Extremely Hot Days

Data, Graphs, and Maps

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Climate Central

Open Resource

What it is

This interactive resource allows students to explore the change in extremely hot days that cities in the United States have experienced annually from 1970.
Students will learn that, on average, cities in the United States are experiencing many more hot days per year than they were in the past.

Teaching tips

Positives

This resource is easy to understand, and it makes a striking point about rising temperatures.
Students will enjoy looking at data from nearby cities or cities they would like to go to in the future.
The resource is available in English and Spanish. Students can click "EN" for English or "ES" for Spanish.

Prerequisites

Students can click on the article More Extremely Hot Days, located in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, to read more about the scientists' findings.
Students should be comfortable reading a line graph.

Differentiation & Implementation

Math or statistics classes could use this resource to discuss how scientists used average temperature data to determine what a really hot day means in different cities.
Health classes could use this resource in a discussion about the importance of staying healthy during extremely hot days.
Students could make predictions before exploring the resource and compare their predictions to the data.
As an extension, students could write a constructed response explaining their predictions, the data, and how and why they differed.

From the scientist review

This resource depicts extremely hot periods in US cities from 1970-2021. Changing weather patterns with increasing average temperatures in summer months over this period is evidence that the climate is changing and the weather is becoming more extreme. This resource is recommended for teaching.

How we review resources

Ready to use it?

Hosted on climatecentral.org

Open Resource

Want this to fit your class?

Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.

At a glance

Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Other types: Interactive Media
Language: English, Spanish
Location: North America, North America > United States
Provider: Climate Central
Authors: Climate Central
Published: July 26, 2022
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · MS-ESS3-5. + 4 more

Core

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

MS-ESS3-5.Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
MS-ESS3-D.Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (MS-ESS3-5)

New Jersey Climate Education Hub

Mathematics

HSF.IF.B.6Calculate and interpret the average rate of change of a function (presented symbolically or as a table) over a specified interval. Estimate the rate of change from a graph.
HSS.IC.B.6(+)Evaluate reports based on data (e.g., interrogate study design, data sources, randomization, the way the data are analyzed and displayed, inferences drawn and methods used; identify and explain misleading uses of data; recognize when arguments based on data are flawed).

Science

3-ESS2-1.Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

Cookie Preferences

What it is

Teaching tips

From the scientist review

Ready to use it?

Want this to fit your class?

Related Teaching Resources