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
   • More of it is held near Earth
   • The same amount escapes as before
2. 2.

   Carbon dioxide is now about 50 percent higher than before the Industrial Revolution (NOAA). What does that do to Earth's average temperature, Bo?

   • Pushes it up by letting in UV through the ozone hole
   • Pulls it down by blocking sunlight
   • Pushes it up, as more heat is held
   • Nothing, since the effect is natural
3. 3.

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

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

4. 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.

5. 4.

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

   • 1850
   • 2024
   • 1982
   • 1900
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: one cold week ends the trend
   • No: but the table is about sunlight
   • No: the table shows a long global average
   • Yes: it shows the Sun has dimmed
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?

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

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

   • Oxygen
   • Nitrous oxide
   • Nitrogen from the air
   • Water vapor from the Sun
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?

   • Burning fossil fuels for energy
   • A brighter Sun
   • Volcanic eruptions
   • 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?

    • Greenhouse gases trapped the sunlight on its way in
    • The Sun caused the warming
    • The Sun did not cause the warming
    • Earth's warming has stopped
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 Moon gets much less sunlight
    • The Moon's gases block its sunlight
    • The Sun shines harder on Earth
    • Earth has greenhouse gases; the Moon has almost no air