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This article describes an engaging datagathering activity that involves exploring relationships between latitude and average monthly temperatures of cities in the Western Hemisphere. Our extensive work with middle school and high school students has confirmed this activity's attractive features: It is elastic (i.e., it can be adapted for use in either algebra 1 or algebra 2); it is interdisciplinary and can be taught through team teaching; and it requires wise and effective use of technology.

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The idea for this article came from a problem that was published before the widespread availability of graphing calculators (North Carolina School for Science and Mathematics 1988). In that publication, Geometric Probability, an interesting analytic solution to the problem about comparing the areas of squares was given and is described later in Algebraic-Geometric Solution. We have adapted the problem and have used successfully another, equally interesting method of solution in numerous classes from seventh-grade prealgebra through precalculus, as well as with several groups of teachers. This article presents our solution and, in addition, an example of how a rational function, a type not commonly found in applications of mathematics at this level, can model a solution of a related problem. The problem that we use with our students follows: