ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

As a result of testing during the 2003-2004 school year, it was determined that the PBJ 4th graders (as well as the 8th and 12th graders) did not meet the target scores for Data Analysis. Because of this, School Improvement goal #1 in the target area of Math is “Students will demonstrate improvement and competency in analyzing data” in 2004-2005 school year

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: Students will understand that data can be represented by a variety of graphs that can be easily and quickly read and interpreted. Goal(s): Students will be able to accurately represent collected data on an appropriately chosen type of graph using a spreadsheet. Students will form accurate conclusions based on the reading of graphs.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: What graph would best represent the data collected? What conclusions can be reached when reading the graph? Objectives: Given a set of different kinds of graphs, the student will be able to identify the type of each one with 100% accuracy. Given a choice of the four basic types of graphs (pictographs, line graphs, pie graphs, bar graphs), the student will be able to select a type of graph that can accurately display given data 90% of the time. Given a collection of data, the student will be able to display the data on a spreadsheet with minimal assistance. Given data displayed on a graph, the student will actively participate in forming group conclusions interpreting the data displayed by the graph, as observed by the classroom teacher.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding?  The students will be required to form two specific conclusions based on the graphs constructed by each group What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? Each group will be asked these questions: Does your graph clearly demonstrate the candy preference of each classroom? What other types of graphs could also clearly represent this data? What differences, if any, do you notice in the candy preferences between classrooms in the 4th and 5th grades? What performance tasks and projects e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product?) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? Students will choose the best type of graph to use to represent their data and construct if using a spreadsheet Student groups will construct a rubric using RubiStar for use in assessing group work What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? Classroom observations, comparison of collected data to the completed graphs, classroom discussion of the conclusions reached, rubrics constructed by students

Instructional Strategies

Students will utilize cooperative groups to collect data, select the type of graph, and form conclusions based on the graphs of the other groups. Students will also use inquiry-based learning to collect their data. The students will use projected-based learning to construct a graph displaying the data collected from their assigned classroom.