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Why Climate Differs Across the US is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on why climate differs across US regions, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.10.3-5. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 17 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Why Climate Differs Across the US

D2.Geo.10.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Why does Hawaii stay warm all year?
  • A.It is near the North Pole
  • B.It is covered in ice
  • C.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
2.Why did the western Great Plains have grass but few trees before settlers came?
  • A.Too much rain drowned the trees
  • B.There was not enough rain for most trees to grow
  • C.Trees there grew too tall to count
3.Why are the tops of the Rocky Mountains cold even in summer?
  • A.The Rockies are under the ocean
  • B.The mountains are near the equator
  • C.Air is colder at higher elevations
4.Why is the Great Basin so dry?
  • A.It rains there every day
  • B.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
  • C.It sits right beside the Atlantic Ocean
5.Why is the Pacific Northwest so rainy?
  • A.Moist air from the Pacific rises over the mountains and drops rain
  • B.It is the closest region to the equator
  • C.It has no mountains to stop the clouds
6.Why are summers in the Southeast so humid?
  • A.Dry desert air blows in from Canada
  • B.There are no rivers or oceans nearby
  • C.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
7.Why do summers stay cool along the coast near San Francisco?
  • A.The city is in the far north of Alaska
  • B.The sun never shines there
  • C.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
8.Why are winters milder in Florida than in Minnesota?
  • A.Florida has taller mountains
  • B.Florida is much closer to the equator
  • C.Florida is much farther north

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.10.3-5 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why Climate Differs Across the US

Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.It is in the tropics and surrounded by warm ocean
  2. 2.There was not enough rain for most trees to grow
  3. 3.Air is colder at higher elevations
  4. 4.The Sierra Nevada blocks moist air from the Pacific
  5. 5.Moist air from the Pacific rises over the mountains and drops rain
  6. 6.Warm, moist air flows in from the Gulf of Mexico
  7. 7.A cold ocean current cools the air near the shore
  8. 8.Florida is much closer to the equator

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.10.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.