Core Curriculum
Objective(s):
Use appropriate graphs, tables, charts, and lists to organize all possible outcomes of an experiment.
(7SP1-3)
Construct real and/or interpret data from frequency tables, multiple bar graphs, circle graphs, pictographs, histograms, line plots, stem and leaf plots, box and whisker plots, and
scattergrams. (7SP1-4) (Boldface print indicates focus of the lesson)
Overview: Students will create double bar graphs using data collected in the classroom. Students will also create human stem and leaf plots, line plots, and box and whisker plots based on weather data found in the newspaper. They will also create the visual graphs of these plots. In addition to the weather data, students will collect, record, and analyze data collected by the class to create a box and whisker plot.
Focus/Essential Question(s): What are some different types of graphs we can create with data? What is a double bar graph and how is it created? What is a stem and leaf plot? What are box and whisker plots? How do we create them?
Time Frame: Five one-hour class periods
Resources/Materials:
Pennies
Eye droppers
Paper towels
Computers with Internet access
Graph paper
Markers or crayons
Pencils
Overhead or board
Overhead pens or chalk
Overhead graph paper
Copies of graphs from newspapers, magazines, textbooks, etc.
Sticky notes (two different colors)
Copies of the weather section from newspaper (The State)
Large index cards with the names of cities for which newspaper reports
temperature data (excluding Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Honolulu)
Construction paper with the stem names 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100)
Poster board
Computer
Number line prepared on the floor or ground
Yarn
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/data.html
Culminating Assessment:
Each student will be given a copy of the weather section from the newspaper. (The State) Students will create a stem and leaf plot and a box and whisker plot for the low temperatures in the United States. The following rubric will be used to assess the completed graphs:
| POINTS |
CRITERIA |
| 0 |
No graphs completed |
| 1 |
One graph completed correctly |
| 2 |
Two graphs completed, but errors are present in the data analysis |
| 3 |
Both graphs completed with no errors in the data analysis |
Instructional Activities:
Activity One:
Provide students with examples of graphs and discuss the main types of graphs. Call on students to answer questions based on the graphs and to explain how they determined the answer. Distribute sticky notes to students, making sure that all boys receive one color and that all girls receive another color. Ask students to record their favorite color on the sticky note in big, bold writing so that it can be seen anywhere in the class. Call on a student to collect the sticky notes and attach them to the board, keeping the boys' choices and the girls' choices separate. Draw a number line on the board and call on students to find all the votes for a particular color and stick the notes over that number. Continue until all colors have been placed and ask students to determine the range and mode of their votes. (At this time, the teacher may also further discuss the median and mean but these are not the focus of the lesson.)
Ask the students how to arrange the information so that it can be seen clearly and easily. Lead the class to the decision to complete a double bar graph, which will represent favorite colors for both boys and girls. Display the overhead graph paper or a grid on the board. Call on various students to begin separating the data by color. Once all colors have been separated on the board, select a color and call on a student to indicate the number of boy votes and the number of girl votes. Record this information on the graph paper by creating two bars, one for boys and one for girls. Repeat this process with a second color and ask students to indicate how to recognize the boys and girls graphs. (different colors for boys and girls, different ways of shading the bars) Separate the class into groups and distribute graph paper. Allow the groups time to complete the double bar graphs for the class data. Monitor and assist as needed. Display the completed graphs in the classroom.
Activity Two:
Separate students into cooperative groups. Give each group a copy of the weather section from the newspaper. Locate the high temperatures from around the nation and ask the students how else the information could be presented. (line graph, bar graph) Discuss with the class why this information is usually presented in a table or chart rather than in a graph. (easier to arrange, less space) Each student will now randomly select a large index card with the name of a city previously written on it, locate the temperature for that city in the weather report, and record the information on the card. In a large open area, lay pieces of construction paper with stem names in a line: 10. 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100. (Note: These stems may differ depending on the time of year.) Have students find the stem to which they belong and get in line behind that stem. Once all stems are formed, assist the students with arranging the leaves (their temperatures) in order from smallest to largest.
Tell students that what they have constructed is a human stem and leaf plot. On the overhead or board, draw a line, leaving more space on the right side than on the left. Write the names of the stems on the left side of the line. Write the leaves to the right of the line parallel to the appropriate stem. Have students return to their groups. Groups will work together to construct a stem and leaf graph on a poster board for all the cities in the United States for which the temperatures are shown in the newspaper. Each group needs to prepare 3 conclusions about temperatures in the United States based on the data. Teacher will monitor and assist as needed. Groups will share their stem and leaf plots with the class as well as their conclusions based on the data. Conclude this activity by having the class discuss how the data from the smaller sample (cities chosen by class members) compares with the larger sample (all cities shown in the newspaper). Display completed graphs in the classroom.
Activity Three: (May take two one-hour class periods)
Show students the following web site: http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/data.html
Go to the "Stem and Leaf Plotter". (Note to teacher: This web site is made up of Java applets, which require a Java-capable browser. If your browser is not Java-capable, you will not be able to use the web site. You will also have to download "Microsoft Virtual Machine" in order for the "Stem and Leaf Plotter" to work.) This web site will allow you to virtually create any stem and leaf plot. Students can enter in the data from Activity Two to see how the computer would create a stem and leaf plot based on the data. Students are also given the opportunity to find the mean, median, and mode of the data.
(In addition to the "Stem and Leaf Plotter", this web site contains many lessons, activities, and worksheets which may be used when studying data analysis. There are two main sections, one for students and one for teachers. The teacher lesson on stem and leaf plots contains a link to a worksheet, which can be printed and used as homework or assessment.)
Remind students of the temperature data, which was collected and graphed in Activity Two. Give each student an index card (from Activity Two) with a city and temperature. Instruct the class to stand and form a line so that the temperatures on their cards are arranged from lowest to highest. As students are standing in a line, introduce the following terms:
Locate these numbers in the line and write each one on the board or overhead. Have each student representing these special numbers come forward onto a number line, which has been prepared on the floor or ground. Introduce the concept of an outlier. (maximum and minimum) Use yarn to create a box and whiskers around the students who have stepped forward. Use the yarn to form a box from the upper quartile to the median and from the median to the lower quartile. Then, use the yarn to make lines from the upper quartile to the upper extreme and from the lower quartile to the lower extreme. After the students have observed the human box and whisker plot, ask the students to return to their seats. Return to the web site
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/data.html and go to "Box Plot". The data from the human plot can now be entered into the computer and students will see an actual box and whiskers plot. (Again, in the Lessons section of this web site, the teacher can find worksheets for creating box plots, which can be used as homework or an assessment.)
Have students return to their cooperative groups from Activity Two. Distribute a penny, an eyedropper, and paper towels, paper, and markers to each group. Tell the students that they will be collecting data, which will show how many drops of water can be placed on a penny before the water spills off. Each group will repeat the experiment four times, carefully counting and recording the number of water drops placed on the penny. One person from each group will record the data on the board or overhead. After all the data has been recorded, groups will construct a box and whisker plot based on the data. Monitor and assist as needed. Display completed graphs in the classroom.
Activity Four:
Students will be assessed as described in the Culminating Assessment. Each student will be given a copy of the weather section from the newspaper. Display the assessment rubric and discuss the scoring with the class. Students will create a stem and leaf plot and a box and whisker plot for the low temperatures in the United States. Completed graphs can be displayed.
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