This interactive resource provides a downloadable line graph of how many days a location's spring temperatures have been above normal since 1970.
Students can create the graphs in English or Spanish for a range of American cities and the graphs include a best-fit line to show the trend.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Students can download the graphs with or without the background image and with or without the title.
Students will enjoy looking at locations where they live or have visited, and will learn about how the climate is changing around them.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be able to read graphs.
Students would benefit from understanding what is meant by a "normal" spring temperature and the difference between weather and climate.
Differentiation
Cross-curricular connections can be made in math classes focusing on graphs and data or in geography classes considering how different places are experiencing climate change differently.
Have more advanced students look at the map of the United States just below the graphs to see a geographic display of how much the temperatures have changed in different areas.
This resource would be a great tool for students to explore after learning about average temperatures. Younger students can look at the graph for a location near them together as a class, while older students can be assigned different locations to compare and contrast.
To extend learning, have students use the data presented in the graph to predict the days above normal in the next several springs.
Scientist Notes
This graph shows spring days above normal since 1970. As projected, this is an indication of temperature change due to the shift in climate. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS2: Earth's Systems
MS-ESS2-5 Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
Common Core Math Standards (CCSS.MATH)
Functions: Interpreting Functions (9-12)
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.IF.B.6 Calculate and interpret the average rate of change of a function (presented symbolically or as a table) over a specified interval. Estimate the rate of change from a graph.
