- Definition
A climate graph is a chart that shows you the typical weather for a place over a year, combining how hot or cold it usually gets (shown as a line) and how much rain or snow falls (shown as bars).
On a climate graph for Toronto, the line graph might peak in July to show the warmest month, while the bars show how much precipitation falls each month.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A climate graph is like a whole year's weather report card, showing how hot or cold it gets and how much rain or snow falls each month.
Ask your child: Looking at this graph, which month would be best for a picnic?
Common mix-up: Kids might think a climate graph shows the weather for one specific day or year. It actually shows the typical pattern of temperature and precipitation for a place over a long time.
Examples
- Comparing the climate graphs for a desert and a rainforest would show one with very low bars (precipitation) and the other with very high bars.
- A graph for a place near the equator would show a temperature line that is high and flat all year.
climate graph is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
