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Climate Clues at the Puzzle Desk

Compare temperature and precipitation records for three world regions, solve climate puzzles, and support descriptions with evidence.

Grade 3ScienceInteractive · Printable

Aligned to3-ESS2-2

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What’s included

Single worksheet
Auto-graded online
1 NGSS standard
Printable answer key
14 questions
Classroom-ready

Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 3
Subject: Science
Question types: Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students compare long-term temperature and precipitation information from three world regions.
Students describe regional climates using numerical evidence from graphs.
Students distinguish long-term climate patterns from weather on a single day.

How to use

Read the investigation steps together and review the graph units. Have students solve the envelope clues, then explain a climate comparison using evidence.

Curriculum

NGSS standard covered

3-ESS2-2

Use information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

Preview

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Name Date

Climate Clues at the Puzzle Desk

Investigate world climate records to solve classroom puzzle envelopes.

1. Investigate the Temperature Clues

Read about the class investigation. Use the three temperature graphs to answer questions 1–4. °F means degrees Fahrenheit.

The Puzzle-Envelope Investigation

At the classroom puzzle desk, Anika's class finds three sealed envelopes. Each contains clues about a place's climate. The class will investigate records before matching the envelopes to regions around Athens, Greece, in southern Europe; Mumbai, India, in South Asia; and Bergen, Norway, in northern Europe.

Climate describes usual weather patterns over many years. Weather describes conditions at a particular time. Scientists use long-term temperature and precipitation records to describe climates. Precipitation includes rain and snow. Snow can be melted to measure the water it contains.

Step 1: The class gathers practice records for one location near each city. These made-up but realistic records summarize the same 30-year period. They describe the selected locations, not whole countries. An average combines many measurements to help show what is typical.

Step 2: Students compare January, April, July, and October temperature averages. They change which location they examine but keep the months, units, and record length the same.

Step 3: Students compare average yearly precipitation totals, measured in inches of water. Step 4: They test each envelope clue against both kinds of information. Finally, they write climate descriptions supported by numbers. A clue that does not fit the records needs to be checked again.