PencilGo

Grade 6 · Science

6th grade What shapes a place's climate: latitude, height, distance from the sea worksheet

6 printable versionsChallenge Me10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

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

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Mount Washington is only about 2° farther north than Boston, yet its July is 13 °C cooler. Which clue explains most of the gap, Ari?

    • The Sun: the summit is closer to it
    • Its latitude: 2° farther north
    • The sea: the summit is right on the coast
    • Its height: 1,910 m above sea level

  2. Spokane is higher than Seattle, yet Spokane's July is warmer. Which clue explains the warmer July, Bo?

    • Spokane is much nearer the equator
    • Higher places are warmer in summer
    • Spokane is far from the sea, so summers get hotter
    • The sea makes Seattle's summers hotter

  3. Denver's July is 5 °C cooler than Fresno's. Which explanation uses both clues in the table, Esme?

    • Denver is farther south
    • Denver is higher, so it is nearer the Sun
    • Denver is both higher and farther north
    • Denver is nearer the sea

  4. Imagine a town moved from the coast to 1,000 km inland, at the same latitude and height. How would its climate change, Jun?

    • Hotter summers and colder winters
    • No change: latitude alone sets climate
    • Warmer year-round, as land holds heat longer than water
    • Milder summers and winters, as inland air changes slowly

  5. A road climbs from a valley at 500 m to a pass at 2,500 m. What should Kira's trip guide say about the pass?

    • Warmer: heat rises and collects up high
    • Cooler: air gets colder with height
    • The same: height does not change temperature
    • Warmer: it is nearer the Sun

  6. A model town moves from 20° N to 50° N, keeping its height and its spot on the coast. What happens to its climate, Luz?

    • Warmer: the Sun is nearer to 50° N
    • Colder: the sunlight hits at a lower slant
    • Warmer: far from the equator, light is more direct
    • Colder: the sea chills northern coasts

  7. Read this first

    Use this

    Side view of a mountain (example data, not to scale). Note: NWS normal lapse rate, 3.5 degF cooler per 1,000 ft.

  8. A trail starts at 2,000 ft, where it is 75 °F. The summit is 54 °F. Using 3.5 °F per 1,000 ft, about how high is the summit, Milo?

    • About 21,000 ft
    • About 6,000 ft
    • Lower than 2,000 ft, since it is colder
    • About 8,000 ft

  9. “example data, not to scale” A lower town at 1,500 ft is 70 °F; an upper town on the same slope is 63 °F. Using 3.5 °F per 1,000 ft, about how high is the upper town, Noah?

    • About 3,500 ft
    • About 2,000 ft
    • About 8,500 ft
    • Below 1,500 ft, since it is cooler

  10. Ren's friend says the equator is hot because it is closer to the Sun. Agree or disagree?

    • Disagree: sunlight hits the equator more directly
    • Agree: the equator is nearer the Sun
    • Agree: the equator's sunlight is more slanted
    • Disagree: the equator gets the most slanted light

  11. Tala's friend says mountaintops should be warmer, since heat rises. Agree or disagree?

    • Agree: peaks are nearer the Sun
    • Disagree: air gets colder higher up
    • Agree: heat rises and collects up high
    • Disagree: peaks are cold because the sea is near
PencilGopencilgo.com

6th grade What shapes a place's climate: latitude, height, distance from the sea worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

What shapes a place's climate: latitude, height, distance from the sea. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can explain why places nearer the equator are warmer: the sunlight hits more directly.
  • I can explain why higher places are cooler, and use NWS's normal rate of 3.5 °F per 1,000 ft.
  • I can explain why places near the sea have milder seasons, and pick the clue that explains a difference between two real places.

Standard: MS-ESS2-6

Words to know

latitude: Distance north or south of the equator, in degrees

elevation: Height above sea level

inland: Far from the sea

lapse rate: How fast air cools as you go up

direct sunlight: Rays that hit straight on, putting more energy on each spot

Common mistakes

Your child explained warmth by being closer to the Sun. The Sun is about 150 million km away, so a mountain or the equator is not meaningfully closer. Try shining a flashlight straight down and then at a slant.

Your child expected higher places to be warmer. Air gets colder as you go up, which is why tall peaks can keep snow in summer. Try comparing a valley town with a mountain town on a weather app.

Your child expected places farther from the equator to be warmer. Near the equator, sunlight hits more directly. Try finding the equator on a globe and comparing towns north and south of it.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with what shapes a place's climate: latitude, height, distance from the sea?

Your child explained warmth by being closer to the Sun. The Sun is about 150 million km away, so a mountain or the equator is not meaningfully closer. Try shining a flashlight straight down and then at a slant.

Are these 6th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 6 science

See all grade 6 science

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records

Ready for easier practice?

Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo picks the next one.

Create a free account