JS-MapSkills-Lesson07-Climate

MAP SKILLS BOOT CAMP Name:

LESSON 7

Climate Map

A climate map provides information about an area’s climate (weather patterns
that prevail over a region for a long period of time). Usually, colors are used to
indicate average temperatures (highs or lows), precipitation (rain and snow),

ARCTIC CIRCLE ATLANTIC
OCEAN
NORTH
AMERICA

U.S.

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR PACIFIC
OCEAN

SOUTH
AMERICA

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

ANTARCTIC CIRCLE PRECIPITATION
Average annual rainfall

More than 80 inches
(Very heavy)
10-80 inches
(Light to heavy)
Less than 10 inches
(Very light)

Continent border

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • MAP SKILL

Date:

drought, or other long-term atmospheric conditions. The map below is a
precipitation map. It shows the average annual rainfall around the world in
three main categories: very heavy, light to heavy, and very light.

ARCTIC
OCEAN

ARCTIC CIRCLE Uses: copy machine, opaque projector, or transparency master for overhead projector. Scholastic Inc. grants teacher-subscribers to
Junior Scholastic permission to reproduce this page for use in their classrooms. ©2017 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
EUROPE ASIA PACIFIC
AFRICA OCEAN

TROPIC OF CANCER

INDIAN EQUATOR
OCEAN TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

AUSTRALIA

N SOUTHERN
OCEAN
NW NE
ANTARCTIC CIRCLE
WE
SOURCE: Composite based on U.S. Geological Survey data
SW SE JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN® (MAP)

S

ANTARCTICA

LS • CLIMATE MAP • PAGE 1 OF 2

MAP SKILLS BOOT CAMP Name: Date:

LESSON 7 Uses: copy machine, opaque projector, or transparency master for overhead projector. Scholastic Inc. grants teacher-subscribers to Junior Scholastic permission to reproduce this page for use in their classrooms. ©2017 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.

Climate Map

Use Your Skills

Use the map on p. 1 to answer the questions.

1. Most of North America gets how much average 8. Most areas along the Tropic of Capricorn average
annual rainfall? ______________________________________ what level of annual rainfall?

2. Which continent has the farthest-south area _______________________________________________________
getting very heavy rainfall? _________________________
9. In which part of the continent of Africa would
3. Which continent gets the least rainfall? ____________ you expect to find the vast Sahara Desert, even
though it isn’t labeled on this map? Explain.
4. The largest single area of very heavy rainfall is on
which continent? ____________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

5. According to the map key, how much rain is “very 10. How do the shades the cartographer (mapmaker)
heavy”? ______________________________________________
used to color-code the map help convey
6. The majority of the islands of Southeast Asia
average what kind of weather? _____________________ information? If the colors were reversed (tan for

_______________________________________________________ heavy rain and dark purple for light rain), would

7. Most of the land south of the Antarctic Circle it be as effective? Explain.
receives about how much rain in a year? _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Consider This

Most of the world’s people live in areas with a light to heavy average annual rainfall. What kinds of

challenges could those who live in areas with very heavy or very light rainfall face?

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • MAP SKILLS • CLIMATE MAP • PAGE 2 OF 2