Social Studies: Weather, Climate, Map Skills

Question 1

What is humidity?

Answer 1

The amount of moisture in the air

Question 2

How does it feel when there is high or low humidity?

Answer 2

The air feels damp when there is high humidity, but feels dry when there is low humidity

Question 3

How does water get into the air?

Answer 3

The process of evaporation makes the air more humid: the sun heats up lakes, rivers and oceans and changes some of the water into a gas called vapor, which rises into the air

Question 4

What is elevation?

Answer 4

Height above sea level

Question 5

What is the equator?

Answer 5

A line that cuts the earth into northern and southern hemispheres

Question 6

What is a grid?

Answer 6

A system of lines that cross each other, forming squares

Question 7

What is a hemisphere?

Answer 7

A half of the earth

Question 8

What is the Prime Meridian?

Answer 8

A line that cuts the earth into eastern and western halves

Question 9

What is weather?

What is climate?

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Answer 9

Weather is the condition of the air at a certain time and place.

Climate is the pattern of weather over a long period of time.

Weather might change everyday, while climate is the pattern of weather over a much longer period of time.

Question 10

What is temperature?

Answer 10

How hot or cold a pace is, measured in degrees

Question 11

What is precipitation?

Answer 11

Any form of water that naturally fall from the sky

Question 12

What is to contribute?

Answer 12

To give to

Question 13

What is a factor?

Answer 13

A cause of something

Question 14

Name 4 factors that will affect the climate of a place, and describe their impact.

Answer 14

1. Location: this is where something is. The climate is hotter closer to the equator because this location receives more sunlight.
2. Elevation: this is how high a place is. Places at higher elevation is usually colder.
3. Bodies of water: these are lakes or oceans. Places close to bodies of water has higher precipitation. Bodies of water also warms the air in the winter, and cools the air in the summer, when the wind blows breezes from the water onto the land.
4. Wind brings varying humidity and temperature, and is also a factor that affects climate.

Question 15

What are the 3 parts of the water cycle? Describe each part and how the cycle works.

Answer 15

1. Condensation: this is when water vapor turns into liquid. This happens water vapor cools when high in the air and forms small drops.
2. Evaporation: this is when liquid turns into vapor. This happens when the sun heats up bodies of water to turn some water into gas.
3. Precipitation: this is when water falls to the ground after condensation. This happens when small water drops condense into clouds and combine to form bigger drops, and finally it falls to the ground. When water falls, it gets soaked up by the ground and into streams rivers, which flow into lakes and oceans, completing the water cycle.

Question 16

Describe artic climate. Where in the U.S. has this climate?

Answer 16

Summers are short and winters are very cold. The only place in the U.S. with this climate is northern Alaska.

Question 17

Describe tropical climate. Where in the U.S. has this climate?

Answer 17

It is hot or warm all year round. Southern Florida has this type of climate.

Question 18

Describe temperate climate. Where in the U.S. has this climate?

Answer 18

It is not as cold as arctic climate and not as hot as tropical climate, and precipitation is also moderate. Most of the U.S. has temperate climate.

Question 19

How does climate affect what sports you can play?

Answer 19

In tropical climates like Taiwan, it is harder to play sports outside because sometimes it is too hot or there is too much rain. So, people tend to play more sports indoors, such as badminton or swimming.

In artic climates, it is very cold, but there is also more snow, so people can enjoy sports such as skiing and hockey.

In temperate climates, you can do any type of sport, whether indoors or outdoors.

Question 20

What are inset maps?

Answer 20

Maps have a large, main map. Inset maps are small maps in the map that give details that can’t be shown in the main map.