Polar climate

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/polar-climate

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 köppen climate designation?E
2. What is the percentage of earth's surface?>20%
3. Why can't forests grow in polar regions?The cold and short summers keep temperatures too low for trees, so the land is covered by ice, glaciers, or tundra with only mosses and lichens.
4. How do polar bears stay warm in the cold?Polar bears have thick blubber and dense fur that keep them insulated, plus strong legs to hunt seals on the sea ice.

Albedo effect: The measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed.
Arctic amplification: The phenomenon where the Arctic region is warming at a rate significantly faster than the global average.
Permafrost thaw: The melting of ground that has been frozen for at least two years, releasing greenhouse gases.
Paleoclimatology: The study of past climates, often using natural archives like ice cores and tree rings.