Four Cities

In this task, students will demonstrate their ability to describe and interpret plotted climate data to explain the reasons for differences in climate among four different United States cities: Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Las Vegas, Nevada. The cities were chosen to show the effect latitude, topography, ocean circulation patterns, and wind circulation patterns have on the mean monthly high and low temperatures and the average monthly precipitation. The task consists of two parts. First, students compare daily temperature data with mean monthly temperature data from the town in which their school is located, which will demonstrate their understanding of climate data within their own region. Second, students compare climate data among the cities listed above, examining the effects of latitude, topography, ocean circulation patterns, and wind circulation patterns on the mean monthly high and low temperatures and the average monthly precipitation.