Elementary, Mathematics, Science, Technology

Data Collecting, Excel, Graphing data

4-5

Students will collect data on the height of their plants over a 30 day period.

Students will input their data as an average into excel.

Students will graph their data using excel.

Students will collect data then input it into excel and create a graph.

Students have already been collecting and graphing data. This is their first time using excel and will be using it again in the future.

Day 1:
Introduction: Get the class discussion what they read about the scientific method. Make sure they know the difference in a control group and experimental group. Then have the students generate ideas they can experiment with planting seeds of a Brassica Rapa plants. Once they have mention something about fertilizer then tell them that is what they are going to experiment with. Help the class generate what the control group and experimental group would be.
Next have the class get into groups of 4. Give them the step by step instructions with all the materials needed to plant their seeds. Go through the steps with them. Have half the groups use fertilizer when planting and half not use it. Once they are done planting have the groups water them and place them under the lamps.

Day 2 - 29:
Have the groups water the plants daily and take measurements in centimeters every Tuesday and Friday.

Day 30:
Have the groups take their last measurements. Then have the groups find the average height every day they measured out of the 6 plants planted. So the groups would have one average height for all the plants they planted on each day they measured them. Hand out the data collection sheet and have the groups right down their average height for each day measured. Then give each group a disk to save their work.

Then take the students to the computer lab.

Show and explain Excel to the students. Make sure to explain that the opening page is called a spreadsheet and that each rectangle is a called a cell.

Give the groups instructions on how to create the data collection sheet and input their information.

Then instruct the students on how to make a graph using excel and their data.

Have the students save their spreadsheet and graph on their disks.

Then have the students print out their spreadsheet and graph.

Go back to the classroom and discuss the results of their data collection. Make sure the groups hand in their spreadsheets and graphs.

There will be a special education teacher in the classroom to help those with learning disabilities.

The computer lab is set up for those kids with physical disabilities.

Students will work collaboratively & individually. Students will work in groups of 4.

1 class period. 1 Hr per class.

Make sure all the plants recieve the same amount of sunlight and are watered everyday which can help increase the plant growth.