Polar circle

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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/polar-circle

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 arctic circle mean latitude?66°33′50.7″ N
2. What is the annual poleward drift?Approximately 14.5 meters per year
3. Why does the sun stay up or down for a whole day near the polar circles?Because the Earth’s tilt makes the sun’s path very low in the sky, so it can stay above the horizon (polar day) or below it (polar night) for long periods.
4. Where are the Arctic and Antarctic Circles located?The Arctic Circle is at about 66°33′50.7″ north latitude, and the Antarctic Circle is at about 66°33′50.7″ south latitude.

Obliquity: The angle of inclination of Earth's rotational axis relative to its orbital plane.
Nutation: Small, periodic oscillations in Earth's axial tilt.
Ecliptic: The plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun.
Atmospheric Refraction: The bending of light rays as they pass through Earth's atmosphere.