annual evening relative humidity readings H u m a n i t i e s

Introduction and Goals. This project will allow you to explore how a variety of geographic phenomena vary in space and through time. More specifically, you will be writing a 5 page paper based on climate/weather profiles for three cities throughout the world: Houston, Texas; Nairobi, Kenya; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The goal of the paper is for you to gain a better understanding of weather and climate principles and apply them to real-world places.

Structure of Paper. Make sure you include a title page with the title of your paper, your name, class title, instructor name and date.

To start with, you will want to introduce the three cities you are looking at. This can be 1-2 pages and can incorporate background information such as their location, altitude, population, history, what their economies are based on, etc. Good places to start include http:// class=”screenreader-only”> (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and http:// class=”screenreader-only”> (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for Nairobi, and http:// class=”screenreader-only”> (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and http:// class=”screenreader-only”> (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.for Houston. There are other sources on the web and in the library that you can also find on these cities (I encourage you to look at further sources – this will help your paper be more well-rounded and distinct). You will need to find other sources (whether on the web or in the library) for your chosen city. This part of your paper should be approximately one page. Make sure to cite your sources!

Next, you will construct a series of five tables:

You will consult the following website to find the necessary climate data on the cities:

http:// class=”screenreader-only”> (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

You will find out data on the average monthly high and annual temperatures, average monthly low and annual temperatures, average monthly and annual precipitation, average monthly and annual wind speeds, and average monthly and annual evening relative humidity readings for Houston, Nairobi, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Make sure once you have found the cities on the weatherbase site that you click on “all data” for the respective cities in the top right corner of the webpage (Note: This way you will find all the necessary climate information). Create five small tables and place them on one or two pages. It should look a little like this:

Average High Temperature

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Annual

Houston

Nairobi

Your City

The tables can be hand-drawn, but if you choose to hand draw the tables, make sure they are clear and neatly organized. For temps, use Fahrenheit; for rainfall, use inches, and for winds, use miles per hour, and use percentages for relative humidity.

Once you’ve created the tables, discuss the similarities and differences you notice in the three locales. What kind of weather/climate patterns do they have? What are some of the factors that seem to influence the climates of these specific locales (remember features such as latitude, altitude, interior versus coastal location, etc.)? Are their individual climates relatively stable from month to month or highly variable?

Your analysis of the tables should highlight the key similarities and differences between the cities and should be approximately 2-3 pages in length. Look at some of the maps and figures within chapters 1-7 to see whether there are consistencies in the data you find on the world climate web page with what you come across in your text (for example, the mean temperatures for January and July). Also, what climate types do the three locales have?

To conclude your paper, you should incorporate roughly a paragraph or two that summarizes your key findings. Here, you should convey what these findings say or why they are important as well as the connections that can be drawn among and between them.

The best papers will also incorporate discussion of additional weather phenomena and climate flows such as global wind patterns and/or hurricanes, monsoons, El Niño, or climate change and how they apply or effect the locations you are looking at.

Make sure you include a works cited or reference page , citing all the sources you have used. Remember that it is recommended that you look beyond the sources I have listed here – in fact, you will need to utilize more resources in order to have a complete, well-rounded paper. Please do not use Wikipedia, as information presented on Wikipedia is not always reliable or accurate (please note: using Wikipedia will result in points being deducted from your grade). Any citation style will be sufficient so long as you are consistent. Make sure to cite the textbook if you use it! Please double space, use 12 point font (Arial, Times New Roman, and Tahoma are all acceptable) and incorporate standard margins when constructing your paper.

Grading. Your papers will be graded for content as well as grammar, punctuation, etc. The final product should be about 5 pages plus the tables and any maps you might incorporate. Remember to try to “think spatially”. It is alright if your finished product ends up being 6 pages, but anything longer than that will incur grade deductions.