Activity: Heat Source and Sink

Summary: Students investigate the Great Lakes as a heat source and a heat sink.

You Need:

Procedure

As a whole class, discuss the Great Lakes as a heat source and a heat sink.

Develop a hypothesis to investigate, for example:

During the summer, coastal temperatures are typically lower than inland temperatures.
During the winter, coastal temperatures are typically higher than inland temperatures.

In small groups, students investigate July and January temperatures. The activity is optimal when there are 10 groups of 2 to 4 students.

Groups graph coastal and inland temperatures. Locate cities using Great Lakes map or use the Great Lakes Station viewer on the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) website.
Go to glos.org and select Observations Explorer and then search by station code.
Each group graphs coastal and inland temperatures at their location and completes a data sheet.
Five groups graph January temperatures and five groups graph July temperatures.

As a whole class, groups report their findings and discuss graphs.

Are hypotheses supported?
During which season is the difference between coastal and inland temperatures greatest? Least?
In which region is the difference between coastal and inland temperatures greatest? Least?
Is the hypothesis correct in all seasons and in all regions?
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the data. For example — the data set includes only 2008 temperature data. Analysis could be improved by including data from additional years.