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Tables and Graphs

Tables and Graphs

TEKS Objective

Construct appropriate simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts using technology, including computers, to organize, examine, and evaluate information.

Essential Understanding

The student uses scientific methods during laboratory and outdoor investigations.

Science Background

Using Graphs and Visual Data: Visionlearning (website) - Detailed information about the use and importance of visual representations (i.e., graphs and figures) for data analysis and interpretation. Includes references for further reading and additional learning modules.

Using Graphs and Visual Data
by Anne E. Egger, and Anthony Carpi, Visionlearning, www.visionlearning.com

Signature Lesson

Track the Weather with Weather Charts: Education.com (website) - Students conduct a three-part study to track the microclimate in their backyards, collecting data and creating representative charts and graphs on temperature, rainfall, and observed weather. By organizing, examining and evaluating the data, students will learn about local temperature trends and rainfall frequency.

Track the Weather with Weather Charts
By Erica Loop, Education.com

Supporting Lessons

Creating a Bar Graph: My NASA Data/NASA (website) - Simple lesson that uses authentic NASA data to teach students basic bar graph construction.

Creating a Bar Graph
My NASA Data, mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov

Elaboration Lessons and Extensions

How to Make a Graph and Chart Made Easy: Easy-Science-Fair-Projects.net (website) - Step-by-step explanation of how to organize information using graphs and charts.

How to Make a Graph and Chart Made Easy
Easy-Science-Fair-Projects.net

Impact Craters: NASA (PDF) - Impact craters are formed when impactors, such as meteorites, smash into the moon’s surface. In this activity, students use “impactors” of different masses (marbles, ball bearings, etc.) to study the relationship of an impactor’s mass to crater size. Students construct graphs, tables and charts to represent and evaluate the data collected.

Impact Craters
NASA, www.nasa.gov

Assessment Ideas

Science Skill - Using Charts and Graphs: Teacher Vision (PDF) - Students collect data on how much time they spend indoors and outdoors, and use charts and graphs to interpret and represent their findings.

Science Skill - Using Charts and Graphs
Teacher Vision, www.teachervision.fen.com

Literature Connections

Great Tables, Graphs, Charts, Diagrams & Timelines You Can Make. Zike, Dinah (ISBN-13: 978-1882796144)

Beginning Charts, Graphs & Diagrams. Carratello, Patty (ISBN-13: 978-1557341686)

Related Science TEKS

(5.1A) Science Safety
The student is expected to demonstrate safe practices and the use of safety equipment as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations.

(5.2A) Design/conduct Experiment with One Variable
The student is expected describe, plan, and implement simple experimental investigations testing one variable.

(5.2B) Ask Questions, Formulate a Hypothesis
The student is expected to ask well-defined questions, formulate testable hypotheses, and select and use appropriate equipment and technology.

(5.2C) Collect Data
The student is expected to collect information by detailed observations and accurate measuring.

(5.2D) Analyze Evidence and Explain
The student is expected to analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct observable and indirect inferred evidence.

(5.2E) Value of Repeated Experiments
The student is expected to demonstrate that repeated investigations may increase the reliability of results.

(5.2F) Communicate Conclusions
The student is expected to communicate valid conclusions in both written and verbal forms.

Related Math TEKS

5.12B The student is expected to use experimental results to make predictions

5.13CThe student is expected to graph a given set of data using an appropriate graphical representation such as a picture or line graph

5.14B   The student is expected to solve problems that incorporate understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and evaluating the solution for reasonableness

Additional Resources

Create a Graph: Kids’Zone (website) - Students learn how to communicate information visually by creating graphs and charts.

Create a Graph
Kids’Zone, National Center for Education Statistics, nces.ed.gov

Representing Data, Introduction: KS3 Bitesize/BBC (website) - Links to information on creating and understanding different types of graphs or charts used to organize and represent scientific data: bar charts, line graphs, pictograms, pie charts, frequency diagrams and scatter diagrams.

Representing Data, Introduction
KS3 Bitesize, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk

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