1. Work with a partner. How many landscape features can you think of? You have got one minute! Write them down.

Vocabulary

2. Unscramble the letters to make words for the things you can see in the picture.

Reading and Listening: The Gredos Mountains

3. Lucky you! You and a friend are going on holiday to Sierra de Gredos. You will have three full days there. Work together and plan what you are going to do every day. Make sure you agree and are both happy with your plan.

5. 

Spain is formed by a large part of the Iberian Peninsula (except Portugal), the Canary Islands archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla in Africa.

It has got borders with France and Andorra to the North, and Portugal to the West. The Rock of Gibraltar in the south belongs to the United Kingdom. Africa is 17 kilometres (km) from Tarifa (Cádiz) on the south coast. The sea between Spain and Africa is called the Strait of Gibraltar.

These are the main characteristics of Spain’s landscape.

• Mountains cover a large part of the peninsula and the archipelagos.
• There is a large plateau called the Meseta at the centre of the peninsula, surrounded by mountains.
• The coastline is generally straight with cliffs.

The features that make up the landscape are:

• The Central Plateau, with two mountain systems: the Central Sierra and Toledo Mountains.
• The mountain systems around the Meseta: the Mountains of León, the Cantabrian Mountains, the Iberian Mountains and Sierra Morena.
• Five large mountain ranges and two depressions outside the Meseta: the Galician Massif, the Basque Mountains, the Pyrenees, the Catalan coastal range, the Baetic System and the Ebro and Guadalquivir depressions.
• The coastal relief of the Iberian Peninsula.
• The inland and coastal reliefs of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

1. Match the words to the pictures.

1 coastline                             2 mountains                            3 plateau   

2. Every year a bird migrates from northern Europe to Africa. It flies over Spain. What does it see on its journey?

1. The bird flies in a straight line from the centre of France to Tarifa in the south of Spain.

a) Track its journey on the map.

b) Write the names of the features of the landscape it flies over.

2. The bird has to cross where the distance between Spain and Africa is shortest. What is the name of the channel of water it crosses?

The Meseta and its mountain systems

The Meseta is an enormous plain 650 metres (m) above sea level. It covers Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid and Extremadura. There are two major mountain systems on it: the Central Sierra and the Toledo Mountains. Large rivers run through it on their way to the Atlantic.

• The Central Sierra is a mountain system in the centre of the Meseta. It divides the Meseta into 2 sub-plateaus. The Northern sub-plateau (Duero river valley) is bigger, flatter and higher than the Southern sub-plateau (Tagus and Guadiana river valleys). The Central Sierra includes mountain ranges over 2,000 m high, such as Somosierra, Guadarrama, Gata and Gredos. The highest peak is Almanzor (2,592 m).

• The Toledo Mountains are a mountain system in the centre of the Southern sub-plateau, between the Tagus and Guadiana river valleys. The main mountain ranges are San Pedro and Guadalupe. The mountains are moderate in height. The highest peak is La Villuerca (1,603 m).

The mountain systems surrounding the Meseta

The Meseta is almost completely surrounded by four chains of mountains. 

• The Iberian Mountains are a mountain system in the east, separating the plateau from the Ebro depression. They run through Castilla y León, La Rioja, Aragón, Castilla-La Mancha and the Valencian Community. The main mountain ranges are the Picos de Urbión, Albarracín Mountains and Moncayo Mountains. They are over 2,000 m high and the highest peak is Moncayo (2,313 m).
• The Cantabrian Mountains are a mountain system in the north. They separate the Meseta from the Cantabrian Sea. They act as a boundary between Castilla y León, Cantabria and Asturias. The highest peak is Torrecerredo (2,648 m).
• The Mountains of León are a mountain range in the northeast. They separate the Plateau from the Galician Massif. The main sub-ranges are the Teleno and Segundera Mountains. They are about 2,000 m high and the highest peak is Teleno (2,188 m).
• The Sierra Morena is a mountain system in the south. It separates the Plateau from the Guadalquivir valley. The mountains are about 1,300 m high. The highest peak is Bañuela (1,323 m).

1. Answer the questions.

1. What is the Meseta?

2. What communities does it cover?

3. What are the Meseta's two main mountain systems?

4. Where do the rivers that pass through the Meseta flow to?

5. The Central Sierra divides the Meseta into 2 sub-plateaus. What are they called?

2. Use the text and map to correct these sentences.

1. Almanzor is the highest peak in the Toledo Mountains.

2. There are six mountain systems around the Central Plateau.

3. The Northern sub-plateau is lower than the Southern sub-plateau.

4. The Teleno Mountains are part of the Iberian Mountains.

The mountain systems outside the Meseta

There are five mountain systems outside the Central Plateau: the Galician Massif, the Basque Mountains, the Pyrenees, the Catalan coastal range and the Baetic system.

• The Galician Massif is a mountain system in the northeast of the Peninsula. The mountains are low with rounded peaks. The highest peak is Pena Trevinca, at 2,127 m.
• The Basque Mountains are a mountain range in the north, situated between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees. The mountains are moderate in height. They have got an uneven relief and are not in rows. The highest peak is Aitxuri, at 1,551 m.
• The Pyrenees are a mountain range in the northeast of the Peninsula. They run from the Cantabrian Sea to the Mediterranean. The mountains are very high. The highest peak is Aneto, at 3,404 m.
• The Catalan coastal range is in the northeast of the Peninsula. It runs from the Pyrenees to the Ebro River. The mountains are moderate in height. The highest peak is Turó de l’Home, at 1,712 m.
• The Baetic System is a mountain system with two parallel ranges: the Penibaetic range and the Subbaetic range.

– The Penibaetic range is close to the Mediterranean coast. The Ronda Mountains, Baza Mountains and Sierra Nevada are the main ranges. The mountains are very high. The highest peak is the Mulhacén, at 3,478 m, which is the highest on the Peninsula.

– The Subbaetic range is inland and the mountains are lower than in the Penibaetic Range. The main ranges are the Cazorla Mountains, the Segura Mountains and the La Sagra mountains. The highest peak is Peña de la Cruz, at 2,027 m.

The depressions outside the Meseta

A depression is a low, flat area surrounded by higher ground. It has got a river running through it. In Spain there are two large depressions outside the Meseta: the Ebro Depression and the Guadalquivir Depression.

• The Guadalquivir Depression is located in the south of the Peninsula, between the Sierra Morena and the Subbaetic range. It is a large, triangular plain and the Guadalquivir River runs through it. There are very fertile marshes near to the mouth of the river.
• The Ebro Depression is located in the northeast of the Peninsula, between the Iberian Mountains and the Pyrenees. It is a large, triangular plain and the Ebro River runs through it. The river deposits materials near the mouth, creating an area of land called a delta.

​

1. Are these sentences True or False?

1. Mulhacén is higher than Cabeza de Manzaneda.  → 

2. The Basque Mountains are between the Iberian Mountains and the Pyrenees. → ​

3. Sierra Nevada is in the Catalan coastal range. → ​

4. The Ebro delta is formed by material transported by the river. → ​

2. How many mountain systems are there outside the Meseta?

3. Which country is the other side of the Pyrenees?

4. Competition time! Work with a partner. Study all the facts carefully and create 8 questions to ask another team. Take it in turns to ask and answer questions (first one team then the other). The team that can answer the most questions wins!

Project 1:  Make your own 3D relief model of Spain

Materials:

Step 1 Use the template to draw the outline of the Iberian Peninsula onto the cardboard. Mark the border with Portugal.

Step 2 Tear the newspaper up into strips and some small pieces. You will need quite a lot.

Step 3 Put some flour in the bowl and add water a little at a time. Mix quickly to eliminate lumps. Keep adding water and mixing until you have a runny, sticky paste. 

Step 4 Dip the pieces of newspaper in the paste and stick them to the cardboard covering the area corresponding to Spain. 

Step 5 Use the maps in your book as a reference. Keep dipping and adding newspaper to form the plateaus, depressions and mountain ranges. Pay attention to the mountains. Some are higher than others!

Step 6 When you are happy with your model, leave it to dry. It may take a few days.

Step 7 Look at the maps again and paint the model to reflect the different elevations. Paint the major rivers on it. Use the key:

•  Blue – water
•  Orange – Mountains
•  Green – low land
•  Red – peaks
•  Yellow – high land
   

Project 2: Spain’s mountain systems

Make an informative poster for your classroom wall.

Materials:

• 1 large piece of card
• Glue
•  Coloured pencils
•  Pens and paper

Step 1 In groups, look at the maps in the book and choose one of the mountain systems or ranges for your project. Work together and listen to the opinions of the other members of your group. 

Step 2 Decide what you want to research (geology: rocks, landforms, features, etc.; history: monuments, villages, trade, battles, etc.; nature: trees, plants, animals, conservation, etc.; activities: tourism, sports, outdoor activities, etc.) 

Step 3 Share out the responsibilities. Each member of the group should have one or two topics to research. 

Step 4 Individual work. 

Use books or the Internet to research your topic. Try to print some pictures or draw them yourself. Write down the information. (Tip! Make sure you think before you write. Your writing must be easy to read and neat. Take pride in your work.)

Step 5 Group work.
Write a title on the card in large letters. Stick the information and pictures onto the poster. Work together to decide where to put each item.

Step 6 Put the poster on the classroom wall.