Name:
Advisory:
Andean Geography Jigsaw
Date:
Do Now: Answer the following questions in the space provided in your work packets. Be sure
to RTQ and write in complete sentences.
1. Recall: Think about what you learned before the break. Where were the Chavin,
Nazca, and Moche Civilizations located?
2. Recall: What was one benefit of living in the mountains? What was a drawback (a
problem) of living in the mountains?
3. Create an academic New Year’s resolution (goal) for yourself for the remainder of
the year or 2016 in general.
Review Project Grades: You will now receive your grades for the timeline projects you
created before break along with a notecard. Write your name on the notecard and silently and
individually answer the following questions:
1. Are you surprised by the grade you received? Why or why not?
2. Did you enjoy working on the project?
3. What would you like to see in future group projects?
Video: We will now watch a video about the Andes Mountain range. We will watch the video
twice. Simply watch the video during the first viewing, then answer the questions on the second
viewing in the space provided in your work packet.
1. Where are the Andes located and how far do they stretch?
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2. Why are llamas so important to Andean cultures?
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3. What are your initial reactions about life and the geography of the Andes?
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Read/ Go Over Andean Mountains Intro/ Overview: Mr. Brotschi will now read the
Andean Mountains Introduction and Overview. As he reads be sure to annotate (underline and
comment) the text as this will be part of your homework.
Andean Altitudinal Jigsaw: You will now break into jigsaw groups and become experts
on a different altitudinal zone of the Andes.
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You will have 10 minutes to read the textbook section on an altitudinal zone as a
group and fill in the required information on your worksheet, becoming an
Expert.
Once you have become an Expert on that zone you will be assigned to a different
group and have 7 minutes to share the information you have gathered with your
groupmates.
Exit Ticket: Clear your desk of all things except for a pencil. Once your desk is clear you may
begin your exit ticket. Mr. Brotschi will collect the exit ticket on the way out.
Homework: Read and annotate the Introduction and Overview of the Four Elevation
Zones of the Andes. RTQ and answer the following questions in complete
sentences on a separate piece of paper.
1. Why is the air less dense at high altitudes? How does this affect the people that
live in high altitudes?
2. What is altitudinal zonation? What are climate zones? How are these two
things related?
3. What is solar energy and how does it effect climate zones in the Andes?
4. How does gravity effect climate zones in the Andes?
Introduction
La Paz, Bolivia, is the highest big city in the world, sitting at 12,000 feet above sea
level in the central Andes Mountains of South America. This high elevation, or height
above sea level, can have strange effects. Golfers in La Paz can hit a golf ball much farther
than they can at sea level. At a nearby ski resort, a skier may need to wear an oxygen tank to
go skiing.
These effects are the result of thin air. The air is thinner at high elevations because
gravity pulls air downward, which means that there is less oxygen in the air at high
elevations. This is why the skier in La Paz needs an oxygen tank. The thin air is also the
reason a golf ball will travel farther at 12,000 feet. At that elevation, there is less air to cause
the ball to slow down.
The people of La Paz are used to living at high elevations. Like all of the people who
live in the Andes Mountains, they have had to adapt to the effects of high elevation. The
Andes include some of the highest mountain peaks in the world, with many of them rising
much higher than La Paz. The different elevation levels in these mountains influence the
way people live. In this chapter, you will read about life in the central Andes. You will also
learn about altitudinal zonation, or the division of mountainous land into zones based on
altitudes, or elevations. You will find out about the four main elevation zones in the Andes
and how the people living there have adapted to each zone.
Overview: The Four Elevation Zones of the Andes
In the introduction, you read about altitudinal zonation, learning that there are
four main elevation zones in the Andes. These elevation zones are also called climate
zones because elevation helps determine climate. The four elevation zones are illustrated in
the diagram on the last page.
The elevation zones in the Andes are known by their Spanish names. The lowest
zone is called tierra caliente, or hot country. Above that is a zone known as tierra
templada, or cool country. Next comes tierra fría, or cold country. The highest elevation
zone is known as tierra helada, which means frost country.
The link between climate and elevation is based on two factors. The first factor is
solar energy, which is the heat and light emitted by the sun. This energy from the sun
warms Earth’s surface. The second factor is gravity. Gravity pulls air in the atmosphere
down toward Earth. As a result, the air becomes dense at lower elevations. The denser the
air, the more heat it can absorb. As you move higher, the air becomes thinner and holds less
heat.
For every 1,000-foot rise in elevation, the temperature of the air drops by around
3.5°F. The higher you go in the Andes Mountains, the cooler the temperature becomes. This
is true even in areas that are near the equator, which are warmer than those that are further
away from the equator.