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How Do Highland Climates Differ from Polar Climates? — Reading Comprehension

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This NGSS-aligned reading passage helps middle school students compare and contrast highland and polar climates. It explains how highland climates are found in mountain regions and change with elevation, while polar climates occur near the poles and stay cold due to low solar angles. The passage includes real-world examples such as the Andes and Antarctica, along with key vocabulary, seasonal patterns, and adaptations for life in each region. Ideal for Earth science and geography units, this passage supports critical thinking and climate literacy.

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Highland climates and polar climates may both be cold, but they are not the same. These two climate types differ in their location, temperature patterns, and how people, plants, and animals live there.

A highland climate is found in mountain areas all over the world, no matter what latitude they are in. These regions include places like the Rocky Mountains, the Andes, the Himalayas, and the Alps. In a highland climate, the temperature gets colder as elevation increases. This means the top of a mountain can be snowy and freezing even if the land below is warm. Highland areas often have many microclimates—different weather conditions at different heights.

A polar climate, on the other hand, is found near the North and South Poles—in places like Antarctica, Greenland, and parts of the Arctic Circle. These places are cold all year long because the sun’s rays hit them at a very low angle. Polar climates have long, dark winters, short, cool summers, and very little precipitation, often in the form of snow.

One key difference is that highland climates depend on elevation, while polar climates depend on latitude. In polar climates, even the lowlands are cold. But in highland climates, temperature depends on how high you go up a mountain.

People and wildlife can often adapt more easily to highland climates, especially at lower elevations. In contrast, polar climates are some of the harshest places on Earth, with very few plants and animals.

Fun Fact: Quito, Ecuador, is near the equator but has a cool climate because it's high in the Andes Mountains!

Where are highland climates usually found?

Near the equator onlyIn desertsIn mountain regions around the worldIn cities

What is true about polar climates?

They are found near the equatorThey are warm during the dayThey are cold all year longThey have high rainfall

How does elevation affect highland climates?

Higher elevations are warmerHigher elevations are colderIt doesn’t affect themIt makes it rain every day

Why are polar regions always cold?

Because of high elevationBecause of cloudsThe sun’s rays hit them at a low angleThey are close to oceans

Which of the following places is in a highland climate?

AntarcticaArctic OceanRocky MountainsGreenland

What is a microclimate?

A small countryA type of polar stormA different climate found within a larger areaA warm breeze in the Arctic

What is the main idea of the passage?

Highland and polar climates are exactly the sameHighland and polar climates are both warmHighland and polar climates are cold but have different causes and conditionsMountains are found only at the poles

Which climate is based on latitude, not elevation?

HighlandDesertPolarTropical rainforest