Student Tutorial
How to use GLOBE Data Graphs

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1.  Go to the GLOBE web page.  (http://www.globe.gov)

2.  Under GLOBE Data click on Visualizations  (on the sidebar).
There are two ways to look at GLOBE data.  What are they?  __________  and  __________
 

3.  Click  on GLOBE Graphs.  The School Search page will appear.   There are many ways to find a school for data graphing.

• If you know a name, type in the name.
• Or you may want to search a specific country.
• Or you can click "Display Map" to view a map of schools in the US.
• Clicking 'more choices'  gives you boxes to search for a school's elevation,
• or number of data reports,
• or latitude and longitude.

Click on 'US Search',  then on 'Display Map of Selected Region'.  The web page will show you a map with schools showing how many data reports there are.

Let's investigate two schools in Australia.    Click on Australia on the small blue globe. 
Click on the white map 2 times again (on Australia) to zoom in.

In what part of the country are most of the GLOBE school located in Australia?
 
 

5.  Select 'choose school' and click on the small island of Tasmania, just below Australia's southern coast.  Scroll down to see a new box with the schools.  You should see  East Ulverstone Primary School.  If it is not in the list, try clicking again on the island.

How many data reports has East Ulverstone made?  ___________
 

6.  Click on the small box next to the school's name.
     Just above the list of schools is a box with the words "Select Option".  Click on it and it will open.... select "Make a Graph"
      Click on 'go'.   You will see a graph of East Ulverstone's data.

What kind of data is shown on the graph?  ____________________________  units?  ________
What parameter is on the x-axis?     ________________________
What parameter is on the y-axis?    ________________________

7.   You can make a nicer looking graph by selecting only the dates that show data.  In the boxes on the lower right,  select the beginning and ending dates for the school's data.   ( 1996, Sept 01  through 1998, Nov. 29)   Click on the map.  A new map will be drawn showing only those dates.

What do you notice about the data for the Spring of 1998?   _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the highest temperature in East Ulverstone? ___________________
What month does it usually happen in?  ____________________________

8.  Compare Maximum Temperatures and Rainfall data.
Do you think East Ulverstone's temperatures and rainfall are related?   We can check.
Below the graph box is a small white box labeled CURRENTLY SELECTED DATASETS.   Hold down the option or control key on your keyboard and at the same time, Click on 'Maximum Temperature',  then scroll down and click on 'Rainfall'.   Both of those should now be highlighted in black.  Click on the graph.

When it's the hottest, what happens to the rainfall?  ___________________________________________
When the temperature is the coolest, what happened to the rainfall?  _______________________________

Write a sentence telling what you think the relationship is between temperature and rainfall.
 
 

Do you feel sure about that relationship?  If not, what more information would you like to have?
 
 

9.  COMPARE two schools.
Suppose we compare East Ulverstone on Tasmania with another school north  on the mainland.   Do you think there will be a difference in their annual temperature pattern?   Write your prediction here:
 
 
 

10.  How to add a school:
Click on 'BACK' so that you see only the temperature data again.
Scroll down the page until you see  "other options:'.
Click on 'Add or change schools'.
Select Australia, and  "Display Map of the Region"
Select "choose school",  and then click on the southern coast of Australia, on the mainland, directly north and a little to the west of the island we chose before.
Scroll down and check the list of schools.... look for  Hamilton North Primary School

 Hamilton North Primary School has how many data reports?  ______________

Click the small box next to Hamilton's name.  Just above the list, open the 'Select Option' box and choose "Make a Graph", and "GO".

Now you will see two graphs:  East Ulverstone's data in one color, and  Hamilton's data in a different color.

Compare the two schools' data.  What do you notice about the data?  Describe what you see:
 
 
 
 
 
 

11.   Can you think of an explanation for these results?  Maybe there is more than one explanation!
Write what you think:
 
 
 
 
 
 

12.   Get more information.  What happens if you compare with another school more to the north?    Go to the add school link, and choose a school directly north of Tasmania,  but a little more inland.  Look for schools with a large number of data reports.  Try to find Shepparton High School.

View the graph for all three schools.
Adjust the dates.... select the best beginning and ending dates to see all of the data and redraw the graph.

Describe the annual temperature patterns you see in the  graph.  (Look closely and THINK! There is more than one pattern to find.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Analyze:   How could you explain the patterns?