Manny’s Trip
3rd grade
After analyzing and interpreting data about yearly temperature and
precipitation of four South American cities with similar latitudes, develop
reasoned questions whose answer would help explore the phenomenon using
the patterns in the data to support development of the questions.
Part A – Synthesize for a Friend
Your friend, Manny is confused. Manny’s dad has explained to their family they would be traveling to
the city Antofagasta in Chile. Manny hurried to find a South America map and locate this city. To his
delight Antofagasta was just south of the equator. Manny’s class had been studying the equator in 3rd
grade and he remembered that most climates there were tropical. He couldn’t wait! However, when
Manny began researching Antofagasta, the area didn’t look very tropical at all.
After sharing this picture of people playing soccer in a
street of Antofagasta with you, Manny has asked you
to analyze some data he compiled of four South
American cities to compare the climates of the four
cities. Write a letter to Manny describing a tropical
climate and the evidence from the resources that
supports and refutes whether Antofagasta, Chile has a
tropical climate.
You have the following resources –
-
South American map with Antofagasta and the other cities indicated as well as their latitudes
and longitudes
-
Yearly temperature and precipitation data for each city (The same data has been presented in
two different ways – in a table and in graphs.)
-
Readings about climate and tropical climate
Teacher Support: Classroom discussion here. Students share their evidence and discuss whether
Antofagasta does indeed have a Tropical Climate. Then share the world climate map with students.
Part B – Generate Questions
Now that you have made a comparison of Antofagasta and the three other South American cities and
analyzed the world climate map, consider the differences between Antofagasta and those cities and
think about how those differences might affect the climate of the cities. Generate two questions that
could be explored that might explain some reasons for the differences in climate between
Antofagasta and the other cities and other parts of the world. Explain why/how an answer to the
questions will help you understand the differences in climates between the cities, and show how the
patterns in the data support the development of your questions.