The greenhouse effect

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Burning coal for electricity adds carbon dioxide to the air. As it builds up, what happens to the heat the ground gives off, Ari?

   • More of it escapes to space
   • Less sunlight reaches the ground to make it
   • The same amount escapes as before
   • More of it is held near Earth
2. 2.

   Rice farms give off methane, a greenhouse gas (NASA). If more methane builds up in the air, what does Esme predict?

   • The Sun shines more strongly on Earth
   • The air holds back less heat
   • Less sunlight gets through to the ground
   • The air holds back a bit more heat

3. Read this first

   Use this

   Data table (NOAA Climate.gov), columns Measure and Value. Row 1: Global warming rate since 1850, 0.06 °C per decade. Row 2: Global warming rate since 1982, 0.20 °C per decade. Row 3: 2024 compared with the 1850–1900 average, 1.35 °C warmer. Row 4: Warmest year since records began in 1850, 2024.

4. 3.

   Using the NOAA table, how does the warming rate since 1982 compare with the rate since 1850, Jun?

   • About the same speed
   • About half as fast
   • More than three times as fast
   • Twenty times as fast
5. 4.

   Kira checks the NOAA table for a class report. Which year was the warmest since records began?

   • 1900
   • 1850
   • 1982
   • 2024
6. 5.

   A cold snap freezes Luz's town for a week in January 2024 (the snowman is thrilled). Does that week cancel the warming in the NOAA table?

   • Yes: it shows the Sun has dimmed
   • No: the table shows a long global average
   • No: but the table is about sunlight
   • Yes: one cold week ends the trend
7. 6.

   A forest is cleared, and the wood is burned. Which greenhouse gas does that add to the air, by Milo's NASA notes?

   • Nitrogen
   • Oxygen
   • Carbon dioxide
   • Ozone that blocks sunlight
8. 7.

   Fertilizer spread on farm fields gives off a greenhouse gas. Which one does Noah find on NASA's list?

   • Nitrous oxide
   • Water vapor from the Sun
   • Oxygen
   • Nitrogen from the air
9. 8.

   Since about 1750, the rise in greenhouse gases was caused by human activities (IPCC). What adds most of the extra carbon dioxide, Pia?

   • A brighter Sun
   • Volcanic eruptions
   • Burning fossil fuels for energy
   • Sunlight through the ozone hole
10. 9.

    NASA's graph shows the Sun's energy going up and down every 11 years, with no overall rise since 1880. Earth warmed anyway. What does Ren conclude?

    • The Sun caused the warming
    • Earth's warming has stopped
    • Greenhouse gases trapped the sunlight on its way in
    • The Sun did not cause the warming
11. 10.

    Earth and the Moon are about the same distance from the Sun. NASA gives Earth a mean of 15 °C and the Moon −20 °C. Why the difference, Zee?

    • The Sun shines harder on Earth
    • Earth has greenhouse gases; the Moon has almost no air
    • The Moon's gases block its sunlight
    • The Moon gets much less sunlight