1. Physical Characteristics?
What are
Physical Characteristics?
Explain the physical characteristics of Byrnes Freshman Academy and its property?
As you copy the slides, be sure to answer the questions. Leave room, You may have to come back & answer a few.

2. Definitions
climate - average weather conditions over a long period of time
weather - current atmospheric conditions in an area, which changes from day to day
region - formal, functional, or vernacular areas that have similar characteristics
physical characteristics - what does an area look like? The natural features of the region
human characteristics - The things placed in an area by humans. Features are changed by the humans who have adopted the region

3. Brainstorm: What obstacles does each area present?
A desert
A rainforest
A semi-arid plains
A humid subtropical region
A humid continental region
Which climate region do we live in?

4. Desert
On average a desert receives less than 1.5cm of rain a year. In American deserts rainfall can approach 28cm a year.
Little to no vegetation grows. Only specialized plants grow.
Farming is nearly impossible.
What are the opportunities for humans in this area?

5. Rainforest Rainforest precipitation exceeds 250cm.
Vegetation is very dense, with overlying canopies. There are two different types of rainforests.
Temperate: coniferous and broadleaf forests where precipitation falls more
Tropical: tropical wet forest, which lies between the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer

6. A humid hot area. These typically have mild winters.
Humid Sub-tropical
A humid hot area. These typically have mild winters.
The areas are typically located near the coast or coastal regions, and the area typically has dry winters and wet humid summers.
Illustrate 

7. Humid Continental
A climate region that has large variations in temperature. Sometimes the summers are extremely hot, and sometimes the winters are extremely cold.
Precipitation is distributed throughout the year.
Illustrate 

8. The Great Plains
This area is one of the greatest examples of humans taking advantage of a region and its climate. For the large open lands, it also presented one of the greatest obstacles.
Illustrate 

9. The Great Plains cont.
As American’s expanded their territories, they encountered a vast dry grain and grass filled region.
The region is often very dry and hot, with higher than average winds year round. How could this present a problem to farmers?
In the 1920s and 1930s, the Great Plains experienced a Dust Bowl. High winds and poor farming techniques stripped the land barren.

10. The Ogallala Aquifer
To combat the drought and poor farming, people living in the region built an irrigation system on the Ogallala Aquifer.
The aquifer is one of the largest underground water stores
in the world.
Provides drinking water for
2.3 million people in the prairie.
Illustrate & label States 