Starter quiz
- Which mountain range forms the northern and western border of China?
- The Andes
- The Himalayas ✓
- The Alps
- The Rocky Mountains
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- What is the longest river in China?
- The Ganges
- The Nile
- The Yangtze (Chang Jiang) ✓
- The Thames
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- Which desert is located in northern China?
- The Sahara Desert
- The Kalahari Desert
- The Gobi Desert ✓
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- What is the main climate in northern China?
- Arid and semi-arid (Desert-like) ✓
- Tropical Rainforest
- Polar
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- What is the primary reason for the cold climate in Tibet?
- The altitude of the Tibetan Plateau ✓
- Tropical winds
- Distance from the equator
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- Which of the following biomes covers most of China?
- Temperate forests ✓
- Savanna
- Tropical rainforests
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Exit quiz
- The Gobi Desert is a large __________ desert that covers parts of northern China and southern Mongolia.
- hot
- cold ✓
- temperate
-
- Where is the Gobi Desert located?
- Africa
- China and Mongolia ✓
- Australia
- South America
-
- What is the main reason for the formation of the Gobi Desert?
- Rising sea levels
- The melting of ancient glaciers
- Volcanic eruptions
- The rain shadow effect from the Himalayan and Altai Mountains ✓
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- What is a unique feature of the Gobi Desert’s climate?
- It rains frequently
- It has constant warm temperatures
- It has extreme temperature changes between day and night ✓
- It never snows
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The Gobi Desert is a large, cold desert that covers parts of northern China and southern Mongolia.
- The Gobi Desert is a rain shadow desert and is formed by the blocking of rainfall by the Himalayas.
- Different factors make the Gobi Desert a challenging environment to survive in.
- Human activities are causing the Gobi Desert to increase in size.
- Different actions are being taken to try and reduce desertification in and around the Gobi Desert.
Common misconception
Deserts are only found in very hot climates.
Deserts are areas with extremely low rainfall and can be hot or cold depending on where they are located. The Gobi Desert is a cold desert.
Keywords
Desert - an area of land that is extremely dry and receives less than 25 centimetres of rain per year
Monsoon - a seasonal change in wind direction that brings a very rainy season or a very dry season
Desertification - the process by which semi-arid land becomes drier and turns into desert
Climate change - a large-scale and long-term change in the planet’s climate, including weather patterns and average temperatures
Erosion - process of Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site
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