Learning Exercise

Statistics and Weather Observation with the S'COOL Project

This is a lesson that has students observing weather, collecting data, sending data to NASA, and then completing statistics problems using their own collected data.

Course: 6TH GRADE MULTIPLE SUBJECTS

Material:: NASA Learning Objects: The CERES-S'COOL Project
Date last modified:: June 10, 2007
Created by:: Dr. Troy Tenhet
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NASA Learning Objects: The CERES-S'COOL Project

This is a wonderful website and project that is student based. Participants observe clouds and skies in their areas and... see more

Material Type:: Reference Material
Author:: Lin Chambers, NASA
User Rating:: 5 stars

Exercise

1. In the computer lab, visit the S'COOL site and give an overview. 2. Review statistics (mean, median, mode, and range). 3. Send teams of three students outside every day to collect data about the weather (use downloaded S'COOL form). 4. After 20 days of collecting and reporting, check student data against NASA data for the same day and discuss your observation accuracy. 5. Take collected data for each month and begin working out mean, median, mode, and range qualities in regards to daily temperatures, barometric pressures, humidity, etc. 6. This is STUDENT DATA DRIVEN so use the collected data.

Additional Information: http://mathforum.org/trscavo/statistics.html

Disciplines

Education

Audience

Middle School

Technical Notes

You will need an Internet service provider because of the need to report data to S'COOL.

Requirements

Collaboration, writing at grade level, able to observe, able to use a computer to report data online, knowledge of statistics (mean, median, mode, range).

Topics

Math, Science

Type of Task

Learning Objectives

The CDE Standards for 6th grade are as follows: SCIENCE: Energy in the Earth System 4e: Students know differences in pressure, heat, air movement, and humidity result in changes of weather. MATH: Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability1.0 Students compute and analyze statistical measurements for data sets:1.1 Compute the range, mean, median, and mode of data sets.  1.2 Understand how additional data added to data sets may affect these computations of measures of central tendency.  1.3 Understand how the inclusion or exclusion of outliers affects measures of central tendency.  1.4 Know why a specific measure of central tendency (mean, median) provides the most useful information in a given context.

Assessment

Give a short test using the student data and correct it whole-group. Analyze the results and re-teach as needed.