Extension - Writing Activity

Imagine that you are a scientist working in a time before the Thermometer was invented. You have been asked to help choose the most ideal location to build a farm.

You are told to assess your current location and two additional locations for the following:

  1. Air temperature and the comfort of the estate’s inhabitants (no air conditioning exists)
  2. Air temperature as it relates to growing grapes

You have been given a year to study the problem and make your recommendations. Like the other scientists of your day, you understand that air has pressure and when it heats up in a closed tube, it rises and when the air cools, it retracts or falls within the tube. You understand other things about the weather that you can observe.

You have two friends who are also interested in the study of weather who each live in the respective regions being considered. They agree to help you. You agree that together, you will study the conditions in each of your regions, reporting back your results at regular intervals.

Because you’ve been appointed to this task and the matter is of high priority, you’ve also been given access to the best tradesmen of the day who can produce for you and your friends the same size tubes and tools you will need to complete your task. So, with this in mind, you set out to make the best recommendation you can.