Why Climates Differ Around the World
Aligned to MS-ESS2-6 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
The Sun heats the round Earth unevenly — the equator gets direct, intense rays while the poles get slanted, weaker ones. This uneven heating sets air and ocean water in motion, and Earth's rotation bends those flows into giant circulation patterns that carry heat around the planet and shape each region's climate.
Worked example
Warm ocean water flows north along the Gulf Stream from the tropics toward Europe, releasing heat as it goes. That is why coastal Britain, though as far north as chilly Canada, stays mild in winter — an ocean current is delivering tropical warmth to its shores.
Practice questions
- Shine a flashlight straight down and then at a slant on paper, and compare how spread out and bright the light is.
- Explain why regions near the equator are generally warmer than regions near the poles.
- Find two cities at the same latitude with different climates and suggest how ocean currents or winds might explain the difference.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Por qué los climas cambian alrededor del mundo
El Sol calienta de forma desigual la Tierra redonda: el ecuador recibe rayos directos e intensos mientras que los polos reciben rayos inclinados y débiles. Este calentamiento desigual pone en movimiento el aire y el agua del océano, y la rotación de la Tierra curva esos flujos en enormes patrones de circulación que transportan calor por el planeta y moldean el clima de cada región.
Ejemplo: El agua cálida del océano fluye hacia el norte por la corriente del Golfo desde los trópicos hacia Europa, liberando calor en el camino. Por eso las costas de Gran Bretaña, aunque están tan al norte como el frío Canadá, se mantienen templadas en invierno: una corriente oceánica lleva calor tropical a sus costas.
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