Discussion of Challenge Question #3

Comparing the photoperiod graph lines and trends for your hometown and another location can help you discover a great deal about sunlight, the seasons and climate at both locations.

What did the graph lines reveal to you when you compared your hometown and Mystery Class #4?

Students from Florida, New Jersey, Indiana, South Carolina, Minnesota and Michigan "dared to compare" and learned quite a bit in the process. Several classes explained how they made their comparison and analysis , and here are a few of those helpful answers:

The 6th Grade Science Students from Holt, Michigan wrote: We think that at Mystery Class 4 the days are getting shorter as they move to fall. The leaves may be beginning to change color as the nights get longer and cooler. We wonder if the students in Mystery Class 4 are looking forward to (or dreading) the beginning of school? For our class, in Holt, Michigan, USA, the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer overall. The snow is melting and we are looking forward to spring break.

Students at St. Johns Greek Orthodox School in Tampa had several answers:
JC explained: On my graph Tampa is going from the cold months to the warm months and the trend line is going up. For Mystery Class # 4, the trend line is going down which makes my partner and I believe that they are going from the warm months to the cold months.

Nicole and Nina said: In Tampa we are in winter but our climate is getting warmer, and in #4 it is summer but their climate is getting colder. Their sunlight is decreasing, while ours is increasing. Their weather must be slightly cold.

Megan and Samantha predicted what signs would be seen on trees: Compared to our home location, Tampa, which is increasing in daylight which means we are going into spring. they are decreasing so they are going into fall. So they might be losing leaves on trees.

Jay from Sara Collins Elementary, Greenville, South Carolina explained:
Mystery class number 4 is in the southern hemisphere and I am in the northern hemisphere so we have different seasons. Mystery class number 4 is probably about to have winter so their temperature will probably drop and the wind might pick up. And in Greenville it is almost spring so the temperature might rise a bit and who knows what the wind will do.

Students from John Paul II Homeschool Academy in Minnesota:
We think that Mystery Class #4's days are getting shorter because they are heading into winter. They must live in the Southern Hemisphere since their days are getting shorter. In the Northern Hemisphere (where we live), our days are getting longer because we are getting closer to spring. So our weather is probably the opposite of their weather.

Thanks to everyone who responded to this Challenge Question