Designed by: Sally R. Funderburk      School: A.C. Flora High School

  Grade Level: 9-10       Subject: Biology

CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVE(S): Organize and display data in useable and efficient formats, such as tables, graphs, maps, and cross sections. (B IB9)

OVERVIEW: The student will identify the types of graphs and the elements of a scientific graph. The student will develop the skills necessary to organize and display data in a data table and a graph. As a culminating activity, the student will develop a data table and a graph based on information garnered from a scientific article. The student also will gather his own data from his choice of experiment, and organize that data in a useful and efficient scientific format.

FOCUS/ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S): What are graphs and how are they useful? What are the types of graphs? What are the elements of a graph?

TIME FRAME: Two 90-minute class periods for instruction and activities; allow one week for students to complete the graphing project on their own time.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:

Paper, pencils, overhead projector or chalkboard

Graph paper

Colored markers or colored pencils

Metric rulers with increments also in inches

Graphing exercises such as "Decomposition of Oak Leaves", Prentice-Hall, 1989 p.13

Scientific articles with data that can be graphed (newspaper articles or Consumer Reports can be used or Internet sites such as www.weather.com

Computer with graphing capabilities (optional)

Samples of graphs from magazines, newspapers, periodicals

CULMINATING ASSESSMENT: The student will complete a graphing project that involves graphing 2 different sets of data. Based on the data, the student will choose the best type graph to illustrate the data and explain why that graph is best for the data. The graphs should include all elements discussed in class.

INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Prior to lesson, the homework assignment is given that students should bring in any type of graph from a magazine or newspaper, or teacher could display examples that (s)he has.

Day 1

Essential Questions:

What are graphs and how are they useful?  

What are the types of graphs?  

What are the elements of a graph?

Launch Activity:

The class will generate a "word map" or web diagram using terms that they already know that pertain to graphs. Some sample responses generally are "bar", "line", "points", "grid". The teacher should organize these responses on the chalkboard or overhead.

Brainstorming and Discussion:

From the graphing "word map" or web diagram, the teacher will lead a discussion about graphs and their scientific functions. As homework, the students were asked to bring in any type of graph. These graphs will be used in the discussion. Student volunteers will display and discuss their graphs. Include a list of types of graphs and define their uses. Show samples or illustrations. Content includes these types of graphs: line, bar, pie or circle.

Acquisition Lesson:

Students will outline information about the types of graphs, and the proper elements of a scientific graph. Content includes these types of graphs: line-used to show trends, rates, and slopes. The x axis (independent variable) is usually a measurement of time; bar-used for comparisons; pie/circle-used for percentages. The proper elements of a scientific graph include title, x axis (independent variable) labeled, y axis (dependent variable) labeled, units or increments equally spaced and identified, key or legend, and points plotted correctly.

Extending and Refining Lesson:

Using a data table, students will practice graphing data such as Environmental Case Study 6 from Biology: The Living World, Prentice-Hall, 1989, p.13. Most biology text publishers have graphing activities that are suitable. The teacher should circulate and monitor progress. Students will work individually on their graphs. The teacher will initiate the lesson by identifying the elements of the graph: title, the x and y axes, and the correct increments. These can be demonstrated on the overhead or chalkboard. From the data table of the exercise, the students can begin to plot the points. It is recommended that pairs of students check each other for correctness. The teacher should circulate and help students who are having difficulty.

Closure:

Students will collaboratively pair and make flash cards with the names of the different types of graphs on the cards. The teacher will present data or an experimental scheme and the pairs will have to determine which type graph is best for that particular set of data. For example, to determine the rate of decomposition of leaves over time, the correct response would be "line graph", and the student pair would hold up their "line graph" card. To determine the favorite ice cream flavor from a group of students, the correct response would be "bar graph", and that card would be raised.

Day 2

Essential Questions:

What are graphs and how are they useful?  

What are the types of graphs?  

What are the elements of a graph?

Culminating Activity:

The students will be given the rubric for the graph project. The teacher will discuss and demonstrate, and answer questions. Time will be allotted for the student to think about what type of survey or inquiry he would like to conduct to gather data. The teacher can give suggestions such as for pie/circle: "How I spend my allowance" or "What I do in a 24 hour day"; for bar graph: "The favorite ice cream flavor of my classmates" or "The most popular car" ; for line graph: "The temperature at 7:00a.m. taken over a seven day period". Next, students will be allowed to go to the Media Center to research appropriate science articles for their graphs. The teacher should circulate with the class, answering questions and helping with suggestions. Sources that are helpful include Consumer Reports, or www.weather.com. This is an extended project that cannot be completed on this one day; however, the student should leave the Media Center with all the resources needed to complete the project on his own time.

A. The first graph is from the researched article

a. The synopsis should be a summary of the graph's data. A bibliography should be included. Information such as how the data was collected, or for what purpose the data was collected should be included. This should be in short paragraph form, such as three or four sentences.

b. A statement should be made that defends the type of graph chosen for its particular set of data. For example, "A bar graph is used because the article is comparing the winning earnings of five professional golfers."

c. The graph should contain all five elements of a scientific graph.

B. The second graph is from data collected by the student

a. The synopsis should be a summary of the graph's data. The student should give an overview of what he did. This should be in short paragraph form, such as three or four sentences.

b. The student should describe how he collected the data. Was it by a survey that he distributed? Was it a tally he did on his own?

c. The data table should be neatly displayed in a table format with columns

d. A statement should be made that defends the type of graph chosen for its particular set of data. For example, "A bar graph was used because I was comparing the numbers of people that used a particular brand of detergent."