Explore how different factors work together to produce both your local community's day-to-day weather and the overall climate for your region of the world. Start with Module A (Daily Temperature Changes) and use the arrow in the bottom right corner to proceed through the site. You'll learn about the various factors that influence air temperature, weather, and climate, including how close an area is to a large body of water, how high above sea level it is, and how far it is from the equator.
Each topic contains at least two sections: The first will give you an explanation of the topic and demonstrate how to find data on it. In the text, words and phrases that are underlined are defined for you. Mouse over them or click on them if you're using a smart device, and further explanations should pop up to clarify what you're reading. The last section in each topic is a Try It activity and will let you choose places you're interested in looking at.
After completing the nine topics, check out the additional data tools found at the bottom of the menu. These tools will let you explore further some of the maps and tools from the earlier modules; if you start here instead, you may want to go back into the modules to get some context for using them. It should be noted that you need a Flash-enabled device/browser to access several of these tools and that the site overall is easier to use on a traditional computer, rather than on a tablet or phone.
