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

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

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  2. Ari reads the table. Which place is closer to the equator?

    • They are the same distance away
    • Portland, at 43.6° N
    • Key West, at 24.6° N

  3. Using the table, which place has the warmer January, Bo?

    Use the picture in question 1.

    • Portland, as it is farther north
    • Both about the same
    • Portland, at −4 °C (24 °F)
    • Key West, at 21 °C (71 °F)

  4. Both places are on the coast near sea level. Which clue explains Key West's warmer climate, Esme?

    Use the picture in question 1.

    • It is farther inland
    • It is closer to the Sun
    • Height: it is higher up
    • Latitude: it is nearer the equator

  5. Read this first

    Use this

    Map with a key and a climate table (NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals), columns place, where it is, January average, July average: Phoenix, Arizona, 33.4° N, inland, 337 m above sea level, 14 °C (57 °F), 35 °C (96 °F); Flagstaff, Arizona, 35.1° N, inland, 2,135 m above sea level, −1 °C, below zero (31 °F), 19 °C (67 °F).

  6. Flagstaff is about 1,800 m higher than Phoenix. Which place has the cooler July, Jun?

    • Flagstaff, at 19 °C (67 °F)
    • Phoenix, as it is lower down
    • Both the same, as both are in Arizona

  7. Which line explains why Flagstaff is cooler than Phoenix, Kira?

    • Flagstaff is higher, where the air is colder
    • Flagstaff is on the coast
    • Flagstaff is much farther from the equator
    • Flagstaff is higher, so nearer the Sun

  8. In January, which place averages below zero, Luz?

    • Flagstaff, at −1 °C (31 °F)
    • Neither place
    • Phoenix, as lower places are colder
    • Phoenix, at 14 °C (57 °F)

  9. Milo needs the word for a place's distance north or south of the equator. Which word is it?

    • Latitude
    • Humidity
    • Altitude
    • Longitude

  10. Noah needs the word for a place's height above sea level. Which word is it?

    • Elevation
    • Precipitation
    • Latitude
    • Longitude

  11. Pia reads: towns near the ocean have milder winters and summers than towns far inland. Which clue is that about?

    • Elevation
    • Longitude
    • Latitude
    • Distance from the sea

  12. not to scale. The same sunlight reaches spot B, but spot B stays colder. Why is the light at spot B weaker, Tala?

    • It is spread over a larger area
    • Spot B gets a different color of light
    • Spot B is farther from the Sun
    • Spot B gets no sunlight
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6th grade What shapes a place's climate: latitude, height, distance from the sea worksheet – printable
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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.

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