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What Is The Difference Between Global Temperature And Local Temperature? — Reading Comprehension

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This engaging and audio-integrated reading passage, titled 'What Is The Difference Between Global Temperature And Local Temperature?', is designed for Grade 6 students. It explores the critical distinction between global and local temperature, fundamental concepts in understanding climate change. The passage defines key terms like 'weather,' 'climate,' 'greenhouse gases,' and 'global warming,' using simple language. It aligns with NGSS standard MS-ESS3-5, prompting students to clarify evidence of factors causing the rise in global temperatures over the past century. Through clear explanations, students will learn how individual weather events differ from long-term climate patterns and the role human activities play in influencing Earth's overall temperature. This passage serves as a foundational resource for understanding environmental science.

CONTENT PREVIEW

Split scene showing local weather and global climate with thermometers and Earth map. — Local weather vs. global climate shown through daily scenes and Earth's long-term temperature trends.

Imagine stepping outside on a sunny day. The air feels warm, and you might think about the heat. But is that feeling of warmth connected to the planet's overall temperature? The answer is both yes and no, and understanding the difference between global temperature and local temperature is key to understanding our changing world.

Let's start with local temperature. This is what you experience every day. It's the temperature in your town, your state, or even your backyard. Local temperature changes constantly. It can be hot one day and cold the next, sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoon. These short-term atmospheric conditions, including temperature, precipitation, and wind, are what we call weather. Weather patterns are influenced by many factors like the time of day, the season, and geographic features like mountains or oceans.

Now, think about global temperature. This isn't about one specific place on one specific day. Instead, it's the average temperature of the entire Earth over a long period, usually many years. Scientists calculate global temperature by gathering temperature readings from thousands of locations all over the world – land, oceans, and even the atmosphere. They then average these readings to get a single number that tells us how warm the planet is as a whole. This long-term average of weather patterns in a region is known as climate.

So, while a single cold day in your town doesn't mean global warming isn't happening, a long-term trend of rising average temperatures across the entire globe does. Global temperature is a much more stable and important indicator of long-term changes, like climate change. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, causing the Earth's average global temperature to rise, a phenomenon known as global warming. This sustained rise in global temperatures affects everything from sea levels to extreme weather events, which are distinct from everyday local weather fluctuations.

Interesting Fact: The warmest year on record for global average temperatures has occurred in the past decade, demonstrating a clear trend of global warming.

What is local temperature?

Temperature of your townAverage Earth temperatureOcean water temperatureTemperature of space

How do scientists calculate global temperature?

From one local readingAverage of worldwide readingsOnly ocean temperaturesJust atmosphere temperatures

Why is understanding global temperature important?

Predict tomorrow's weatherUnderstand long-term changesKnow current local conditionsMonitor daily rainfall

What is the primary difference between weather and climate?

LocationTime scaleHumidityWind speed

Which human activity is linked to global warming?

Planting treesBurning fossil fuelsRecycling plasticUsing solar panels

What do greenhouse gases do in the atmosphere?

Cool the EarthTrap heatProduce oxygenBlock sunlight