Why are clouds different shapes and why do flowers bloom? The kids’ quiz

1. Elina, 7, asks: why are clouds different shapes?

   1. The wind blows them into the shapes it loves best on that day

   2. So we know what kind of weather it’s going to be

   3. It depends on the season

   4. Because of wind, cloud height and temperature

2. Greta, 8, asks: how do plants produce oxygen?

   1. They extract it from the ground with their roots and release it into the air

   2. They use solar energy, water and carbon dioxide

   3. They breathe it out through their flowers

   4. In through their lungs and out through their bodies as they breathe

3. Michael, 6, asks: how do earthquakes happen?

   1. When enough volcanoes erupt at the same time

   2. When the gods are angry

   3. When plates under the Earth’s surface move a bit

   4. When monsters inside the Earth roll over

4. Lex, 8, asks: why do flowers bloom?

   1. Because their special flower fairy says it’s time

   2. To say hello

   3. To make new flowers and spread seeds and pollen, with the help of insects, so their species survive

   4. Bees make flowers bloom

5. Ainé, 5, asks: why are there so many people on Earth?

   1. There aren’t that many: the population used to be twice what it is today

   2. Because of better medicine and living standards

   3. We have no idea where they all came from!

   4. There are lots of countries that need people in them

Solutions

1:D - Clouds have different shapes because of the way air moves, their height and the temperature. These forces push, pull and freeze water in different ways, making clouds change shape., 2:B - Plants produce oxygen in a process called photosynthesis. They make their food using water they get from the soil, carbon dioxide from the air, and sunlight. Oxygen is left over and goes back into the air. , 3:C - Large tectonic plates, about 15 of them, fit together like a jigsaw over the Earth’s surface. They shift a few centimetres every year, which may not seem like a lot, but when pressure builds up between the edges of the plates, it can cause destructive earthquakes., 4:C - Flowers bloom to attract creatures to move pollen and make more flowers. They usually do it when there is the right amount of air and water for their plant to grow. , 5:B - In 1805 the global population was 1 billion; now it is 8 billion. There are lots of reasons, including that medicine is better that it used to be and we know how to farm more food, so people are living longer.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.