And what changes it · Alberta Grade 6 · maddyhelps.com
Name
Date
Answer each question and name the factor it is about: distance from the equator (latitude), height above sea level (elevation), or nearness to water. Then tick whether each action adds to or cuts greenhouse gases.
Two towns are the same distance from the equator. One is on the ocean, one far inland. Which has milder winters?
Two towns sit side by side, but one is 1500 m higher up a mountain. Which is colder?
Which is warmer on average: a town near the equator or a town near the Arctic?
Action
Cuts
Adds
Walking or biking to school
Leaving the car running while waiting
Turning off lights and screens when leaving a room
Buying a new phone every year
Buying vegetables grown nearby, or growing a garden
How does burning fossil fuels change the climate?
For the grown-up
What makes a climate
The one on the ocean — large bodies of water warm up and cool down slowly, evening out the seasons. The higher one — air gets colder the higher you go. Near the equator — the Sun's rays hit more directly there all year. Factors: nearness to water, height, distance from the equator. Cuts: walking or biking to school, turning off lights and screens when leaving a room, buying vegetables grown nearby, or growing a garden. Adds: leaving the car running while waiting, buying a new phone every year. Burning coal, oil and natural gas releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat, so the planet slowly warms and weather patterns shift.
“Buying a new phone every year” is the one children argue with. Making anything — mining, factories, shipping — uses energy, so using things for longer is one of the most effective personal actions.