SOCIAL SCIENCE - UNIT 2 - WE PRESERVE LANDSCAPES

 ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGES

- To know the Earth's climates and landscapes (relief and rivers of Europe).

- To understand important weather & climate aspects. 

-      To locate the major rivers and mountains of Europe in a map.

- To evidence that we need to slow down climate change in order to protect landscapes.

-     Interpret & design a climograph

- Project: Create an infographic about the relief of some European threatened landscape.

CLIMATE & WEATHER ARE NOT THE SAME

Important facts:

• Temperature is the amount of heat in the air. It is measured with a thermometer.
• Precipitation is water falling from the sky in any form, like rain, snow, or hail.  

• Climate is the state of the atmosphere in a specific area over a long period of time. Temperature and precipitation are the main elements for describing climate.
• Weather is the  state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time.

The factors that affect temperature and precipitation are:

1.  Distance from the Equator
2.  Altitude
3.  Proximity to the sea

Climate graphs (Climographs) are used in meteorology to show precipitation and temperature in a particular area over one year.

EARTH CLIMATE ZONES

LANDSCAPES

A landscape is all the visible features of a large extension of land. Landscapes include natural features, such as landforms, bodies of water and vegetation, and human features, which are built by people.

Landscapes of Europe

Europe has many different landscapes. Here are some of them:

1. Mountains – High areas of land, often covered with snow in winter.

Example: The Alps in France, Switzerland, and Italy.

2. Plains – Large flat areas of land, good for farming because the soil is rich.

Example: The North European Plain in Germany and Poland.

3. Forests – Areas full of trees. In the north, forests are cold and have many lakes.

Example: The Taiga Forest in Russia.

4. Coasts – Land next to the sea, with beaches and cliffs.

Example: The Mediterranean Coast in Spain and Italy.

5. Hills – Small, rounded areas of land that are higher than plains but lower than mountains.

Example: The Cotswolds Hills in England.

6. Rivers and Lakes – Water areas that give life to people, animals, and plants.

Example: Lake Geneva in Switzerland and France.

7. Deserts – Dry areas with very little rain and few plants.

    Example: The Tabernas Desert in Spain. 

RIVERS OF EUROPE

IMPORTANT THINGS TO STUDY!

• Temperature and precipitation definitions. 

• What is the difference between weather and climate?

• Which are the factors that affect temperature and precipitation? 

• Interpret a climograph and answer some questions about temperature, precipitations and climate zone. 

• Design a climograph according to the data.

• What is a landscape? 

• Landscapes of Europe. Describe some of the landscapes of Europe and write an example. (For example: Coast: Land next to the sea, with beaches and cliffs.

• Landscapes of Europe (True or false facts)

• Rivers of Europe (Map). 

• Highest mountains in Europe / Longest river in Europe.