Winter Holiday Math & Reading — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. When liquid water becomes ice, it changes from a liquid to a solid.
Freezing is the change from liquid to solid. Water freezes at 0°C/32°F.
2. Water vapor turning directly into ice crystals is called deposition.
Deposition skips the liquid phase. Water vapor → ice directly. This is how snowflakes form in clouds.
3. Bears survive winter by entering a deep sleep called hibernation.
During hibernation, a bear's heart rate, body temperature, and metabolism all decrease dramatically.
4. Birds that fly south for the winter are using a strategy called migration.
Migration is the seasonal movement of animals to find food, warmth, or breeding grounds.
5. Snow acts as an insulator that keeps the ground warmer than the air above.
Snow traps air in its structure. This air is a poor conductor of heat, so snow insulates the ground.
6. The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas.
Matter exists as solid (ice), liquid (water), or gas (water vapor/steam).
7. The process of liquid water becoming water vapor is called evaporation.
Evaporation occurs when liquid water gains enough energy to become a gas (water vapor).
8. When water vapor cools and forms droplets on a surface, that is condensation.
Condensation is when water vapor loses energy and returns to liquid form — like dew on a cold window.
9. Snowflakes always have six sides due to their crystal structure.
Water molecules form hexagonal bonds, so all snowflakes have 6-fold symmetry.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
A bear sleeping all winter
→ Hibernation
Melting
Geese flying south in fall
→ Migration
Hibernation
Water vapor becoming snowflakes
→ Deposition
Deposition
Ice melting into a puddle
→ Melting
Migration
Bear sleeping=hibernation(idx1); Geese flying south=migration(idx3); Water vapor→snowflakes=deposition(idx2); Ice melting=melting(idx0)