Hot places, cold places
Some places on Earth are hot and rainy, some are dry and some are icy. Find out what climate means, how the air keeps the Earth warm, and make a little greenhouse in a jar.
Read
The weather changes from day to day. Climate is what the weather is usually like in a place, year after year.[1][2]
Near the middle of the Earth, called the equator, it is hot. In rainforests it is hot and it rains all through the year.[3]
Deserts are very, very dry. Days can be hot and nights can be cold.[3]
Near the North Pole and the South Pole it is very cold. Some places there are covered in ice all year. High mountains can be icy too.[3]
Some gases in the air hold in the Sun's warmth, a bit like the glass of a greenhouse keeps plants warm. This keeps the Earth warm enough for plants, animals and people.[4]
Scientists measure the Earth's temperature every year. The Earth is getting warmer, and glaciers in many places are getting smaller.[6][7]
Try it: Greenhouse in a jar
You need
- 2 thermometers, the same kind
- 1 large clear plastic jar or bowl
- A sunny windowsill (or a desk lamp the teacher sets up)
- A clock or timer
Safety
Use a plastic jar, not glass. Never look at the Sun. If a lamp is used, only the teacher touches it, because it gets hot.
What to do
- Read both thermometers. Do they show the same temperature?
- Put both thermometers side by side in the sunshine.
- Put the clear jar upside down over one thermometer. Leave the other one open.
- Guess: which thermometer will get warmer?
- Wait 20 minutes and read both thermometers again. Which one is warmer?
What happens, and why?
Sunlight goes through the clear jar and warms the thermometer. The jar keeps the warm air in, like the glass of a greenhouse. Gases in the air around the Earth hold in heat a bit like this, which keeps our planet warm.[4]
Play: Hot and wet, dry, or icy?
What is the climate like? Tap the right group.
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Quiz
Other ages: Ages 10–11 · Ages 15–16