Week 4 On-Line Data

Data collection can often be a time consuming process in an experiment. It is important for students to know how to collect data, so it should not be removed from laboratory experiments. Using on-line data sets can be added for additional experiments where collecting the data in a classroom may not be possible or too expensive. Using the Generating an Argument model by Sampson and Grooms is one way to use data sets in the classroom. I can also see using a data set to have the student practice graphing. I go through the steps of making a title, labeling the x and y axis, making the proper scale, and graphing the points. Students often have trouble with graphing and need practice. The second step is to interpret the graph and answer questions using the graph. I would have the students graph with graph paper first and review the basics. The next step would be to have them generate a graph using the Create a Graph on-line tool. The tool allows you to choose a type of graph, label, and set a scale. I can see myself creating graphs with this tool and adding them to a presentation to the class.

I do a class simulation on the spread of a viral disease. Each student receives a small cup of a clear liquid. One cup contains the “virus”. The students are told that they are to interact with two other people. To interact, they pour their liquid into another student’s cup, back into the other cup, and then take half back into their cup. The students are asked to predict how many people will be infected after two interactions. The students then interact. The teacher then tests the cups by adding a drop of phenolthealine. If it turns bright pink/purple then they are infected. All the cups have water except one that contains a weak solution of NaOH. The students then raise their hand if they were infected. A graph is plotted for number of interactions to number of infected students, starting with zero interactions, one interaction, and then the two interactions. The students then receive new cups with again one person infected. The students predict how many people will be infected after three interactions. They interact and see how many are infected. It is exponential and clearly shows how bacteria and viruses can spread quickly through a population. There are questions to discuss about the graphs and how the simulation compares to the real world spread of disease and ways to prevent the spread.

I can see projecting the Create a Graph tool on the board and graphing the data as the student get it instead of just drawing it on the whiteboard.


I spent some time looking at the different data sets listed in the textbook. I had some difficulty in loading and getting some of the data. I often found maps with shaded in colors that would be interesting to show, but would not be useful in generating graphs. I can see that there would be many applications for the data sets for earth science with the different sets on weather, water, earthquakes, glaciers, and volcanoes. Many of the life science data sets involve migratory patterns of animals and human population studies. I would use a data set on one of the migratory data sets for graphing. I would use some water data when I discuss the water cycle and sources of water.