Year 10 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 1
Challenge Worksheet
Learning Goals
Read the graph
Study the climograph for Darwin, Northern Territory. Answer the three questions below using the data shown.
Darwin Monthly Climate, Average Temperature and Rainfall
Data: Bureau of Meteorology, Darwin Airport climate statistics (1941–2020 averages).
(a) Using the graph, identify Darwin's climate zone. Name the months that make up the wet season and the dry season.
(b) What is the approximate temperature range for Darwin across the year? How does this compare to what you would expect in Sydney, which has a temperate climate?
(c) What does the combination of Darwin's rainfall pattern and nearly constant temperature tell you about how the sun's energy drives its climate? Why does the temperature change so little compared to rainfall?
Evaluate the claim
Someone claims...
"Because weather is unpredictable, we can't even get the five-day forecast right half the time, we definitely can't trust long-term climate change predictions. If scientists can't tell me if it will rain next Thursday, how can they claim to know what global temperatures will be in 50 years?"
(a) What part of this claim is supported by science? Explain why short-term weather prediction is genuinely difficult.
(b) What is misleading about this claim? Use ENSO as an example of a climate pattern that is predictable months in advance, even though individual storm days are not.
(c) What is the key difference between predicting tomorrow's weather and projecting long-term climate trends? What type of evidence would you look for to decide if a 50-year climate projection is reliable?
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?