Weather & Climate Classwork
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
The chart below shows the weather over the past week for Bangor, Maine. Use the
information in the chart to draw a line graph that shows how high the temperature reached
each day.
Sunday
High: 38⁰F
Low: 28⁰F
Monday
Tuesday
High: 34⁰F High: 13⁰F
Low: 5⁰F
Low: 0⁰F
Wednesday Thursday
High: 25⁰F
Low: 8⁰F
High: 29⁰F
Low: 15⁰F
Friday
Saturday
High: 32⁰F
Low: 12⁰F
High: 33⁰F
Low: 26⁰F
Use the graph on the following page and the guidelines below to draw your line graph.
1. On the x-axis (the left-to-right axis), write a name of the week, in order from left to
right, on each marking.
2. On the y-axis (the up and down axis), number the marks in groups of 5, starting at the
bottom.
3. Above the Sunday mark, draw a dot for the high temperature for that day.
4. Continue to draw dots for the high temperatures of each day.
5. Connect the dots with straight lines.
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Weather & Climate
Temperature
High Temperatures in Bangor, Maine
Day of the Week
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Weather & Climate
Weather & Climate Homework
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
1. As you are standing at the bus stop, your next door neighbor
says, “Wow! The climate is much colder today than it was
yesterday. It is supposed to start snowing this afternoon.”
What can you tell your neighbor about the difference
between climate and weather? What mistake did your
neighbor make?
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2. Think about the area in which you live. What are three ways
that you can describe the climate of your area and the
current weather?
Climate:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Weather:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Temperature Classwork
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
Temperature data can be displayed as a line graph or a bar
graph. The table below shows the temperatures every 2 hours for
a 24 hour period.
Albuquerque, New Mexico Temperature
Time
Temperature (⁰F)
6 a.m.
26
8 a.m.
28
10 a.m.
40
12 p.m.
48
2 p.m.
51
4 p.m.
50
6 p.m.
43
8 p.m.
37
10 p.m.
34
12 a.m.
32
2 a.m.
31
4 a.m.
30
6 a.m.
29
Use the guidelines below and the graph on the next page to draw
a bar graph of daily temperatures in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
1. On the x-axis (the left-to-right axis), write a time on each
marking.
2. On the y-axis (the up and down axis), number the marks in
groups of 5, starting at the bottom.
3. For each time marking, draw a bar that extends up to the
correct temperature for that time. Color in the bars.
4. Use your completed bar graph to complete the homework
questions.
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Temperature (⁰F)
Temperature in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Time
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Temperature Homework
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
Use the bar graph of temperatures in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
to answer the following questions.
1. When did the highest temperature occur?
________________
2. When did the lowest temperature occur?
________________
3. At what time did temperatures stop rising and start to fall?
________________
4. How does this information relate to the sun?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
5. Ecuador is located on the equator. How do you think the
temperatures in Ecuador compare to temperatures in
Albuquerque. Why?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Precipitation Classwork
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
1. Write a “1” next to the arrow that shows evaporation.
2. Write a “2” next to the arrow that shows condensation.
3. Write a “3” next to the arrow that shows precipitation.
4. Describe how evaporation and condensation lead to
precipitation.
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
5. Circle the correct term in the parentheses. Warm air
expands and can hold (more/less) water. Cold air contracts
and can hold (more/less) water.
6. Using the information from #5, explain how clouds form.
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________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Precipitation Homework
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
Fill in the blanks using terms from the Word Bank.
amount
gauge
Word Bank
cirrus
condensation cumulus evaporation
precipitation stratus
sun
temperature
1. _______________ clouds form as thin sheets of ice crystals
high in the atmosphere.
2. _______________ occurs when water turns from a liquid
into a gas.
3. The _______________ of the atmosphere determines if
precipitation will be rain or snow.
4. On Earth, the energy source for the water cycle is the
_______________.
5. _______________ clouds are low in the atmosphere and
usually cover the entire sky.
6. A rain _______________ is a tool that measures the amount
of rainfall.
7. _______________ occurs when water vapor cools and
changes into liquid water.
8. The _______________ of water in a cloud determines how
much precipitation falls.
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Weather & Climate
9. _______________ clouds are white and fluffy. They are
spread out across the sky.
10._______________ occurs when water droplets in clouds
become heavy and fall down to the ground.
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Weather & Climate
Wind Classwork
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
Suppose that you are camping in the valley beside a mountain.
As you are hiking back to your campsite in the evening, you
notice that the sides of the mountain are cooling off much faster
than the valley floor. Based on your knowledge about warm and
cold air, what type of breeze do you think will form? Draw the
direction of the breeze on the image below.
Describe why this breeze will form.
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Wind Homework
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
You are trying to explain to your little sister that warm air or water
always rises above cold air or water. Despite your best efforts,
she is very confused. You take a look around the kitchen and
notice that you have the following supplies:
 2 clear cups
 Hot water
 Cold water
 A dropper
 Red food dye
 Blue food dye
Your sister does not understand what you are trying to explain to
her. How can you use the above supplies to show her what you
mean?
Draw a picture of your experiment. Then, describe your
procedure. Number the steps of the procedure as you write it.
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Weather & Climate
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Weather Prediction Classwork
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
1. If you were in the southeast right now, what type of clouds
do you think you might see in the sky? Explain your answer.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
2. A big red L is located on top of Colorado. What does this
mean and what type of weather does this bring?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
3. Circle an area on the map that may be experiencing
thunderstorms. Explain your answer below.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
The map below shows areas that are experiencing warm and cold
temperature changes.
4. Compare this map to the map on the previous page. Explain
why the middle area of the US is experiencing an increase in
temperature.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Weather Prediction Homework
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
Fill in the blanks using terms from the Word Bank.
cirrus
high
Word Bank
cold
cumulus
low
stratus
front
warm
1. _______________ clouds indicate rainy weather.
2. A _______________ pressure system is composed of cool,
dry air.
3. The boundary where two different weather systems collide is
called a _______________.
4. _______________ clouds indicate fair weather.
5. A _______________ front can cause thunderstorms as it
passes but is then followed by high pressure.
6. A _______________ pressure system is composed of warm,
moist air.
7. _______________ clouds indicate that precipitation may
occur in the next day or so.
8. A _______________ front brings cloudy weather and is
followed by low pressure.
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Climate Classwork
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
Below you will find descriptions of each climate zone. There are
also five sets of temperature and precipitation graphs. Each set of
graphs corresponds to a location in one climate zone. Match each
set of graphs to its correct climate zone.
Polar Climate
Polar climates are cold and dry. For most of the year, the
temperature is below 10⁰C and there is very little precipitation.
Continental Climate
Continental climates are usually found inland. They can get very
warm in the summer but are also very cold in the winter. Most of
the precipitation occurs during the summer months.
Temperate Climate
Temperate climates are hot in the summer and cold in the winter,
though not as cold as continental climates. Precipitation occurs
throughout the year.
Dry Climate
Desert climates receive very little precipitation. These climates
can either be very hot or very cold with little temperature
fluctuation throughout the year.
Tropical Climate
Tropical climates are warm and wet. Throughout the year,
temperatures remain warm and do not fluctuate. While
precipitation occurs year round, the amount of precipitation varies
based on season.
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Temperature & Precipitation Graphs
Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov
Climate: _____________________
Climate: _____________________
Climate: _____________________
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Weather & Climate
Climate: ______________________
Climate: ______________________
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Weather & Climate
Climate Homework
Name: __________________________
3rd Grade PSI
During the next class, you will begin a Climate Project. For this
project, you will choose one climate zone to learn about. For this
homework assignment, your job is to read the following climate
descriptions and choose which climate zone you will work on for
the project.
Tropical Climate Zone
Tropical climate zones are located near the equator. They are
warm throughout the year with a lot of rainfall. Some tropical
climates receive rainfall throughout the year, such as the
rainforest. Some areas receive rainfall mostly during one part of
the year, such as countries that experience monsoons. Some
tropical areas are wet for part of the year and dry for part of the
year.
Dry Climate
Dry climates have very little to no precipitation and large
temperature changes. Deserts are included in this climate zone.
Deserts receive almost no precipitation and are hot during the day
and cold during the night. Grasslands are also included in this
climate zone. Grasslands receive only enough precipitation to
allow the growth of grass but hardly any other vegetation.
Moderate Climate
Moderate climates have warm, humid summers and cooler
winters. Temperature changes are not extreme and precipitation
varies from month to month and depends on the season.
Continental Climate
Continental climates experience extreme seasonal changes. They
are very cold in the winter with much snowfall and warm in the
summer. Continental climates experience drastic changes from
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
one season to the next. This includes changing leaf color in
autumn, snowfall and snowstorms in the winter and
thunderstorms in the warmer months.
Polar Climate
Polar climates include the Arctic at the north pole and the
Antarctic at the south pole. The Arctic is a tundra environment
with short summers but a lot of plants and animals. The Antarctic
is constantly covered by a layer of ice as temperatures never
reach above freezing. Precipitation is very low in both areas.
I plan to work on the _______________ climate for my climate
project because ______________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________.
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Answer Key
Weather & Climate Classwork
Temperature
High Temperatures in Bangor, Maine
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Day of the Week
Weather & Climate Homework
1. Weather is the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere. Climate is the average
weather for a location. Your neighbor used the word “climate” but needed to use
the word “weather.”
2. Answers will vary.
Temperature Classwork
Temperatures in Albuquerque, New Mexico
60
Temperature
50
40
30
20
10
0
6 a.m. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. 12 p.m. 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. 10 p.m. 12 a.m. 2 a.m. 4 a.m. 6 a.m.
Time
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
Temperature Homework
1. The highest temperature occurred at 2 p.m.
2. The lowest temperature occurred at 6 a.m.
3. At 2 p.m., the temperature stopped rising and started falling.
4. As the sun rose in the sky, more heat reached Albuquerque and the temperature
also rose. As the sun started to lower in the sky (around 2 p.m.) less heat
reached Albuquerque and the temperature started to fall.
5. The equator is the location that receives the most amount of direct sunlight.
Temperatures in Ecuador are probably hotter than those in Albuquerque.
Precipitation Classwork
3
2
1
4. During evaporation, molecules of water rise into the air as gas molecules. As
they cool in the atmosphere, they condense into water droplets around particles
in the air. When these droplets become too large and heavy to stay in the air,
they fall to the ground as precipitation.
5. More; less
6. As warm air cools in the atmosphere, it contracts and cannot hold as much
water. This water condenses around particles in the air to become clouds.
Precipitation Homework
1. Cirrus
2. Evaporation
3. Temperature
4. Sun
5. Stratus
6. Gauge
7. Condensation
8. Amount
9. Cumulus
10. Precipitation
Wind Classwork
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3rd Grade PSI
Weather & Climate
The air on the sides of the mountain cool off faster than the valley floor. The warm air on
the valley floor rises up into the atmosphere, leaving behind an empty space. The cool
air on the sides of the mountain move down to fill this space, creating a breeze.
Wind Homework
Answers will vary. In general, it should be an experiment that has warm water in one
cup and cold water in another cup. Warm water is dyed red and cold water is dyed blue.
Using the dropper, drop in several drops of warm water into the bottom of the cup of
cold water. Watch as the warm water rises to the top of the cup. If cold water is dropped
into the bottom of the warm water cup, nothing will happen.
Weather Prediction Classwork
1. The southeast is experiencing a large high pressure system. This brings fair
weather so cumulus clouds are probably in the sky.
2. The L stands for low pressure. This brings warm, wet weather.
3. Thunderstorms are found around cold fronts (blue lines with triangles).
4. A warm front just passed over the middle of the US, bringing low pressure with it.
Low pressure brings warmer temperatures.
Weather Prediction Homework
1. Stratus
2. High
3. Front
4. Cumulus
5. Cold
6. Low
7. Cirrus
8. Warm
Climate Classwork
1. Continental climate
2. Temperate climate
3. Desert climate
4. Tropical climate
5. Polar climate
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Weather & Climate