Weather, Climate and Adaptations

Weather is the day-to-day condition of the atmosphere at a place with respect to temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind speed. The India Meteorological Department records the maximum temperature, usually in the afternoon, and the minimum, usually in the early morning, and measures rainfall with a rain gauge. Climate is the average weather pattern of a place taken over a long time, about 25 years. Kerala has a hot and wet climate, Rajasthan is hot and dry, and Jammu and Kashmir has a moderately hot and wet climate with very cold winters. Animals are adapted to the climate of their habitat. In polar regions, polar bears have white fur for camouflage, two thick layers of fur and a layer of fat for warmth, and wide paws for walking on snow, while penguins have streamlined bodies, webbed feet and huddle together. Many birds migrate, such as Siberian cranes that fly to Bharatpur in winter. In tropical rainforests, the lion-tailed macaque climbs trees, red-eyed frogs have sticky pads, and the toucan uses its long, large beak to reach fruits.

Detailed Worksheet: Weather, Climate and Adaptations Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. Define weather and climate. (2 marks) 2. What are the elements of weather? Name four. (2 marks) 3. What is humidity? How is rainfall measured? (2 marks) 4. What is adaptation? Give one example. (2 marks) 5. What is migration? Why do birds migrate? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. The maximum and minimum temperatures of a city for a week were: (32, 20), (33, 21), (35, 22), (34, 21), (31, 19), (30, 18), (36, 19) degrees C. Find (i) the highest maximum (ii) the lowest minimum (iii) the mean maximum. (3 marks) 7. The rainfall in Shillong over 5 days was 12 mm, 0 mm, 35 mm, 18 mm and 25 mm. Find the total and average rainfall. Which day was driest? (3 marks) 8. Compare the climate of Kerala and Rajasthan in terms of temperature and rainfall, and state one adaptation in houses of each region. (3 marks) 9. List three adaptations of polar bears and three of penguins for life in polar regions. (3 marks) 10. Give the adaptation of each in the tropical rainforest: (i) red-eyed frog (ii) toucan (iii) lion-tailed macaque (iv) elephant (v) big cats like tigers (vi) monkeys with long tails. (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. Draw a bar graph of the maximum temperatures of a city over 7 days from the data in Question 6 and mark the hottest day. (4 marks) 12. Draw a labelled diagram of a rain gauge. (3 marks) 13. Draw labelled sketches of a polar bear and a penguin showing their adaptations. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. The tropical rainforest has a hot and humid climate throughout the year. (i) Why is there so much competition for food and space? (ii) Why do many animals live on trees? (iii) How do some animals avoid being seen by predators? (iv) Name two areas of India with tropical rainforests. (v) Why should these forests be protected? (5 marks) 15. Siberian cranes travel thousands of kilometres to reach Bharatpur in Rajasthan every winter. (i) Why do they migrate? (ii) How do they find their way? (iii) What problems do they face on the way? (iv) How can we protect migratory birds? (5 marks) 16. A student says, "It rained yesterday, so the climate of Delhi is rainy." (i) Is the student correct? (ii) What is the difference between weather and climate? (iii) Why is weather so changeable? (iv) What is the source of all weather changes? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Use graph paper for graphs and write units for temperature and rainfall.