News & Updates February 12th, 2025 | Issue #7

Recording - Weather vs. Climate: Extreme Cold in a Warming World

On February 6th, 2025, educators joined curriculum developer Jon Griffith to explore the Data Puzzles instructional framework in the context of the Weather vs. Climate: Extreme Cold in a Warming World lesson. In this Data Puzzle, students explore the difference between weather and climate in the context of an extreme cold event that hit during the 2024 NFL playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins. The air temperature at kickoff was -4°F, making it the fourth coldest NFL game ever played! But what does this cold weather event tell us anything about long-term winter temperature patterns (climate) in the region?


Watch the full recording here!

  • Please note that the slide deck and landing page referenced in the recording are linked in the description on YouTube.

Upcoming Webinars for Middle School Science Teachers

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Seeking middle school science teachers with some familiarity with Data Puzzle lessons!


Next week, we'll begin promoting a series of brand new webinars designed to highlight new data sensemaking practices we've built into existing Data Puzzle lessons. Funding for these webinars comes from a National Science Foundation grant we received last year designed to learn how middle school science teachers integrate data sensemaking in their classrooms. As such, we will be asking middle school science teacher participants to complete a post-webinar survey to help us understand how effective (or not) the webinar was in building their confidence to use the featured data sensemaking practice in their classroom. Participants will receive a $75 Amazon gift card. This feedback in invaluable as it will help us modify and improve future webinars and professional learning events!!!


Please find the webinar dates below. Additional information about these events, including registration links, will be shared next week.



Data Sensemaking Practices in the Not All Warming is Equal lesson


Tuesday, March 4th, 4:00 - 5:00 pm MT, and

Thursday, April 17th, 4:00 - 5:00 pm MT



Data Sensemaking Practices in the Megadrought in the Colorado River Basin lesson


Tuesday, March 18th, 4:00 - 5:00 pm MT, and

Thursday, April 24th, 4:00 - 5:00 pm MT



Integrating Data Puzzle lessons into your curriculum: A case study using the Not All Warming is Equal lesson


Thursday, April 3rd from 4:00 - 5:30 pm MT

 

Data Puzzle Connections to Science in the News

 

January 2025 was the hottest on record despite factors thought to make it less likely


For Americans, news of a record warm January might seem odd given how cold it was. But the U.S. is just a tiny fraction of the planet's surface, and "a much larger area of the planet's surface was much, much warmer than average..."

Read More
 
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Contact us: jonathan.griffith@colorado.edu