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Methods for Data Collection

Lesson Plan

Methods for Data Collection

Objectives

Students will learn the different methods for data collection and how data can be represented in a variety of displays. Students will:

  • answer questions based on a variety of data displays.
  • identify the different data-collecting methods and their purposes.
  • construct a graph using a title, appropriate scale, and labels.

Essential Questions

How can data be organized and represented to provide insight into the relationship between quantities?
How can probability and data analysis be used to make predictions?
How does the type of data influence the choice of display?
What does it mean to estimate or analyze numerical quantities?
What makes a tool and/or strategy appropriate for a given task?
  • What does it mean to estimate or analyze numerical quantities?
  • What makes a tool and/or strategy appropriate for a given task?
  • How can data be organized and represented to provide insight into the relationship between quantities?
  • How does the type of data influence the choice of display?
  • How can probability and data analysis be used to make predictions?

Vocabulary

  • Pictograph: A way of representing statistical data using symbols to match the frequencies of different kinds of data.

Duration

120–150 minutes

Prerequisite Skills

Prerequisite Skills haven't been entered into the lesson plan.

Materials

Related Unit and Lesson Plans

Related Materials & Resources

Formative Assessment

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    • Monitoring student responses during the carousel walk activity will help establish a baseline of student understanding of graphs.
    • Student responses during the Four Square Activity will help evaluate how well students understand methods of collecting information to be graphed.
    • The Data Table activity may be used to measure how well students transfer data into various kinds of graphical displays.

Suggested Instructional Supports

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    Scaffolding, Active Engagement, Modeling, Explicit Instruction
    W: Post various graphs around the classroom and have students walk around the room to look at the graphs, recording observations about the graphs that are different from the observations made by previous groups. 
    H: Hook students into the lesson with a discussion about the similarities and differences among the graphs. Come up with a list of methods for collecting data needed to create the graphs. 
    E: Discuss the limits to collecting data. Because you will probably not be able to allow for all responses, you may need to limit the options available to make a corresponding graph presentable. 
    R: Have students work in pairs with one creating a bar graph and one, a line graph using the same data from Data Table in the Resources. Make certain they are including all the necessary graph components (i.e., labels, title) and are using an appropriate scale. 
    E: Discuss with students the graphs they made, what conclusions can be drawn from them, who might benefit from the information, what kind of graph best represents the data, etc. 
    T: Extra activities that can be used to reinforce this lesson include posting graphs from current news sites and interpreting the data or showing graphs that are misleading and having students explain how the data can be misinterpreted. 
    O: This lesson shows students how data can be represented in different types of graphs. 

Instructional Procedures

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    Prior to the lesson, post the graphs (M-5-4-1_Graphs.doc) on chart paper and hang them around the room. “I have posted some graphs around the room. You will be assigned to a small group and as a group will do a carousel walk around the room, visiting each graph and recording as many varied observations as possible for each graph during the given time limit.” (A carousel walk is a kinesthetic activity where students rotate around the room in a clockwise fashion. Students should be given at least two minutes at each station. If many responses get recorded on the chart paper, students may need extended time.) “Be sure to read other students’ responses before recording any new ones. Be sure all your observations relate to the graph or can be answered by the data in the graph. Each group will be given a different color marker to record responses.” While students are recording their observations at each station, monitor student responses and group interactions to assess student readiness in interpreting graphs. When students are finished, share one response from each chart to show students the variety of information that can be learned from a graph.

    “After looking at the different graphs, what would you say they all have in common? In what ways do you notice that they differ?” Create a chart on the board similar to the one below. Allow students time to think-pair-share, and then ask for volunteers to add one idea to the chart.

    Similarities

    Differences

    • have a title
    • labels on the axes
    • data is collected
    • data is recorded
    • some have categories; some have numbers
    • some have numbers on both axes; some have words and numbers
    • type of graph: bar graph, line graph, circle graph
    • topics

    Refer to the graphs either by making an overhead transparency or by pointing to the graphs while posing the question, “How did the person making each graph collect the data necessary to construct the graph?” Allow students time to think-pair-share. Elicit student responses and guide student understanding of the following ways to collect data:

    • Research: using resources like books with statistics or searching the Internet (M-5-4-1_Graphs.doc)
    • Survey or Interview: ask people a question orally or in writing (Number of Pets Our Class Owns graph, in M-5-4-1_Graphs.doc)
    • Experiment or Simulation: carry out a procedure looking at the outcomes of different variables (Number Cube Results graph in M-5-4-1_Graphs.doc)
    • Observation: record what is seen at a given time in a given place

    Give each student two index cards. Have students write one of the four ways to collect data (previous bullets) on one side of an index card, turn it over, and write a different category on the back. Have students use the second card to record the other two categories. Sample cards are shown below.

     

    Use a list similar to the following list to actively engage students in thinking about how data can be collected. Ask, “If we wanted to make a graph of the following data, which method do you think would be the best way to collect the data for that graph?” Tell students to hold up the side of the index card they think would be the best way to collect data for each data set. Discuss student responses; sample responses are given, but some data sets may have more than one appropriate way to collect data.

    • number of students that ride their bikes to school each week (observation)
    • number of points a team scores during each game of a football season (research)
    • number of times each marble color gets pulled from a bag of marbles during 50 trials (experiment/simulation)
    • class’s favorite ice cream flavors (survey)
    • number of each color of M&Ms in a snack-sized package (experiment)
    • number of electoral votes that went to the Democratic Party’s candidate for president in the past 10 elections (research)
    • manufacturers of vehicles parked in the teacher parking lot at school (observation)
    • average monthly temperature for your city (research)
    • number of siblings each classmate has (survey)
    • amount of food each classroom donated to the food drive (observation or survey)
    • types of trees found on the school lot (observation)

    Distribute Collecting Data Four Square (M-5-4-1_Collecting Data Four Square.doc) to each student. Give students approximately five minutes to generate as many varied responses as possible for each category. Collect their responses. Scanning the responses can provide formative data as to whether further instruction or clarification is needed.

    “Suppose we wanted to collect data on the type of book students like to read. What are some possible responses students might give?” (Possible responses may include fantasy, nonfiction, biography, science fiction, mystery, realistic fiction, folklore, and fables.) “Sometimes the responses we get may overlap, not fit into a specific category, or leave us with many categories to graph. One way to control the responses is to give students a list to choose from. In this way, we eliminate some of the problems that may occur with using open-ended responses. What if we asked all fifth graders in our school what their favorite sports team was? What responses might we get? What problems might occur if we try to graph this data? What can we do to get better results? Please share your ideas with students sitting near you. I will ask for volunteers to share their thoughts in a few minutes.” After students have some time to discuss and volunteers share their thoughts, guide student thinking to the understanding that questions asked need to be well structured. Also tell students that giving choices can help control the data needed to construct a graph. Be sure students understand that the method used to collect data can affect the results.

    Give students the Data Table (M-5-4-1_Data Table.doc). Have students work in pairs. One student will create a bar graph and the other will create a line graph. Students can create a graph using paper and pencil (M-5-4-1_Graph Paper.doc), using a program like Microsoft Excel, or using an interactive Web site such as http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/. Remind students of the necessary characteristics of a graph: title, axes labels, appropriate and consistent scale, and data. Once students have created the graphs, they can answer the questions found on the Data Table sheet. Monitor student performance and clarify understanding if necessary.

    While students are finishing their graphs, have mini-conferences with them, asking questions similar to those that follow.

     

    • What is the title of your graph?
      • What is the scale you chose for the vertical axis? Why?
      • What conclusions can you draw from reading your graph?
      • Who might benefit from reading a graph like this?
      • Is the data affected if it is used to create two different types of graphs?
      • Which graph do you feel best represents this data and why?

    Students who finish early can create another graph using data from the following two Web sites: http://www.cityrating.com/averagetemperature.asp or http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. Students also can create a survey question and collect data in the classroom to create a graph.

    Additional questions to assess learning (which may be used as journal prompts) follow.

    • Where can we find graphs? (Newspapers, magazines, books, TV, etc.)
    • Why do we represent data in graphs? (Data is often easier to understand if it is visual.)
    • What are different ways to collect data to make a graph? (Bar graph, line graph, circle graph, tally chart, pictograph, etc.)
    • Can the same data be represented in two different types of graphs and still show the same information? Explain. (Yes . . . )

    Extension:

    Use the following strategies and activities to meet the needs of your students during the lesson and throughout the year.

    • Routine: Collect graphs from the Internet, magazines, or newspapers. Students can help collect samples, then post a graph and interpret the data. Possible questions to ask include:
      • What type of graph is this?
      • What is the title of the graph?
      • How do you think the data was collected?
      • What conclusion can you draw from the graph?
      • What question can be answered by this graph?

    These Web sites have a few graphs you can use for this activity:

    This lesson shows students how data can be represented in different types of graphs. Students learn that there are different methods for collecting and displaying data. After seeing various types of graphs, students create a graph based on a data table. The graph includes the following features: title, appropriate scale, and labels. Students interpret the data and answer questions based on the data.

Related Instructional Videos

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Final 05/03/2013
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