4 3 13 really, really cold (science)

Really,
Really Cold!
by Carol Ann Greenhalgh

H O UG H T O N MIF F L IN


Really,
Really Cold!

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.
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Printed in China
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02315-1
ISBN-10: 0-547-02315-4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 RRD 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08


Table of Contents

About Antarctica

4

Climate

5

People

8

Weather

9

What to Wear

10

Dangers

12

Conclusion

14


Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place on Earth.

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.

3


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.

4


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.
5


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.

Indian
Ocean

South Atlantic
Ocean
ANTARCTICA

Cold:

Antarctic Peninsula

Colder: Coast
Coldest: Central mountain region

South Pacific

Ocean

This map shows the three climate areas of Antarctica.

6


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.

7


People
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
skis instead of wheels to land in Antarctica.

8


Weather
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.

9


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.

hat and face cover
sunglasses or
goggles

windproof parka
with hood

thick, windproof
gloves or mittens

insulated boots

windproof outer
pants

These are the clothes people wear every day in Antarctica.

10


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!

11

Dangers
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.

12


Vent
markers

Vent holes

Sleeping level

Arch-shaped
door

Cooking level

A snow shelter is a good place to stay warm.

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!
13


Conclusion
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.

14


Responding
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.
TARGET VOCABULARY

fast

cold

leave

speedy

chilly

go

?

?

?

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.

15

TARGET VOCABULARY

alert
concluded
display
fractured
graceful

huddle
standards
stranded
vision
weariness

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

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

16


Level: O
DRA: 38
Science
Strategy:

Summarize
Word Count: 781

4.3.13 Build Vocabulary

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

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

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