Description

Days 6 and 7 of the mini-unit Challenging Math Poetically: Let's go surfing! Students surf the Web gathering information about graphs. The data collected and analyzed in The Math Poet activity is now incorporated into a spreadsheet and graphs of varying nature generated to further enhance student understanding.

Materials

-Computers with Internet access
-Computer paper
-Printer
-Zip disks (optional)
-Spreadsheet program
-Completed data collection sheets
-CD player with CD of appropriate music
-Overhead projector (optional)
-Transparencies (optional)
-Screen print of the Excel sample spreadsheet and computer-generated graphs through the Chart Wizard, one copy for teacher use (See Attached Files)
-Handouts, assessments, and scoring tools (see Teacher Preparation, Steps #5-6)

Procedures

Days 6 and 7 of the mini-unit Challenging Math Poetically

Day 6
1. Have a CD of students' favorite music playing as they enter the room. Greet students at the door and direct them to their group seating.

2. Once students are seated in their groups, distribute expanding folders according to group numbers. Tell them to assign new roles and complete the Challenging Math Poetically Role Assignments sheets for today's activity. Each member assumes a new role of the four designated in The Math Poet activity: 1) Team Manager, 2) Calculator, 3) Recorder, and 4) Signaler (flag waver). The Signaler waves the flag any time a group has questions of the teacher.

3. An alternative is to have folders already in place on the tables, or group stations.

4. Review concepts from the previous lesson Get the Picture with Graphs. Allow time for students to review What's in the Graph? worksheets and make note of any teacher comments. Point out main points and discuss differences in graphs selected. Ask students to share their graphs and what they learned within their groups. Call on selected students to share information with the entire class.

5. Tell students to refer to sketches of graphs from previous day's activities and discuss problem areas within their groups. Pay particular attention to the bar graph that best represents the data and discuss why this takes precedence over a line graph. Call on one student to share this information with the entire class.

6. Tell students to report to computers, or escort them to a computer lab. Allow students to seat themselves close to their team members. This provides opportunities for peer-teaching and mentoring while continuing learning within a cooperative learning environment.

7. Present objectives to students. Review the Sunshine State Standards and Goal 3 Standard(s) that are addressed. Inform students that the purpose of their work on the computers is to create spreadsheets and generate graphs selecting the graph, which best represents data collected. Requirements also include describing, analyzing and generalizing graphs.

8. Provide students with Surfing the Web Student Response handouts (See Attached Files). Instruct students to use a search engine of their choice to answer the questions accordingly. Engage students in discussions about the various types of graphs they see and why certain types are chosen for specific data.

9. Collect Surfing the Web Student Response handouts. Formatively assess students' ability to use a search engine using the answer key and the Surfing the Web Teacher Checklist provided in the Attached Files.

10. Instruct students to refer to their Data Collection Worksheets. Inform students that it is now time to produce computer-generated graphs. Instructions:
a) Create an Excel spreadsheet complete with same data used in Get the Picture with Graphs. Include student's name typed on the spreadsheet, not handwritten on a printed copy.
b) Generate four graphs per instructions on the Excel Spreadsheet and Chart Wizard handout.
c) Provide an analysis of the graphs including title, horizontal and vertical axes, and appropriate legend.
d) Include a statement indicating the graph of best fit for data collected and why you selected the graph of your choice.
e) For circle graphs, include a statement explaining what ratios were used to calculate the percentages displayed.

11. Teach or review how to input data into a spreadsheet.
a) Introduce students to Excel. Distribute Introduction to Excel handout, one per student (See Attached File).
b) Complete handout with students engaging them in discussion while referring to the handout. Students need the colored pencils or pens to complete the questions at the bottom of the page.
c) Distribute Steps for Excel Spreadsheet and Chart Wizard handout one per student (See Attached Files) Tell students they will create a sample spreadsheet and graphs using the information they sketched in their graphs yesterday. This allows students to verify their own sketches. Tell them to use the data they collected to create the spreadsheet and generate four graphs Column (one), Line (one), and Circle (two). (The two circle graphs include one for data on boys per group and one for data on girls per group.)
d) From this point on students are primarily working on their own. Monitor students while they are working at the computers to lend assistance whenever needed. Assign one or two students to serve as mentors. Ask if any students feel proficient in Excel and can handle this role.
e) Monitor students' progress and formatively assess students' work while at the computers offering feedback as deemed necessary.
f) Engage students at the computer with soft, relaxing music playing while they are working. Just a little perk that the students will enjoy!

12. Optional: Instruct students to save all of their work on a disk. Because of the graphics involved in generating graphs it is preferable that you have zip disks. Work saved includes:
a) Excel spreadsheet complete with all data and student's name.
b) Four generated graphs per instructions on the Excel Spreadsheet and Chart Wizard handout.
c) An analysis of the graphs including title, horizontal and vertical axes, and appropriate legend.
d) Indication of graph of best fit for data collected and why you selected the graph of your choice.

13. Students print copies of their Excel spreadsheets with their names typed (not added in pen or pencil), and copies of the computer-generated graphs including analyses and generalizations. Include notation of the graph that is chosen as the best fit to represent the data and explanation why that graph was selected. (See sample for teacher use in Attached Files.) Be sure students have their names on both copies and preferably stapled together.*

*Unless students save their work to zip disks in lieu of printing.

14. Students turn in Excel spreadsheets and graphs, or zip disks with information saved, for continued formative assessment. (See Assessment section.)

Day 7
1. Seat students in their groups and distribute expanding folders according to group numbers.

2. Use this day to wrap-up and bring closure to the mini-unit actvities. Instruct students to peruse the documents in their individual folders, especially from the previous day. Go over any areas of concern that arise from the feedback on their spreadsheet documents.

3. Review the concepts studied and answer questions as they arise.

4. Provide opportunities for students to practice Excel, or similar spreadsheet program as warranted.

5. Go over expectations for the summative assessment to follow the next day.

Extensions

Poetic Math Greeting Cards: What is the most often purchased greeting card? Discover this, and have students produce their own greeting cards. Students surprise family and friends while analyzing data at the same time. Creativity soars! Go to Web Links for access to the extended lesson plan, Poetic Math Greeting Cards.

Day 8 of the mini-unit Challenging Math Poetically is the Summative Assessment.

Click here to view the Beacon Unit Plan associated with this lesson. See Attached Files to download the Unit Plan Overview, Unit Assessments, and other attached files.

Attached Files

Activity Sheets, Assessments, and Scoring Tools     File Extension: pdf