Climate types of Australia The main climate types of the world and the similarities and differences between the climates of different places (ACHGK017)
Teacher information
Elaboration Australia has many different climate types in different regions.
Key inquiry questions • How and why are places similar and different? • What would it be like to live in a neighbouring country?
Geographical Inquiry and Skills • Develop geographical questions to investigate
Teaching notes • The map provided is not meant to be exact. Its purpose is to give the students a general idea of some of the climate types in Australia. Brief explanations during discussions are sufficient. Other maps use different category names. Teachers should select the climate zones found at <http:// www.bom.gov.au/iwk/climate_zones/map_1.shtml> if this better suits a study of habitats or biomes.
(ACHGS019)
• Collect and record relevant geographical data and information, for example, by observing by interviewing, conducting surveys, measuring, or from sources such as maps, photographs, satellite images, the media and the internet (ACHGS020) • Represent data by constructing tables and graphs (ACHGS021)
• Represent the location of places and their features by constructing large-scale maps that conform to cartographic conventions including scale, legend, title and north point, and describe their location using simple grid references, compass direction and distance (ACHGS022)
Background information • The tropical zone of the world is divided into subsections. These subsections are defined by different zones of native vegetation and the number of dry (arid) and wet (humid) months. They are: humid/tropical rainforests (12 to 91/2 humid months), semi-humid/wet savanna (91/2 to 7 humid months), semi-humid/dry savanna (7 to 41/2 humid months), semiarid/thorn savanna (41/2 to 2 humid months) and arid/desert (2 to 0 humid months). • Climate zones are not totally distinct from each other. Boundaries are not exact and some types of climate are found in larger climate categories. For example, the mediterranean region is a part of the temperate climate zone; hot semi-arid regions can be found in the tropics and sub-tropics; and cold semi-arid climate regions can be found in temperate zones.
• Interpret geographical data to identify distributions and patterns and draw conclusions (ACHGS023)
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• Present findings in a range of communication forms, for example, written, oral, digital, graphic, tabular, and visual, and use geographical terminology (ACHGS024)
• Reflect on their learning to propose individual action in response to a contemporary geographical challenge and identify the expected effects of the proposal (ACHGS025)
Geographical concepts • place • environment • interconnection • scale • change
Resources
• Visit <http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/climate_zones/map_1.shtml> for a simple map of Australia issued by the Bureau of Meteorology which uses the classifications: equatorial, tropical, subtropical, desert, grassland and temperate. • Visit <http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/ausclim/koeppen2. htm> for a more complex Koppen map of climate types in Australia. • Visit <https://sites.google.com/site/climatetypes/5-causes-of-climate> to view a short slide show that explains the five main causes of climate.
Additional activities Geographical vocabulary climate, latitude, equator, terrain, altitude, bodies of water, currents, equatorial, tropical, desert, mediterranean, semi-arid, temperate, sub-tropical
Australian Curriculum Geography (Year 3)
• Using the internet, pick a region of Australia and search for the climate zone. See how it differs from your region. • Select a country or capital city in two different world climate zones. Research what life is like living in the climate. (The ‘Spotlight on my country’ series has books on different countries. There are many books available on desert, tropical and savanna regions.) References for Pacific Island countries are provided on pages 26, 30, 34, 38 and 42. 50
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