Climate Graphs
CLAIM:
 New Zealand has more daylight in December than
Alaska
EVIDENCE:
 New Zealand day length in December: __________
 Alaska day length in December: _________
REASONING:
 New Zealand is _______ degrees warmer on average
than Alaska in December.
REASONING:
 New Zealand has __________ hours more day light
than Alaska in December.
Day length graphs
CLAIM:
 New Zealand has warmer temperatures than Alaska in
December
EVIDENCE:
 New Zealand Temp December: ______________
 Alaska Temp December: ___________
Use a protractor to measure the angle between the ground at each location and a ray of sunshine coming in.
CLAIM:
 New Zealand has more intense sunlight than Alaska in
December.
EVIDENCE
CLAIM:
 Light in Alaska is more intense in the July than in
December.
EVIDENCE:
Alaska
Alaska
New
Zealand

Rays hitting New Zealand are ~ _______ degrees.
Rays hitting Alaska ~_______ degrees.
REASONING:
 The rays hitting New Zealand are closer to 90 degrees
than the rays hitting Alaska so they are more direct
and intense.
Use the other Earth picture 
 Rays hitting Alaska in July: __________
 Rays hitting Alaska in December: ________
REASONING:
 The rays hitting Alaska in July are closer to 90 degrees
than the rays hitting Alaska in December, so they are
more direct and intense.
CLAIM:
 Alaska has more daylight in July than New Zealand.
EVIDENCE:
 Alaska day length in July: __________
 New Zealand day length in July: _________
REASONING:
 Alaska has __________ hours more day light than New
Zealand in July.
Day length graphs
CLAIM:
 Alaska has an abundance of food in July when New
Zealand is in its winter.
EVIDENCE & REASONING:
 In the video on Alaska, the narrator talked about the
abundance of things to eat.
 We saw an abundance of life – lots of flowering plants,
tons of flying bugs, and flocks of birds.
 We don’t have any evidence about New Zealand and
how much food it has, but from prior experience we
know there’s less food available in winter than in
summer most places.
New
Zealand
CLAIM:
 Alaska has slightly warmer temperatures in July than
New Zealand.
EVIDENCE:
 New Zealand Temp July: ______________
 Alaska Temp July: ___________
REASONING:
 Alaska is _______ degrees warmer on average than
New Zealand in July.
CLAIM:
 Distance is not enough to explain differences in
seasons.
EVIDENCE:
 Earth is _____________________________ km away
from the sun when Alaska is in its winter (December).
 Earth is ____________________________ km away
from the sun when Alaska has its summer (June).
REASONING:
 Alaska is _____________________ km closer to the
sun in the winter when it is colder. If distance
determined how warm it was, Alaska would be warmer
in December.
Notes: Seasons Reading – the big Circle we drew
Climate Graphs
Climate Graphs
REASONING:
 Alaska is _______ degrees warmer on average than
New Zealand in July.
CLAIM:
 Distance is not enough to explain differences in
seasons.
EVIDENCE:
 Earth is _____________________________ km away
from the sun when Alaska is in its winter (December).
 Earth is ____________________________ km away
from the sun when Alaska has its summer (June).
REASONING:
 Alaska is _____________________ km closer to the
sun in the winter when it is colder. If distance
determined how warm it was, Alaska would be warmer
in December.
Notes: Seasons Reading – the big Circle we drew
CLAIM:
 Alaska has slightly warmer temperatures in July than
New Zealand.
EVIDENCE:
 New Zealand Temp July: ______________
 Alaska Temp July: ___________