Starter quiz
- How do you measure temperature?
- ruler
- thermometer ✓
- rain gauge
- pencil
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- What is the imaginary horizontal line called that circles the middle of the Earth?
- Equator ✓
- tropic
- axis
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- What is a hot desert?
- somewhere that is cold and wet
- somewhere that is hot and wet
- somewhere that is hot and dry ✓
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- Where is it very cold on earth?
- Equator
- the tropics
- the poles ✓
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- What does tropical mean?
- somewhere hot and dry
- somewhere cold and wet
- somewhere hot and wet ✓
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- Where is it hotter?
- Equator ✓
- North Pole
- South Pole
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Exit quiz
- Which of these is not a line of latitude?
- Equator
- Tropic of Cancer
- Tropic of Capricorn
- Prime Meridian ✓
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- Where are the hottest places on Earth?
- at the Poles
- near the Equator ✓
- near the tropics ✓
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- What do you find along the Equator?
- rainforests ✓
- deserts
- snow and ice
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- What do you find in the tropics?
- rainforests
- deserts ✓
- snow and ice
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- Why is it hotter at the Equator than at the poles?
- The sun is closer to the Earth.
- The sun's rays are stronger and more concentrated here. ✓
- Heat from the centre of the Earth comes out at the Equator.
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- Along the Equator the sun remains high in the sky all year round. Is this true?
- True ✓
- False
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The sun’s energy is more concentrated when it is directly overhead: in the tropics this happens throughout the year.
- The tropics are areas either side of the equator where the sun remains high in the sky throughout the year.
- Places that are hot and wet all year round are found at the Equator.
- Hot and dry areas called hot deserts can be found on the northern and southern edges of the tropical region.
Common misconception
Hot deserts are mostly found at the Equator.
Tropical rainforests are found at the Equator. Deserts are mostly found at the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
Keywords
Equator - The Equator is an imaginary line encircling Earth at 0° latitude and is an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole.
Temperature - Temperature is the measure of how hot or cold something is.
Hot desert - Hot deserts are areas on Earth which are very hot and very dry, having less than 25 cm of rain per year.
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