What shapes a place's climate: latitude, height, distance from the sea

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

2. 1.

   Which city changes less from January to July, Bo?

   • San Francisco: 11 °C to 18 °C
   • Wichita: 1 °C to 28 °C
   • Wichita, as inland air changes slowly
   • Both change by the same amount
3. 2.

   Why is San Francisco's January milder than Wichita's, Esme?

   Use the picture in question 1.

   • Wichita is farther from the Sun
   • San Francisco is much nearer the equator
   • San Francisco is higher up
   • The nearby ocean warms and cools slowly

4. Read this first

   Use this

   Model map with a key (model data, not to scale). Town A: 10° N, on the coast, at sea level. Town B: 60° N, on the coast, at sea level. Town C: 10° N, on a mountain 20 km from the coast, 3,000 m high. Town D: 60° N, 1,500 km inland, 100 m high.

5. 3.

   On the model map, which town is likely warmest all year, Jun?

   • Town D
   • Town C
   • Town A
   • Town B
6. 4.

   Towns B and D are both at 60° N. Which one likely has colder winters and warmer summers, Kira?

   • Neither: latitude sets everything
   • Town D, far inland
   • Town B, as it is at sea level
   • Town B, as the sea makes winters colder
7. 5.

   Towns A and C are both at 10° N. Which one is likely cooler, and why, Luz?

   • C: it is high up, where air is colder
   • Neither: same latitude, same climate
   • A: the sea at 10° N keeps it cold
   • A: it is lower, so farther from the Sun
8. 6.

   A town at 1,000 ft is 80 °F. Using 3.5 °F cooler per 1,000 ft, about how warm is a lookout at 3,000 ft, Milo?

   • About 76.5 °F
   • About 73 °F
   • About 69.5 °F
   • About 87 °F

9. Use this

   Side view of a mountain (example data, not to scale): a campground at 2,000 ft at the bottom, 72 degF; a ridge at 5,000 ft higher up, temperature not shown.

10. 7.

    A campground at 2,000 ft is 72 °F. Using 3.5 °F cooler per 1,000 ft, about how warm is a ridge at 5,000 ft, Noah?

    • About 54.5 °F
    • About 82.5 °F
    • About 68.5 °F
    • About 61.5 °F
11. 8.

    example data, not to scale. temperature not shown. Note: NWS normal lapse rate, 3.5 degF cooler per 1,000 ft. A trailhead at 500 ft is 68 °F. Using 3.5 °F cooler per 1,000 ft, about how warm is a peak at 4,500 ft, Pia?

    • About 82 °F
    • About 54 °F
    • About 52.25 °F
    • About 64.5 °F
12. 9.

    Sacramento and San Francisco are close in latitude and both near sea level, but Sacramento's July is warmer. Which clue explains it, Ren?

    • Elevation
    • Latitude
    • Nearness to the Sun
    • Distance from the sea

13. Use this

    Map with a key and a climate table (NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals), columns place, where it is, January average, July average: Charleston, West Virginia, 38.4° N, inland, 277 m above sea level, 2 °C (35 °F), 24 °C (76 °F); Beckley, West Virginia, 37.8° N, inland, 766 m above sea level, 0 °C (32 °F), 22 °C (72 °F).

14. 10.

    Beckley is a little farther south than Charleston, yet its July is cooler. Which clue explains it, Tala?

    • Nearness to the Sun: Beckley is higher
    • Latitude: Beckley is farther north
    • Distance from the sea: Beckley is on the coast
    • Elevation: Beckley is about 490 m higher