Graphing Global Temperature Trends

A graph trending upwards with a setting Sun as the background.
This graph shows the global temperature anomaly from 1880 to 2015.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Levels
  • beginner
  • intermediate
  • advanced
NGSS
  • ess2
Requirements
  • low_tech
  • low_cost
CreditJPL California Institute of Technology
Language
  • english

In this activity, students will use global temperature data to create models and compare short-term trends to long-term trends. They will then determine whether global temperature is rising based on the data.

Note: This activity is aligned to education standards for fifth grade and high school grade bands. As such, we have provided two sets of procedures, one for grade five and one for high school. Other variations for each grade band are indicated throughout the activity.

Explore this activity at https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/graphing-global-temperature-trends/