4 3 13 really, really cold (science)

Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place on Earth... Climate Climate is the weather at a certain place.. Antarctica has three main climate areas.. This map shows the three climate ar

by Carol Ann Greenhalgh

Really,

by Carol Ann Greenhalgh

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Susan Carlson, Steve McEntee

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover © GORDON WILTSIE/National Geographic Image Collection; tp © LOOK Die Bildagentur der Fotografen GmbH/Alamy; 3 © Frank Krahmer/Getty Images; 5 © Peter Arnold, Inc./Alamy; 7 © Kim Westerskov/ Getty Images; 8 © Bryan & Cherry Alexander Photography/Alamy; 10 © Galen Rowell/CORBIS; 11 © GORDON WILTSIE/ National Geographic Image Collection; 14 © LOOK Die Bildagentur der Fotografen GmbH/Alamy

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Company All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law With the exception of nonprofit transcription into Braille, Houghton Mifflin is not authorized to grant permission for further uses of this work Permission must be obtained from the individual copyright owner as identified herein Address requests for permission to make copies

of Houghton Mifflin material to School Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116 Printed in China

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02315-1

Really,

Table of Contents

It’s beyond cold here Some days the snow blows so hard that you can’t see the ground in front of you If you take your gloves off for a

few minutes, your fingers will freeze This is

Antarctica It is the land of the South Pole

Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place on Earth.

About Antarctica

This land is a brilliant white In the

summer, the sun shines all day and all night

As far as you can see, there’s nothing but

snow and ice In the central area, you will find mountains and even active volcanoes with their display of blue smoke There is very little life but some moss, algae, and insects Yet on the coast there are plenty of seals, penguins, and fish There is land under the ice Antarctica is a continent

When the wind blows hard, you can’t see anything but flying snow.

Climate

Climate is the weather at a certain place

Antarctica has three main climate areas

One climate area is the Antarctic Peninsula

It gets more overhead sunshine than the central regions A peninsula is surrounded by water

on three sides Summer temperatures there are often above freezing

Colder:

Coldest:

Antarctic Peninsula Coast

Central mountain region

South Atlantic

Ocean

A N T A R C T I C A

South Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

It is a little colder on the coast The

temperature in coastal regions is not too cold

in the summer But in winter, the sea around the coast freezes This causes temperatures to drop very low, to as low as –58°F

This map shows the three climate areas of Antarctica.

The sea in coastal regions freezes over during the winter.

The coldest part of Antarctica is the central part, where the mountains are The mountains are far away from the sea They rise up as high

as 16,000 feet The average annual temperature

in the central area is around –58°F

Scientists from many countries live in Antarctica They use complicated instruments

to study the weather and the stars The wind and cold keep these scientists indoors much

of the time They don’t want to be stranded

by a storm Many of these scientists arrive

in Antarctica on airplanes that have skis for landing on snow and ice

Large aircraft carrying scientists and supplies use

Antarctica is the windiest continent on

Earth Blizzards are common Instead of falling from the sky during these blizzards, the snow

on the ground is blown around by very strong winds The scientists huddle inside their cabins during blizzards The winds can last for days

or weeks Anyone going away from camp must take special supplies

What to Wear

People who go to Antarctica wear Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) clothes They must always

be alert and watchful of the weather, and they must have all their ECW gear with them The weather can change very quickly

windproof parka with hood sunglasses or

goggles

thick, windproof gloves or mittens

insulated boots

hat and face cover

windproof outer pants

ECW clothes don’t have to be waterproof,

but they must be windproof No parts of the

body can peek through The wind chill can

cause bare skin to freeze

There is nothing graceful about walking

around with all those clothes on! In fact, the

thick layers of clothing make people clumsy

They have visions of falling over on the hard

ice and ending up with a fractured arm or leg!

Moving around

outdoors isn’t

easy in Antarctica!

The harsh climate of Antarctica poses many dangers for humans

• Hypothermia occurs when the body

gets too cold The blood stops flowing

to the fingers and toes and the person experiences a feeling of weariness

• The bright sun reflecting off the white snow can cause both sunburn and

snow blindness

• Dehydration, or lack of water, happens easily because the air is so dry

• People can lose fingers, toes, or even a nose when frostbite occurs

Vent holes

Sleeping level

Cooking level

Arch-shaped door

Vent

markers

To survive in Antarctica, people should

learn certain safety standards They learn what

to wear, how to eat properly and drink enough water, and how to build snow shelters They

also need to learn how not to be lonely because there won’t be many people around!

A snow shelter is a good place to stay warm.

Antarctica is a special place It can be

dangerous, but it is also beautiful Many of the people who spend time there have concluded that Antarctica is one of the most interesting places they have ever visited

Thousands of penguins spend the summer in Antarctica.

TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder

Synonyms are words that mean the same or

nearly the same thing For example, fractured

means the same thing as broken Think of some other words that share the same meaning

Copy and complete the chart below.

Write About It

Text to Self You have just read about what it is

like to live and work in a cold, cold place Write

a paragraph in which you explain whether

or not you would like to visit Antarctica Use

details to support your opinion Include one

word from the Word Builder.

fast

speedy

?

cold chilly

?

leave go

?

TARGET VOCABULARY

TARGET STRATEGY Summarize Briefly tell the important parts of the text in your own words.

Which vocabulary word rhymes with something to splash in after it rains?

alert

concluded

display

fractured

graceful

huddle standards stranded vision weariness

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02315-1 ISBN-10: 0-547-02315-4

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: O

DRA: 38

Science

Strategy:

Summarize

Word Count: 781

4.3.13 Build Vocabulary