Plant and animal adaptations to cold

environments
Last lesson:
Erosional and depositional landforms in glacial cold
environments
This lesson:
1. Characteristics of plants in located cold environments
(Northern Hemisphere)
2. Characteristics of animals in located cold environments
(Arctic and Antarctic)
Independent study (see last slide):
Exam questions

Key questions for Cold Environments

topic
1. What processes and factors give cold
environments their distinctive
characteristics?
2. Why are cold environments considered to be
fragile?
3. What are the issues associated with the
development of cold environments?
4. How can cold environments be managed to
ensure sustainability?

Starter - Plant adaptations

consequences
You need a piece of paper in pairs.
Once you have written out an answer to
each instruction, fold the answer over,
and then pass to next person.
You yourself will receive someone elses
sheet each time.
Do not peek at what has already been
written!!

Instructions for teacher

Read out background information from orange book
pg142-143 (just the top)
This will help set the scene
The students are going to listen to you read out the
climate conditions (problems) faced by plants in
cold environments.
Their job is to think of some kind of adaptation to
over this problem, before folding over and passing to
next student.
Could be done in pairs to help creative process get
going!

Instructions for teacher continued

Now pick out a few
environmental/climatic problems using
the rest of pg143-144 (top of) from
orange book.
Do not overload students the problems
listed in the green table on pg143 would
be sufficient but you may wish to add
others from the bullet points.

Activity 1
Plant adaptations to cold environments
Located examples:
1. Ellesmere Island, Canada
2. Alaska, USA
3. Alps (Switzerland)
Working towards a typical exam question:
Using located examples, explain the impact of climate on
the characteristics of plants in cold environments [9]

The map you will use:

1. Ellesmere Island, Canada

Colour this on your copy of the map.
You are going to annotate this.

http://cgip.wikifoun
dry.com/page/Weat
her+Facts...

Task
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips
/plant-adaptations-extremecold/5506.html
Watch this short documentary snippet
and make a note of plant adaptations on
A3 sheet, but particularly the Arctic
poppy as shown.

2. Alaska, USA
Colour this on your copy of the map.
You are going to annotate this.

Task
Using the information sheet, read
through it and add information on plant
adaptations particularly on cotton
grass as shown.
Notice how the information is presented
by looking at the climate first, then the
subsequent adaptation.

3. Alps, Switzerland
Colour this on your copy of the map.
You are going to annotate this.

Turn to pg114
yellow/blue OCR book for
Alpine climate specifics.

Task
Add information
using pg144 of
orange book about
the purple
saxifrage.
Make a note of
other species of
plants found in
Alpine regions like
Switzerland (use
pg114 of
yellow/blue book).

Activity 2
Animal adaptations to cold environments
Located examples:
1. Arctic
2. Antarctic

Working towards a typical exam question:

Using located examples, explain the impact of climate on
the characteristics of animals in cold environments [9]

Task
Watch Blue Planet Frozen Seas
Make detailed notes on specific animal
adaptations in these places.
Remember to link back to the climate.
Why is the adaptation needed in the
first place?

Independent study
1.Answer these questions from the purple booklet:
Jan 2013 part b) [6]
Jan 2010 part ai) [4] and aii) [6]
Jan 2011 part b) [6]
May 2012 part b) [6]
May 2013 part b) [6]
2.Using located examples, explain the impact of climate on the
characteristics of plants in cold environments [9]
3.Using located examples, explain the impact of climate on the
characteristics of plants in cold environments [9]