Education Technology

Mathematical Modeling: Big Data Sets - Climate Change

by Texas Instruments

About the Lesson

Giving students large data sets can be a challenging and motivating experience. These TI-Nspire  files contain different sets of data associated with climate change. All of the data sets can be explored using TI-Nspire functionality.

  •  Climate Variables for Five States contains four variables related to temperature, drought, and precipitation. The data can be used to compare the states with respect to climate change both visually and by finding a model for calculating a comparison statistic. Data for other states can be added to the file for those who wish to see how their individual state compares. (Climate 1.zip)
  •  Climate Extremes in Contiguous Regions of the United States gives the percent of each of nine regions that was subject to extreme conditions for five indicators related to temperature and precipitation. The data can be used to find the Climate Extreme Index for the regions from 1910 to 2022. (Climate 2.zip)
  • Climate Change Risk and Natural Disaster Data includes variables related to extreme heat, drought, or flooding by state that can be used to calculate a climate risk index for each state. A second set of data includes categorical data identifying states in the US as the most at risk for natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or wildfires. Both of these data sets can be visualized using the USmap_climate_risks.tns file. (Climate 3.zip)

 "Exploring Big Data Sets Guide" provides guidance on using the data sets to engage students in the data science process using a recommended structure.