SUBJECT: SOCIAL STUDIES

Topic: IMPACT OF LANDFORMS AND CLIMATE ON PEOPLE

Class Notes (Answer Key)

Name: _

Grade: 4 Section: Date: _____

1. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the landforms?

Ans. A landform is a natural feature of the surface of Earth.

2. Name any five major types of landforms.

Ans. Mountains, hills, plateaus, valleys and canyons.

3. Why do people build stilt houses in Southeast Asia?

Ans. Southeast Asia has a tropical climate which is characterized by heavy rainfall. Houses are
built above the ground to avoid floods. The roofs are slanted to enable rainwater to run off.

4. Why is a thatched roof used in the subtropics?

Ans. Since the subtropics are characterized by hot and humid summers and cold to mild
winters, the houses have thatched roofs. Thatched roofs do not absorb much water. It
protects the roof from ultraviolet rays, and it is also environmentally friendly. It is naturally
weather-resistant.

5. How do landforms form?

Ans. Landforms are sometimes formed by the movement of tectonic plates under the earth.
Earthquakes can occur when tectonic plates push against one another and create landforms
like mountains and hills.

6. The people of the UAE used wind towers in the past. Justify
Ans. The UAE is located in the Subtropical Zone. It has a hot and dry climate. In the past,
Emiratis kept buildings cooler with wind towers. The wind tower catches air and brings it into
the house. The wind tower does not make the wind cold, but it creates a breeze in the house.
This breeze makes the house more comfortable.

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7. Why were the houses in the temperate zone built of bricks?
Ans. In the temperate zone, people had to keep in mind all four seasons. They had to make
sure their homes were protected from rain and snow, warm in the winter, and cool in the
summer. That is why they used bricks. Homes had small windows so that the weather
conditions have a smaller impact on the inside temperature.

8. How does the weather influence the clothes we wear?

Ans. Clothing protects us from the sun, rain, wind, and cold weather. Different types of
clothing are best to wear in different kinds of weather. In the Arctic Circle, people have to
wear warm coats, boots, and hats. In the subtropical zone, people wear clothes that protect
them from the sun, such as kanduras and ghutras’. The people in the temperate climate zone
wear different clothes in different seasons.

9. If you were to live in the Arctic, what kind of dress would you like to wear? Give two
reasons. (open-ended)