S4.14.4 For the adult
Climate zones
Kofi lives on the equator, near the coast, where it is warm and wet all year. His cousin lives on the equator too, high in the mountains, and wears a jumper. Why are their climates so different?
What this chapter teaches
Weather is today, and climate is the pattern over about 30 years. Climate differs with latitude (slanting light, and rising and sinking air), with height (about 6.5 °C colder for each km) and with the distance from the sea (the sea gives a small temperature range). A climate graph shows rainfall as bars and temperature as a line.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- What is the difference between weather and climate?
- Why is a town high in the mountains cooler than a town by the sea at the same latitude?
- How do you read the temperature range and the total rainfall from a climate graph?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Explain why climate differs with latitude, height and distance from the sea
- Read a climate graph of temperature and rainfall
What they copy into their notebook
Climate: the pattern over about 30 years. It depends on latitude, height (6.5 °C colder for each km) and distance from the sea. Bars are rain, the line is temperature.