall. Temperature ( F) Average Temperatures for Miami and Toronto Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Month SOURCE: WorldClimate Graph Skills Located in different climate regions, Miami, Florida, and Toronto, Canada, experience very different average temperatures. Identify In which month does Miami experience the coolest temperatures? Which month is the coolest in Toronto? Compare Which month has the least difference between the average temperature in Miami and Toronto? Miami Toronto Instruct Climate Zones Guided Instruction Read Climate Zones using the Structured Silent Reading strategy (TE, p. T34). Ask students to explain how oceans affect Canada s climate. (Because water heats and cools more slowly than land, areas near oceans have milder temperatures; winds blowing across the oceans drop more rain and snow over coastal areas). Have students imagine that they are traveling from the northwest coast of Canada to Winnipeg during winter. How would the weather change as they traveled? Why? (In winter, the northwest coast would be rainy, but mild. Inland, in Winnipeg, the temperatures would be significantly lower, and precipitation could fall as snow. The mild, rainy climate of the northwestern coast is influenced by proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Winnipeg is far from the ocean, and experiences much more extreme temperatures.) Chapter 1 Section 2 19 Vocabulary Builder Use the information below to teach students this section s high-use words. High-Use Word ideal, p. 22 support, p. 23 Definition and Sample Sentence adj. perfect The amount of snow on the hill made it ideal for skiing. v. to promote or provide for The income from the bake sale helped support the chess club. Answers Graph Skills Identify January; February Compare July Chapter 1 Section 2 19

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4 Natural Vegetation Zones Climate in the helps produce four major kinds of natural vegetation, or plant life. As you can see on the : Vegetation map on page 22, these are tundra, grassland, desert scrub, and forest. Northern Tundras The tundra, found in the far north, is a cold, dry region that is covered with snow for more than half the year. The Arctic tundra contains permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen soil. During the short, cool summer, the soil above the permafrost thaws. Mosses, grasses, and bright wildflowers grow there. Life is hard in the tundra. However, some Inuits (IN oo its), a native people of Canada and Alaska, once called Eskimos, live there. They make a living by fishing and hunting. Grasslands Grasslands are regions of flat or rolling land covered with grasses. They are located in areas where there is enough rain to support grasses but not enough to support forests. In North America, grasslands are called prairies. The world s largest prairie lies in the Central and Great Plains of North America. It stretches from the American central states into the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan (sas KACH uh wahn), and Manitoba. These three provinces are sometimes called the Prairie Provinces. A province is a political division of Canada, much like one of our states. Look at the temperate grasslands region of the : Vegetation map on page 22 to locate the prairies, or plains areas, of the. Predict Based on what you ve read so far, is your prediction on target? If not, revise or change your prediction now. Two Vegetation Zones The natural vegetation of the northern tundra (large photo) differs greatly from the natural vegetation of the grasslands (smaller photo). Draw Conclusions How does climate affect the vegetation that grows in the tundra and grasslands? Predict As a follow up, ask students to answer the Target Reading skill question in the Student Edition. (Answers will vary. Students should be able to recognize whether their original prediction is accurate or needs to be revised.) Natural Vegetation Zones Guided Instruction Vocabulary Builder Clarify the high-use words ideal and support before reading. Read about tundras, grasslands, desert scrub, and forests in Natural Vegetation Zones. Circulate to make sure that students can answer the Reading Check question. Have students study the map. Then ask them to list all of the vegetation zones of the. (tropical rain forest, mixed forest, deciduous forest, coniferous forest, Mediterranean forest, tropical savanna, temperate grassland, desert scrub, desert, tundra, ice cap) Ask students Why do you think few plants grow in the tundra? (Possible answer: Snow covers the ground for more than half the year, and permafrost, or permanently frozen soil, does not support growth.) Ask students Why do you think few people live in the tundra? (Possible answer: The region is very cold and crops cannot be grown in the frozen soil.) Chapter 1 Section 2 21 For Special Needs Students L1 Have students listen to the recorded version of the section on the Student Edition on Audio CD. Pause the CD several times to discuss correlations between the audio text and the photos and maps on these pages. Chapter 1, Section 2, United States and Canada Student Edition on Audio CD For Gifted and Talented Have students learn more about Canada s national parks by completing the Enrichment activity. Students should read the passage and then select a project to complete from the list provided. Students should present their projects to the class. Teaching Resources, Enrichment, p.114 L3 Answers Draw Conclusions Few types of vegetation grow in the harsh climate of the tundra, and the climate of the grasslands can support grasses but not forests. Chapter 1 Section 2 21

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6 Desert Scrub With little rainfall, desert and semiarid regions have limited vegetation. What plants there are have adapted to drought conditions or survive through their deep root systems. The Great Basin, a large, dry region between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada in the United States, is one example of a desert region. It covers about 190,000 square miles (492,000 square kilometers) of the West and includes Death Valley. The majority of Nevada and western Utah lie within the Great Basin. The Sierras block the Great Basin from moisture-bearing winds that come off the Pacific Ocean. Thus, the entire region is in a rain shadow. With annual rainfall of only six to twelve inches (15 to 30 centimeters), the basin cannot support large numbers of people. But, many sheep graze on the area s shrubs. For many years, the Great Basin was an obstacle that delayed the development of the West, because conditions made it difficult for explorers to cross it. Many people sought alternate routes around the Great Basin as they headed west during the California Gold Rush in Life in the Desert Despite little rain and scorching heat, hundreds of plants and animals, such as the scorpion below, live in the desert. Draw Conclusions How might these plants and animals have adapted to the harsh desert environment? Independent Practice Have students create the Taking Notes graphic organizer on a blank piece of paper. Ask them to fill in the climate and vegetation information for Tundra and Grassland. Display the Tree Map/Flow Chart transparency and model how to fill in a few details to get them started. Then have students complete the graphic organizer by filling in the Desert Scrub and Forest sections. Transparencies, Transparency B3: Tree Map/Flow Chart Monitor Progress Show Section Reading Support Transparency USC 44 and ask students to check their graphic organizers individually. Go over key concepts and clarify key vocabulary as needed. Transparencies, Section Reading Support Transparency USC 44 Tell students to fill in the last column of the Reading Readiness Guide.Probe for what they learned that confirms or invalidates each statement. Teaching Resources, Reading Readiness Guide, p. 103 Chapter 1 Section 2 23 For Advanced Readers L3 To get a sense of what it might be like to experience a forest in Canada, have students read Hatchet and discuss what resources the forest offered to Brian when he was stranded there. Teaching Resources, Hatchet, pp For English Language Learners Pair native English-speaking students with English learners and have them read Hatchet together. Encourage students to answer each other s questions about the material. Circulate and ask students questions about the material to be sure they understand what they have read. Teaching Resources, Hatchet, pp Answer Draw Conclusions Possible answer: They might have adapted by finding ways to store water and protect themselves from the heat of the sun. Chapter 1 Section 2 23

7 Assess and Reteach Assess Progress Have students complete the Section Assessment Administer the Section Quiz. Teaching Resources, Section Quiz, p. 105 Reteach L1 If students need more instruction, have them read this section in the Reading and Vocabulary Study Guide. Chapter 1, Section 2, United States and Canada Reading and Vocabulary Study Guide, pp Extend Students can extend their knowledge of climate and its effects on your local environment by working in teams to complete the Book Project: Set Up a Weather Station. Teaching Resources, Book Project: Set Up a Weather Station, pp L3 An autumn landscape in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, Canada Forests Forests cover nearly one third of the United States and almost one half of Canada. The mild climate of the northern Pacific Coast encourages great forests of coniferous (koh NIF ur us) trees, such as pine, fir, and spruce. Coniferous trees have cones that carry and protect their seeds. The Rockies are blanketed with coniferous forests. From the Great Lakes across southeastern Canada and New England, and down to the southeastern United States, you will find mixed forests. These are forests of coniferous trees mixed with deciduous (dee SIJ oo us) trees. Deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall. One of Canada s best-known symbols is the deciduous sugar maple tree. The sugar maple leaf appears on Canada s flag. In addition, sugar maples produce a sweet sap that can be made into maple syrup and maple sugar two Canadian specialties. Reading Check Name the four major kinds of natural vegetation in the. Answers Reading Check scrub, forest tundra, grassland, desert Section 2 Assessment Key Terms Students sentences should reflect knowledge of each Key Term. Answers will vary, but students predictions should involve learning about the climate and vegetation of the United States and Canada. Comprehension and Critical Thinking 1. (a) The climate on the Pacific coast is generally mild and rainy. The climate just east of the Rocky Mountains is dryer and warmer. Much of the east coast has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Northern Canada has a colder climate than much of the United States. (b) Water heats up and cools down more slowly than land, making coastal climates more moderate. Winds pick up moisture as they move across the water, bringing more rain to some coastal areas. (c) Vancouver, close to the Pacific coast, has mild temperatures all year long. Winnipeg, which is 24 Section 2 Assessment Key Terms Review the key terms at the beginning of this section. Use each term in a sentence that explains its meaning. What did you predict about this section? How did your prediction guide your reading? Comprehension and Critical Thinking 1. (a) Recall Describe the major climate zones of the United States and Canada. 24 inland, has more extreme temperatures and winters get very cold. 2. (a) It stretches from the American central states into the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. (b) The tundra is extremely cold, so very little can grow there. The prairies have a much warmer climate, more rainfall, and a great deal of natural vegetation. (c) The prairies support numerous crops, so many people there make their living as farmers. The natural grasses of the prairies are ideal for cattle ranching. (b) Summarize How do oceans influence climate? (c) Generalize What geographic features might lead someone to settle in Vancouver rather than in Winnipeg? 2. (a) Locate Where is the largest prairie in the world? (b) Infer Why do more people live in the prairies than in the tundra? (c) Identify Effects How does the vegetation of the prairies affect economic activity there? Writing Activity Describe the climate zones you would pass through if you traveled from northwestern Canada to the southeastern United States. For: An activity on Florida s Everglades Visit: PHSchool.com Web Code: lhd-4102 Writing Activity Use the Rubric for Assessing a Writing Assignment to evaluate students descriptions. Teaching Resources, Rubric for Assessing a Writing Assignment, p. 127 Typing in the Web code when prompted will bring students directly to detailed instructions for this activity.