### General Instructions to the Teacher:

-   This task took 7^th^ grade students approximately two 45 minutes to
    complete.

-   Students may work individually, or in groups. If group work is the
    norm for your classroom, it is recommended that the final question
    be assigned as an activity for individual students.

### Advanced Preparation and Set Up:

### Each item in a GLOBE Classroom Assessment begins with an assessment framework statement / goal that cues the student and teacher to the critical features of the item. If this information is not useful to your students, remove the bold parenthetical statement at the beginning of each item. Several teachers found that the assessment strategy / goal reduced the number of "what-does-this-question-mean" questions from students.

### The graphs on the opening page are information dense and colored markers / lines have been used differentiate high / low temperature. Check out the quality of any black and white reproduction before making copies for students. 

### Alternate graphs depicting data from your GLOBE site can be inserted and the storyline changed to fit local concerns. One teacher inserted student data and changed the "storyline" to center it around indoor vs. outdoor graduation ceremonies.

###  

**(Given data from the GLOBE data archives)**

GLOBE Data for:

1)  La Colina Junior High School, Santa Barbara, CA

  ---------------------- ------------ ---------- ------------ -------------
  School                 Period of    Latitude   Longitude    Elevation (m)
                         Data                                 

  La Colina Junior High  1/15/99 --   34.4233 N  119.7033 W   0
  School                 3/15/99                              
  ---------------------- ------------ ---------- ------------ -------------

![](media/image1.png){width="4.80625in" height="3.1083333333333334in"}
![](media/image2.png){width="4.733333333333333in" height="3.0875in"}

**(Present problem requiring use of GLOBE data archives)**

You are a student at La Colina Junior High School located in the coastal
town of Santa Barbara in Southern California. Your class is planning a
beach party and you are on the planning committee. Santa Barbara
frequently experiences a great range in cloud cover due to its elevation
and proximity to the ocean. You have been asked to report to the
committee your recommendations for when the party should be held. Given
air temperature and cloud coverage data collected at La Colina Junior
High, your job is to determine what, if any, relationship there is
between cloud cover and temperature at your school and use this
information to make a recommendation report to the committee that
includes: a) the best time to hold the party and b) additional data to
study that would help you make a better decision.

1)  **(Plan Investigations: Pose relevant questions)** Look at the GLOBE
    data provided. Think of two questions you might ask regarding the
    data. A sample question might be "Is there anything unusual
    regarding air temperature for this time of year?"

> *One question I might ask: Do the two graphs match each other -- does
> peak on one graph match a peak on the other graph? Another question
> might be: is there any relationship between the maximum and minimum
> air temperatures?*

2)  **(Analyze and Compare GLOBE Data: Identify data components)** What
    does it mean if there is a steep line between two data points on the
    temperature graph? What does it mean if a line slowly increases over
    several data points?

*A steep line on the temperature graph means that there is a big change
in temperature between two days (or data points.) If the line slowly
increases over several data points this is just showing a gradual
increases in temperature. If there was a steep line upward and then a
steep line downward over a three day period, this shows a big change in
temperature over these days. If I were an atmospheric scientist I might
be concerned that something strange is going on with the weather.*

3)  **(Take GLOBE Measurements: Use quality assurance procedures)** Are
    there any data in the graphs that you suspect might be due to a
    measurement error? How can you tell? What range of temperatures
    would you expect for this day?

*It is difficult to tell if any data are in error because air
temperatures vary a lot and it is not unusual for the temperature to be
high one day and then lower the next day. So even though there is a step
line between those two days it doesn't mean it's in error. I think the
temperature measurements fall inside the expected temperature range.*

4)  **(Interpreting GLOBE data: Infer patterns & trends)** One of the
    students on the committee, John, says that air temperature and cloud
    cover are completely random -- it can be hot and sunny one day and
    cold and overcast the next. Do you agree with John, or do you see a
    trend regarding air temperature? Do you see a trend regarding cloud
    cover? Use data from the graphs to explain your answer.

*The air temperature (both max and min) seem to follow some sort of up
and down motion -- it slowly goes from hot to cool and to hot again. The
cloud coverage one is tough. In a way it follows a type of up and down
wave but it is hard to tell.*

OR

*There is no real pattern to the cloud cover. The high temps seems to go
up and down, up and down and so do the low temps but not on the same
days as the high temps are also cycling.*

5)  **(Interpret GLOBE Data: Explain data & relationships)** Another
    student on the committee, Emma, thinks it might be helpful to look
    at average high temperature instead of daily temperatures. Since
    there are many data points, divide the graph into three-day periods
    and find the average for each three-day period. Fill in the table
    below to show the *average* high temperature for the same time
    period on the graph. The first time period has been done for you.

  -------------------- --------------------------------------------------
  3-day segment        Average temp (^o^C)

  d 1-3                30 + 28 + 28 = 86 ÷3 = 28.7 ^o^C

  d 4-6                23 + 19 + 21= 63 ÷ 3 = 21 ^o.^ C.

  d 7-9                21 + 21 + 25 = 67 ÷ 3 = 22.3 ^o.^ C.

  d 10-12              28 + 16 + 18 = 62 ÷ 3 = 20.7 ^o.^ C.

  d 13-15              19 + 20 + 24 = 63 ÷ 3 = 21 ^o.^ C.

  d 16-18              16 + 23 + 20 = 59 ÷ 3 = 19.7 ^o.^ C.

  d 19-21              23 + 26 + 24 = 73 ÷ 3 = 24.3 ^o.^ C. ^o.^ C.

  d 22-24              16 + 20 + 21 = 57 ÷ 3 = 19 ^o.^ C.

  d 25-27              21 + 20 + 19 = 60 ÷ 3 = 20 ^o.^ C.

  d 28-30              24 + 24 + 21 = 69 ÷ 3 = 23 ^o.^ C.

  d 31-33              22 + 22 + 26 = 70 ÷ 3 = 23.3 ^o.^ C.

  d 34-36              25 + 24 + 24 = 73 ÷ 3 = 24.3 ^o.^ C.

  d 37-39              25 + 21 + 27 = 73 ÷ 3 = 24.3 ^o.^ C.

  d 40-42              27 + 22 + 28 = 77 ÷ 3 = 25.7 ^o.^ C.

  d 43-45              31 + 19 + 24 = 74 ÷ 3 = 24.7 ^o.^ C.

  d 46-48              18 + 21 + 20 = 59 ÷ 3 = 19.7 ^o.^ C.

  d 49-52              20 + 18 + 23 = 61 ÷ 3 = 20.3 ^o.^ C.

  d 53-56              23 + 14 + 14 = 51 ÷ 3 = 17 ^o.^ C.
  -------------------- --------------------------------------------------

6)  **(Interpret GLOBE Data: Create multiple formats to represent
    data)** Another committee member, Luis, thinks that the best way to
    look at the data is to look at the temperature range. Use the
    original temperature graph to create a table that shows the *range*
    in temperature over time. As you did in the previous question,
    divide the graph into three-day periods and find the range for each
    period. The first time period has been done for you.

  -------------------------------- --------------------------------------
  3-day segment                    Range in temp (^o^C)

  d 1-3                            28^o^ -30 ^o.^ C.

  d 4-6                            19 - 23 ^o.^ C.

  d 7-9                            21 - 25 ^o.^ C.

  d 10-12                          16 - 28 ^o.^ C.

  d 13-15                          19 - 24 ^o.^ C.

  d 16-18                          16 - 23 ^o.^ C.

  d 19-21                          23 - 26 ^o.^ C.

  d 22-24                          16 - 21 ^o.^ C.

  d 25-27                          19 - 21 ^o.^ C.

  d 28-30                          21 - 24 ^o.^ C.

  d 31-33                          22 - 26 ^o.^ C.

  d 34-36                          24 - 25 ^o.^ C.

  d 37-39                          21 - 27 ^o.^ C.

  d 40-42                          22 - 28 ^o.^ C.

  d 43-45                          19 - 31 ^o.^ C.

  d 46-48                          18 - 21 ^o.^ C.

  d 49-52                          18 - 23 ^o.^ C.

  d 53-56                          14 - 23 ^o.^ C.
  -------------------------------- --------------------------------------

7)  **(Communicate: Compose reports to explain or persuade)** Using the
    data analysis you have done, write a short report (1-2 pages) that
    summarizes your findings and explains when you think the beach party
    should take place. Be sure to support your conclusions by using
    specific references to the data you analyzed. Suggest other data
    that might be helpful for further study if you must make this
    decision regarding the weather at this site.