Engineering Medicine Coolers
Heatwave Visualizations computational thinking module
Students visualize heatwave data to identify which regions and people may be most impacted by hot temperatures to help them engineer a medicine cooler. After creating their own data visualization, students consider how personal preferences and experiences may influence the instructions a human gives to a computer.
When students launch each activity, it will open and run in their browser with MATLAB Online.
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Heatwave Days in the U.S. in 2021, Version 1
Visualize the frequency and location of heatwaves in the U.S. in 2021.
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Heatwave Days in the U.S. in 2021, Version 2
Consider why this visualization is different from Heatwave Days in the U.S. in 2021, Version 1.
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Create Your Own Heatwave Definition
Change variables in the algorithm and observe how it impacts the data visualization.
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Create Your Own Heatwave Definition for a Climate Region in the Continental U.S.
Zoom in on a region of the country to test and modify your heatwave definition.
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Normal Temperature Patterns
View an animation of typical temperature patterns across the U.S. over the course of a year.
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Extension Activity (beyond the curriculum): The Logical AND Operator
The Heatwave Days in the U.S. in 2021, Version 2 live script above uses a heatwave definition that includes the AND operator. This live script helps students understand how the use of the AND operator can result in one-day heatwaves even though the individual conditions in the definition must be met for a minimum of two consecutive days.