Activity 1. When the Sun’s Rays Strike!

Objective
explain how latitude affects climate.
Concept Note:
Most of the sun’s rays strike vertically in places near the equator. This makes the temperature higher in
these areas, resulting in warm climate. Places that are not always vertically hit by the sun’s rays experience cold
climate. As the latitude increases, the smaller the angle of the sun’s rays strike the surface. Therefore, when the
area is farther from the equator, the air temperature is lower. When the place is closer to the equator, the air
temperature is higher.

Learning Experience:
A. Guided interaction;

Study the illustration below.

Q1. How much is the tilt of the earth’s axis?

Q2. Which part of the earth receives most of the sun’s rays?

Q3. Why does the amount of heat receive by places far from the equator becomes less?

Q4. Why are the coldest places on earth found near the poles?

Q5. Why are places with high temperature found at the equator?

Q6. How does latitude affect climate?

Activity 2. The Higher , The Colder!

Objective
explain how altitude affects climate.
Concept Note:
The altitude of a place will affect the air temperature. The air temperature decreases as the altitude increases. The
decrease of air temperature is due to the decrease of air pressure.

Materials Needed
Pencil or ballpen
Ruler
Procedure
1. Study Table 2.1 below.
Table 2.1 Different Cities in the Philippines and Their Annual Average Temperature
Name of Place Elevation above Sea level Annual average temperature
(m) (0 C)
Bacolod 10 27.5
Baguio 1400 16.0
Laoag 20 27.3
Manila 10 27.7
Tacloban 20 29.4
Tagaytay 640 22.7
Zamboanga 30 27.6

Q1. Which Place is the coldest ?

Q2. Which place is the hottest ?

2. Construct a scatter graph based on the data above.

Q3. Based on the graph, what is the relationship between altitude and temperature of a place ?.
Look at Figure 2. Mt. Kilimanjaro is located in Africa and found near the equator. It stands 5895m above sea level.
The peak of this mountain is covered by ice. How is this possible? That’s because of the air temperature decreases
as the altitude increases.

Figure 2.1 Mt.Kilimanjaro Source:http://www.eightup.co.uk/

Refer to Figure 2.2. Why is it that during summer many people visit Baguio City? Obviously, the reason is the cold
climate there. It has an annual average temperature of 16oC. It has an elevation of 1435m above sea level.

See Figure 2.3. Why do mountain climbers wear jackets and thick clothes when they go up the mountain? The air
temperature decreases as the altitude increases. For every 1000 m, there is a drop of 6.50C. At higher elevations,
there is less air. The air molecules are farther apart, thus making the air less dense. Lighter air cannot absorb much
heat, making air temperature lower. Ultimately, the decrease of air temperature is due to the decrease of air
pressure.
Figure 2.3. Mt. Apo Ad

The climate of the place is influenced by the surrounding bodies of water. Soil absorbs heat faster than water. At
the same time, soil releases heat faster compared to water. These slow absorption and release of heat by the body
of water greatly affect the climate. Places that are near the oceans have moderate climate as the body of water
regulates the temperature. Even as both soil and water absorb the same amount of heat, the temperature of water
rises more slowly than that of soil. Because soil heats up faster than water, air temperature above the sea is lower
than above ground during day time. Warm air thus moves out from land to sea, slowing down the rise of air
temperature above land. Thus, places without a body of water nearby tend to have higher air temperature during
day time.

At night, soil cools down faster than water, so the air temperature above ground is lower than that above the sea.
Warm air then flows from sea to land, so the drop in air temperature above ground is moderated. Places that are
far from the bodies of water have extreme climates, as there are no immediate bodies of water that will help to
circulate the movement of cold air and warm air. The reason why temperature of water rises or falls more slowly
than soil is that water has higher heat capacity. Because of this, water also absorbs more heat in warm days and
slowly releases it in cold days. That is why during summer, areas that are near a body of water will have moderate
temperature because water absorbs more heat. Similarly during winter, surrounding water slowly releases heat
causing the cooling effect lesser than normal to nearby landmass.
Activity 3 Which should I choose, Windward or Leeward?

Objectives
differentiate windward and leeward sides of a high land
explain how topography affects climate

Concept Note:
Topography is another factor that affects the climate of a certain place. One of the topographic features of
an area is mountain. Mountainous areas greatly affect the amount of precipitation in a certain region. The area in
which the wind blows is called the windward side. Here, the wind is blocked by the mountain, forcing it to move
upward. As it moves up, the water vapor condenses and forms clouds. This will result in precipitation on the
windward side. The air moves down towards the opposite region called leeward side. The cold air mass starts to
absorb heat and becomes warm and dry. As a result, the area near the leeward side becomes dry and has less
precipitation. The dry region on the leeward side is called rain shadow. Vegetation in this region includes desert
plants and grassland.
Learning Experience:
A. Guided interaction;
An illustration of the windward and leeward sides of a mountain
Mountain is an example of topographical features of the land. As you noticed, the picture shows the two
sides of the mountain. One side is facing the wind and has low temperature. Clouds are forming here due to the
condensation of water vapor. This formation of clouds develops to become rain. On the other side of the mountain,
there is no cloud formation. The temperature is high and precipitation does not happen. This results in the
formation of a dry and warm region.
Procedure
1. Study the illustration below.

Figure 4.1 The surface features

Q1. What happens to water vapor as it rises over

the mountain?

Q2. Which side of the mountain experiences low

temperature?

Q3. Which side of the mountain experiences high

temperature?

Source:http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/cardshow.php?title=chapter-3-climate-vegetation&quesnum=1
Photo Credit: Proprofs.com (As of November 5, 2013)

Q4.What happens when air becomes warmer and drier as it moves down the leeward side?

Q5. What dry region forms at the back of the mountain?

Q6. How does topography affect climate?

Activity 4 Temperature of Different Cities around the World
Objective
explain how latitude, altitude, and distance from the ocean affect climate.
Concept Note:
In this activity you learned about the effects of latitude, altitude and distance from the ocean on the
climate of a specific area. It is clear that the amount of heat received by the places near the equator is greater
compared to those that are far from the equator. Hence, countries that are found near the equator have tropical
climate. In contrast, countries that are somewhat farther from the equator have temperate climate. Regions with
high altitude have colder temperatures than those in low-lying areas. Areas near bodies of water may have more
moderate climate. Places that are far from bodies of water usually experience extremely cold or extremely warm
climate.
Learning Experiences:
Guided Interaction:
Here are the low and high temperatures of some cities in the world dated October 4, 2013.
On a world map, locate the two warmest and coldest cities in the table. Determine what affects the regional
temperature for each city. Record your findings. Then answer the following questions.
Table 5.1 World City Temperatures

City Altitude (m) Temperature ( C) October 4, 2013

High Low
Paris 30.0 23 18
Beijing 43.7 24 11
Cairo 74.1 31 22
Berlin 36.0 15 2
Denver 1609.3 7 -3
Manila 13.1 30 26
Tokyo 20.1 21 18
Vienna 19.1 -1 -6
Warsaw 110.0 11 -1
Q1. Which city had the highest temperature?
Q2. What factor do you think is the cause of high temperature in that city?
Q3. Which city had the lowest temperature?
Q4. What factor do you think is the cause of low temperature in that city?
Q5. What factor do you think greatly affects the climate of Tokyo? Support your answer.
Q6. How does the elevation of Paris affect its climate?
Activity 5: Ocean Currents

Objective
explain how ocean currents affect climate.

Concept Note:
Figure 6.1 shows different loops or gyres of surface currents around the world. In northern hemisphere, the
current flows in clockwise direction. On the other hand, in southern hemisphere the current flows in
counterclockwise direction. These clockwise and counterclockwise of ocean currents are caused by Coriolis Effect.
Ocean currents that flow away from the equator carries warm water. The air above the warm water has higher
temperature. When ocean currents that bring cold water move towards a coastal region, the temperature of that
area decreases as warmer air from the land flows to the sea resulting to a cold climate. When warm ocean currents
that take along warm water go to a land mass, the temperature of that place increases as warmer air above the
water flows inland, resulting to a warm climate.

Materials
Pen or pencil
Map that illustrates ocean currents
Ruler
Short bond paper

Procedure
1. Study the map below.

Figure 6.1 The Ocean currents

Source: http://www.plumanities.org.uk/geography-2/higher/atmosphere/atmospheric-circulation

Processing Question:
Q1. What are the different ocean currents that carry warm water? Give at least three examples.
Q2. What are the different ocean currents that carry cold water? Give at least three examples.
Q3. What kind of water does Greenland Current take along? Explain.
Q4. How do Kamchatka Current and Kuroshio Current affect the Northeastern part and Southern part of Japan?
Q5. How do ocean currents affect climate?
In this activity you learned that ocean currents have also an important role in changing the climate of a certain area.
They affect the temperature of the nearby land mass. Warm currents move from the equator towards poles carry
warm water. On the other hand, cold currents travel from the poles towards the equator carry cold water.
When ocean current carries cold water, the air above it becomes colder. When this ocean current moves toward
the coastal region, the temperature of that area becomes lower. For example, (see Figure 6.1) the southwestern
parts of Singapore and Indonesia have lower temperature because of the cold air brought by West Australian
Current. On the other hand, the ocean current that carries warm water makes the air warmer. When this current
goes toward a land mass, the temperature of that place becomes higher. For example, (see Figure 6.1) the warm
Kuroshio Current that comes from the northeastern part of the Philippines brings warm water. This raises the
temperature of places in the southeastern part of Japan. Therefore, ocean currents that bring along cold water to
inland make the climate cold. On the other hand, ocean currents that take along warm water to coastal areas make
the climate warm.