February

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/february

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the calendar system?The second month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars
2. What is the mean duration?28 days in common years, 29 days in leap years
3. What makes February the shortest month?February has 28 days in most years and 29 in leap years, making it the shortest month.
4. Why does February have a leap day every four years?The extra day keeps the calendar in sync with Earth's orbit, which takes about 365.2422 days.

Gregorian Calendar Reform: The 1582 papal bull that established the calendar system still in use today, refining leap year rules.
Tropical Year: The time it takes for the Earth to complete one orbit around the sun relative to the seasons (approx. 365.2422 days).
Axial Tilt: The angle of Earth's rotational axis relative to its orbital plane, causing seasonal variations.
Meteorological Seasons: A system of defining seasons based on average monthly temperatures, typically Winter (Dec-Feb), Spring (Mar-May), Summer (Jun-Aug), Autumn (Sep-Nov) in the Northern Hemisphere.